Residence in Norway for EEA citizens

EEA citizens may live and work in Norway under the EEA rules governing the free movement of persons and services.

The right to free movement of persons is provided for in an EU directive of 2004, and implemented in the Norwegian Immigration Act and Immigration Regulations. The right enables workers to travel to countries where there are employment opportunities. The right is based on the assumption that the person concerned is able to support himself, either by working or because he has independent means. 

All EEA citizens with a valid identity card or passport may stay freely in Norway for up to three months. During this period the person is not in principle entitled to welfare benefits, nor is he required to register with the police. EEA citizens who have reported to the police that they are active job-seekers may stay here on the same conditions for up to six months.

Residence for more than three months

EEA citizens who intend to stay in Norway for more than three months must register with the police or with a service centre for foreign workers. Service centres are to be found in Oslo, Stavanger and Kirkenes. In order to register, the EEA citizen must show evidence that he is employed, self-employed or a service provider, or has private means that enable him to support himself and any accompanying family members. Students who have been accepted by a recognised educational institution and have sufficient means to support themselves and any family members may also be entitled to stay in Norway for more than three months.

On registration the person is required to present documentation that all the conditions for the right to stay in Norway have been met. In order to obtain the right to stay on the basis of employment, certain requirements must be fulfilled. The employment relationship must be a genuine one, in which the employer has authority over the employee. The work may not be of a marginal or ancillary nature. Each employment relationship is individually assessed, with a focus on working hours, pay conditions and other elements of the employment. It is the employment relationship that is assessed and not the employment contract.

The groups most commonly entitled to stay in Norway under EEA rules are workers and students.

Most of those who travel to Norway intend to seek employment. A total of 300 000 new jobs have been created since 2005, and about two-thirds of them have been filled by labour immigrants. 

More information on the right to stay in Norway for EEA citizens may be found on the website of the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration.