My inbox has recently been overflowing with inquiries about moving to Norway that I simply haven’t had the time to answer So I decided it would be the easiest option to answer them all in one big blog post.
I’m no expert in how to relocate to Norway But I realize that it’s sometimes easier to get feedback from those who actually live in Norway instead of simply searching for information about life in Norway even if those searches lead you to a spooky site (unless Google led you here – oh hey! ).
I’ve been living in Norway for seven years now, and I’ve seen a lot various stages of the moving to Norway process. I’m still able to remember what it felt the first time I moved to Norway it was so exciting at the same time as it seemed overwhelming, how the excitement eventually died down, and living in such a high-cost country was scary. But that’s why I love the country so much!
This post is really meant as an answer to all the questions on emigrating to Norway that I’ve received from people since I came from the US to Norway myself, because I was once in your shoes too! If you’re looking to learn more about making the move into Norway (especially for those coming from US) this is the way what you need to know:
The move from the US to Norway from the US – how are you allowed to legally reside within Norway as an American citizen?
Oh, I’m so sorry that I’m unable to provide more help However, I’m an Norwegian citizen, and so moving to Norway was really easy for me.
Since my mother is a Norwegian citizen, and I was born in the U.S., I was granted dual citizenship when I was born.
There are a few situations where Norwegians are permitted to enjoy dual citizenship. Most of the time, when you are a Norwegian citizen or a citizen of a different country, in addition to Norway you have to surrender one, but being born as a dual citizen has a number of loopholes.
If I wasn’t an Norwegian (or EU) citizen The process of moving to Norway would be considerably more complicated.
In all honesty, I know a few people who chose to relocate from the US to Norway after a stint in the US and it has turned great for them. One came initially as a student and was offered a job as a teacher, and two more came as tourists and quickly were able to find work in their fields. It’s possible!
Oh and I also know one American woman who was granted an entry visa after marrying an Norwegian, so there’s also the possibility of that.
What everyone who decided to move to Norway has in common is their perseverance. There’s a lot of paperwork, stress as well as questions and confusion to overcome in the move, but if you really want to immigrate to Norway it is important to not give up. Moving to a different country isn’t easy, there are many advantages to it. Norway is a much easier country for you to relocate to as it’s not too difficult to learn (at at least for English users) and there’s a wide variety of jobs available, contrary to that, Norway is a tiny population so it’s strange to be on the outside here.
Norwegians tend to be really similar, so it’s difficult to be on the outside while looking in.
It’s really difficult initially to meet people and feel like a part of the community, but once you do you will truly feel a part of something. That is so great. In fact I’ve never felt as part of any community in any country I’ve lived in like I did in Norway. It’s a fantastic feeling.
The specifics of how to move to Norway from a non-EU/EEA country will be determined by the country you are a citizen of (find more details here), but essentially you’ll need to apply for a permit to reside in Norway that falls into one of the following classes: family-related immigration study immigration, work, au pair and permanent residence.
Family immigration essentially allows someone working from Norway to bring their spouse or children here with them. Therefore, if you have relatives living in Norway, you probably won’t be able to get an Norway residency permit from them. In the event that you’re an adult though there is a parent living here you will only be granted the residence permit only if you can prove you earned at least a certain amount of base income.
Usually if you come here as a worker immigration applicant to Norway it is necessary to have a job before coming to Norway (though often people will arrive in Norway with a tourist visa and find work before their visa runs out). The specific type of residence permit you’ll be applying for will be contingent upon the country you’re from and your skills, and the nature of the work you’ll be doing in Norway.
To be able to obtain a study permit to Norway you’ll have to have been accepted into the full-time program of study (longer than three months) and also prove that you have sufficient funds to sustain yourself (I think it’s around 100,000 NOK per year). A study permit holder will also be allowed to work for up to 20 hours per week during your studies (and fully-time the time between classes).
There are many ways to become a permanent resident in Norway In the end, you’ll have to have had the right to reside here for a minimum of three years, as well as demonstrate an acceptable degree of Norwegian knowledge and language. It’s true that three years of holding a study permit will not be considered a permanent residence requirement in the end, unfortunately.
Many of the people I knew in Trondheim had au pair residence permits. You can only get an au pair permit while between the ages of 18 and 30, you can’t be married to a child, and you’ll need to prove that you’ll likely return to your home country after the completion of your au pair.
And then of course there are rules specifically for asylum applicants in Norway.
Because Norway isn’t a member of the EU Do I require a special visa to move to Norway in the capacity of an EU citizen?
The only thing you need to do is find work within 6 months of having lived in Norway (and there is a good chance that that law is extremely lax). And as Norway has a part in the EEA, as an EU citizen you can get any type of job regardless of the field you work in.
I relocated to Norway together with my ex-boyfriend that was an EU citizen (or was at least prior to the referendum, and though some things like getting an account with a bank were impossible for him to do prior to he landed a job in Norway, mostly moving here was quite an easy process for him. If you have any more specific questions about the process of moving in Norway in the capacity of an EU citizen I’d be happy to assist you in answering them!
I have many friends who are EU citizens and basically the most difficult part for them was learning Norwegian. When you’ve got a basic understanding of Norwegian you should be able to secure an employment at a supermarket, as Norwegians generally don’t have the desire for these jobs. When I worked at the supermarket in Norway all the other workers were foreigners, with only the managers. It was kind of amusing and created an excellent sense of community.
If you’re hoping to earn to be a top-level employee then you will have to learn Norwegian. The good thing is that Norwegian is supposed to be one of the most simple languages for English natives to master. The grammar is extremely basic and straightforward as well as the vocabulary extremely simple.
The biggest challenge is that Norway has a variety of local dialects and dialects that can differ in a wide range. Like my friends in Telemark they say that there are times when Norwegians from Oslo don’t understand everything they say even when they’re all Norwegians!
What can I do to find an employment opportunity in Norway?
In the process of moving to Norway people have told me two things about finding jobs in Norway: it’s all about networking , and it’s much easier to find work in villages or small towns. Sure enough, Dan and I both got jobs because of someone who read my blog, and we ended up living for several years in a tiny town in the middle nothing.
It’s pretty obvious that being social and asking questions (or even hanging out in locations where you could want to work, such as bars or restaurants) is the most efficient way to find a job in Norway. This of course means that you know at least basic Norwegian and luckily, basic Norwegian skills aren’t too hard to master. After five months of living in Norway Dan was proficient enough in Norwegian to work at the grocery store, also Norwegian is the first foreign language he’s learned.
If you’re prepared to do any sort of work and submit your application to every opportunity there is, finding a job in Norway isn’t all it’s going to be.
Actually, I’d say that if you’re able to speak some Norwegian and are totally flexible on where you’d want to live and what sort of job you’d like to accomplish, it shouldn’t be hard for you to find a job in Norway at all. It seems that supermarkets across Norway are always hiring! For as long as you’re not in a big city or a university area since students are the ones to be hired for supermarket jobs.
Where can you move to in Norway The best place to reside in Norway
Of course, this is totally up to your personal preferences, but as I mentioned, it will be much easier to find work in a small town or village rather than, say, Oslo. In addition, the cost of living in smaller towns is way lower than those in cities.
Based on what I’ve heard Oslo is one of the most difficult cities to find work as an immigrant, though it also has the largest number of immigrants living there, whereas in smaller towns there could be only a handful of foreigners. Personally, I see that as a good thing nonetheless, since at least for me , it’s been easier to integrate into small-scale towns than it was in Trondheim and Trondheim, which was where I felt compelled to be a part of a group of foreigners and speak only English. In fact I speak way less Norwegian now that I live within Tromso in comparison to when I lived in tiny towns.
Are Norway really a good place to live? Do I need to move to Norway?
So many people ask me this, and it’s a difficult question to give an answer!
The answer for me will be yes. am happy the life I have in Norway.
There’s so much to like about living in Norway. It’s beautiful, the government is like, not horrible, if you’re happy to begin with low skilled work , the pay rates are insanely high, and Norwegian individuals are generally friendly to one another.
I’m not saying that I’ve didn’t think I’d love working in a store and yet having the most relaxed managers, coworkers who feel like family and the most welcoming customers made me appreciate being in the mountainous regions of Norway. Additionally, Norway just feels like an extremely secure place to live.
It is free to study in Norway which means I can quickly return to school and earn my master’s without racking up any credit card debt. Additionally, I’ve had a really good experience regarding the healthcare system in Norway. As a person from the US I’m sure that my life quality in Norway is way higher than it was in the US.
However, I also can imagine that Norway isn’t for everyone.
Norwegian people are a distinct people, and I’m thinking the culture of Norway might be unwelcome or disappointing to certain individuals. The weather will not seem appealing if you dislike snow, and getting stuff done in Norway requires a quantity of patience and persistence. For instance, it’s very difficult to receive an answer to questions about important stuff like taxes, visas, etc.
It may take a long time to be a part of the community here, as Norwegians tend to be really shy and reserved. They won’t often offer to help you with things or talk to you about anything, but know that if need assistance with someone, Norwegians will do almost everything for you when you ask. It’s quite apparent that Norwegians are awestruck when they can assist, they’re just unwilling to give it until you ask. It’s best to make an inquiry!
If you’re in a small town here it could feel as if everyone has known each other forever, and they probably have. It can be difficult to be an outsider since everyone has their particular group of people they know. However, if you decide to join activities or clubs you’ll begin to make friends with people.
When I first moved in Mosjoen near northern Norway it took me a solid year to establish relationships with people. The people were a bit slow to be open and I had to make an effort to keep making plans with people and begin to feel part of their lives. I also took part in a dance class and yoga class to try to meet new people. Again, it was the slowest of things, but Norwegians appreciate being part of a community seriously and I eventually began to feel like I felt at home here.
I personally believe it’s well worth it, but many people may not. In actual fact, I’ve had a lot of responses on the blog of long-term expats who truly dislike Norway (I guess they’re still staying because of their families? ) Also, I think it’s safe to say that Norway is definitely not suitable for all.
If you are a lover of the peace and quiet of nature, don’t mind the cold, have an appreciation for the tinned and cooked fish and potatoes and are able to be patient If so, then moving to Norway could be a wonderful decision!
I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to be a resident here. being a resident of Norway has given me the feeling of being in a safe place. In addition, it’s a very safe country generally but once you’re resident of Norway, you feel like you’re truly taken by the hand of. Education and health care is available for free. Even unqualified work can pay off in the long run, so if you’re willing to do the hard work to learn the language you should be able to enjoy an enjoyable life in the country.
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