To work in Norway as a non-EU/EEA citizen, you must secure a formal residence permit for work, formerly known as a work permit. You generally need a concrete job offer from an employer in Norway before you can apply. The usual route is the skilled worker permit if you have completed higher education or vocational training.

Do you need a permit, and which one

A citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA needs a residence permit to work in Norway. According to the UDI guidelines on work immigration, you must normally find a job first, and the type of permit depends on your competence and the work you will do.

In certain cases—such as for researchers, technical experts or business travellers—you do not need a residence permit for work lasting less than three months. If you have completed higher education or vocational training, you can apply as a skilled worker, though you must normally already have a job offer or your own business. If you are comparing your options across the region, explore our overview of the Nordics or read the Finland work permit guide to see how other systems operate.

The skilled worker requirements

To qualify for a skilled worker permit, your background must match specific educational or professional criteria:

In addition to your qualifications, you need a concrete job offer from one specific employer in Norway. The job itself must require the skilled worker qualifications that you hold. While the position must normally be full-time, UDI accepts offers for at least an 80% position. Furthermore, if the occupation requires formal recognition or authorisation—such as health personnel authorisation from the Norwegian Directorate of Health (Helsedirektoratet)—you must have it.

How much you must be paid

Your pay and working conditions must not be worse than what is standard in Norway. Where an industry collective agreement applies, you must be paid the collective wage rate. Where no collective agreement applies, your pay must not be lower than is standard for your occupation in the location where you will work.

Where no collective agreement sets the terms, UDI pay and working conditions specify minimum salaries:

UDI may accept a lower salary if you can document that it is normal for the occupation locally, but doing so requires substantial evidence. You can read more about balancing these salary thresholds against everyday expenses in our guide to the cost of living in Norway.

Applying, the confirmation code and the fee

Following a UDI notice published on 19 February 2026, the employer or client must confirm the job offer when you apply yourself from abroad. The procedure remains unchanged if the employer applies on your behalf.

After confirming the offer, the employer sends you a code consisting of four English words. You must enter this code directly into the online application form; you cannot proceed if the code is incorrect. After entering the code, you pay the application fee, submit the form and book an appointment at a Norwegian embassy, consulate or VFS application centre to hand in the documents listed on your checklist.

The application fee for a work residence permit for applicants over 18 is NOK 6 300. The same NOK 6 300 fee applies to renewals. Note that submitting a forged job offer or falsified documents may lead to a five-year entry ban from the Schengen area.

Waiting times and when you can start working

For an initial skilled worker application, UDI notes that it may take up to 1.5 months (45 days) after you hand in your documents before it reviews your application. Any extra investigations will add time to this initial window. Vocational-level applications from some countries require extra document checks; UDI aims to process these by the end of 2026 but states it may take longer. UDI's waiting times for work permits were last updated on 24 September 2026 and are due to be updated on 29 October 2026.

You may not start working—including working remotely—until the permit is granted, unless the police confirm an early employment start (tidlig arbeidsstart):

Other ways in - job seekers, seasonal work and working holidays

If you do not yet have a qualifying job offer, other specific categories exist:

After the permit - ID number, tax card, job changes, family and permanent residence

Once the residence permit is granted, you can start work after meeting the police in person and having them order your residence card (oppholdskort), even before the card actually arrives. About two weeks after this police appointment, the Tax Administration (Skatteetaten) sends a letter containing your national identity number (fødselsnummer) or temporary identity code (D-nummer). Most people who work in Norway need a tax deduction card (skattekort) and a Norwegian identification number.

A skilled worker permit runs for up to one year at a time for vocational-level positions, and normally up to three years for jobs that require a university degree. You can change employers without applying for a new permit as long as the type of position stays the same; however, moving into a new type of position requires a new permit before you begin. If you lose your job, you may stay in Norway for up to six months to look for a new role, but you must tell the police where you live within seven days.

For family immigration linked to a skilled worker, there is no requirement covering the previous year's earnings, but the skilled worker reference person must have a total annual income of at least NOK 436 957 before tax.

After three years as a skilled worker with an employer in Norway, you can apply for permanent residence. The criteria for permanent status include:

For more practical details about living costs and administration, read our broader overview of life in Norway.

EU/EEA and Nordic citizens

Different administrative rules apply to European nationals: