Driving your own car to Norway sounds like the obvious choice when you move: you need it anyway, and it is full of your belongings. But there is one fact that surprises almost everyone we talk to at Mondosol. Cars are not exempt from taxes when you move to Norway. Your furniture and personal belongings can come in duty-free as removal goods. Your car cannot.

The rule in one sentence

Norwegian Customs (Tolletaten) is explicit: cars and other motor vehicles are not exempt from duties in connection with moving. If you settle in Norway, you must import the car and pay the taxes. Source: toll.no – moving to Norway.

How long can I drive with foreign plates?

Only a short time. There is a limited allowance for using a foreign-registered car in connection with the move itself, and it requires prior approval and proof of the move. After that, a resident may not keep driving a car on foreign plates. Plan the import from day one; don’t count on driving it on your old plates for months.

The import process, step by step

1. Declare the car at the border. Use the red lane at a staffed crossing, or declare digitally with Customs’ app or service.
2. Pay VAT. 25% of the car’s value, paid to Customs.
3. Technical approval. Statens vegvesen (the Norwegian Public Roads Administration) carries out a first-time approval and technical check.
4. Pay the one-off registration tax (engangsavgift) and the scrapping fee (vrakpantavgift) to Skatteetaten.
5. Register the car and receive Norwegian plates at a traffic station.

Full official guide: Statens vegvesen – import of vehicles.

How much will it cost?

The registration tax depends on the car’s CO₂ emissions, NOx emissions and weight. For an average petrol or diesel family car, the combined VAT and registration tax can add up to a significant share of the car’s value. Electric cars are treated differently. The only honest answer is to calculate it for your exact car before you decide. Skatteetaten has a calculator for the one-off registration tax.

Import or sell? A simple decision test

• Import if the car is newer, low-emission or electric, or has special value to you.
• Sell at home and buy in Norway if it is an older petrol or diesel car with high emissions. The tax can be more than the car is worth, and Norway has a large used-car market, including many electric cars.
• Consider the drive itself: driving to northern Norway, for example to Lofoten, is a trip of several days. A rental van plus flights can sometimes cost less.

Your driving licence is fine

An EU/EEA driving licence remains valid in Norway as long as it is valid in the country that issued it, so you do not need to exchange it. Source: vegvesen.no.

Northern Norway tips

• Winter tyres are needed in the north for a long season. Budget for a set if your car doesn’t have them.
• Some roads have tolls and many routes in Nordland involve ferries. Set up automatic toll and ferry payment (AutoPASS) once the car has Norwegian plates.
• Book the Vegvesen approval early. Smaller traffic stations work by appointment only.

Planning a family move? In our relocation planning call we estimate the import cost for your specific car and compare it with buying locally, so you decide with real numbers.

General information checked against official sources in September 2026. Not tax advice. Confirm current rates with Tolletaten, Statens vegvesen and Skatteetaten.