Moving to Norway: The Complete Guide for EU/EEA Citizens (2026)

Norway attracts people for good reasons: safe cities, strong workers’ rights, long summer evenings and nature on your doorstep. If you hold an EU or EEA passport, moving here is also simpler than most people expect. You do not need a visa or a work permit.

What you do need is a plan. This guide covers the whole picture: your right to stay, the registrations, tax, housing, the real cost of living, finding work and learning the language. For the exact order of the paperwork, use our companion step-by-step checklist for EU citizens.

Rules, prices and tax rates change every year. Everything here was checked in October 2026 against official Norwegian sources. Always confirm the details with UDI, the police, Skatteetaten or NAV before you act.

Your right to live in Norway

Norway is not in the EU, but it is part of the European Economic Area (EEA). That gives EU/EEA citizens the right to live here for more than three months if you fit one of these groups:

• Worker: you have a job with a Norwegian employer. You can start working from day one.
• Self-employed: you run a business that operates in Norway.
• Student: you are admitted to an approved school or university and can support yourself.
• Own funds: you can support yourself and your family and have health insurance.

Your spouse or partner and children can usually join you on the same basis. You can also stay up to six months while you actively look for a job.

Registering with the police

If you stay longer than three months, you must register. It is free and you receive a registration certificate (registreringsbevis).

• Fill in the application in the UDI application portal.
• Book an appointment at your local police station or service centre.
• Bring your passport or national ID card and proof of your basis for stay, such as a job contract or admission letter.

Tip: appointment slots in busy cities go fast. Book as soon as you have a job contract and an address.

Your ID number and BankID

In Norway almost everything runs on your ID number. Banks, doctors, phone contracts and employers all ask for it.

• If you plan to stay six months or more, report your move to Norway to Skatteetaten (the Norwegian Tax Administration) and attend an ID check at a tax office.
• If you qualify, you are registered as a resident and get a national identity number (fødselsnummer).
• If you stay for a shorter time, you get a D-number instead. It works for tax and pay, but it gives access to fewer services.

Once you have your number, open a Norwegian bank account and ask the bank for BankID, the digital ID used to log in to almost every public and private service.

Tax: what you will pay in 2026

Norway taxes salaries at source. Before your first pay day you need a tax deduction card (skattekort). You order it from Skatteetaten, and your employer collects it digitally.

No tax card? Then your employer must deduct 50% of your pay. You get the extra back later, but it hurts in your first months, so order the card early.

Most employees end up paying somewhere between a quarter and a third of their gross salary in total, depending on income and deductions. Skatteetaten has a free tax calculator.

Good to know: after 183 days in a 12-month period you normally become tax resident, and Norway can tax your worldwide income. If you keep income in your home country, check the tax treaty or ask an accountant.

Finding a home

Most rentals are listed on finn.no and hybel.no. Good flats go quickly, especially in Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim from June to August when students arrive.

These are the average monthly rents from Statistics Norway’s rental survey for 2025 (published December 2025):

• Deposit: the law caps it at six months’ rent. It goes into a separate deposit account (depositumskonto) in your name, not to the landlord.
• Contract: use a written lease. A lease of six months or more also helps when you report your move to Skatteetaten.
• Extras: electricity is often paid separately and costs much more in winter.

Read more in our guide to finding a long-term rental in Norway.

The cost of living

Norway is one of the most expensive countries in Europe. Salaries are high too, but the first months are the hardest, before your pay and your tax card are sorted.

• Public transport: a 30-day adult ticket for zone 1 in Oslo (Ruter) costs NOK 655 in October 2026.
• Kindergarten: the national maximum price is NOK 1,200 per month for a full-time place in 2026, and lower in some rural municipalities.
• Food and eating out: groceries cost more than in most EU countries, and restaurants are expensive. Most people cook at home and bring a packed lunch (matpakke).

Plan for a buffer of two to three months of living costs plus the deposit when you arrive.

Finding work

The two biggest job boards are arbeidsplassen.nav.no (run by NAV, the public employment service) and finn.no/jobb. Many jobs are also filled through LinkedIn and personal contacts.

• Norway has no general minimum wage, but some sectors such as construction, cleaning and hospitality have binding minimum rates.
• The average monthly salary for a full-time job was NOK 62,070 in 2025 (Statistics Norway). See average salary in Norway for the breakdown by sector.
• You earn holiday pay (feriepenger) of at least 10.2% of your pay, paid out the following year.
• Health care, IT, engineering, construction and the maritime sector often recruit from abroad.

Getting ready for interviews? Practise with Norwegian job interview phrases.

Health care and family life

Once you are registered as a resident, you get the right to a regular GP (fastlege). You choose your doctor on helsenorge.no. Your European Health Insurance Card only covers necessary care during temporary stays, so it is not a long-term plan.

Moving with children? Read how to enrol your child in a Norwegian school. Bringing a car? See bringing your car to Norway.

Do you need Norwegian?

Legally, no. EU/EEA citizens do not have to learn Norwegian. In practice, it makes a big difference. Many jobs in health care, schools and the public sector require Norwegian, and it is much easier to make friends when you can follow the conversation at lunch.

Start with the free Mondosol Norwegian course and the Norwegian phrases for daily life. Wondering how long it takes? See how long it takes to learn Norwegian from A1 to B2.

Watch: moving to Norway

FAQ

Keep learning

• Step by step: Moving to Norway as an EU citizen: the checklist.
• Learn the language: the free Mondosol Norwegian course.
• Your first salary: the free lesson Money Matters: Your First Pay Cheque.
• Credit and renting: How to check your credit score for free in Norway.

Information checked in October 2026 (UDI, Skatteetaten, Statistics Norway, Ruter, NAV). Rules and prices change, so always check the official sources before you decide.