Travel: Norway extends Covid entry restrictions
Restrictions on entry into Norway first introduced in January due to the Covid-19 pandemic are to remain in place until May 24th, the government announced.
Current restrictions limit entry to a very small group outside of Norwegian residents and citizens.
"Even though we see that infection levels are declining in Norway, the serious infection situation in the world around us means that we still need strict entry restrictions from the time being. We are extending them until May 24th," Minister for Justice Monica Mæland said in a statement.
"The Norwegian government is paying close situation in the world and will always ensure that the entry restrictions are adapted to the current situation. No one wants strict entry requirements longer than necessary," she said.
Mæland also said that the restrictions would be lifted in line with the government's reopening plan.
The government has said repeatedly that it hopes to begin step two of its four-step plan to lift restrictions and reopen society towards the end of May.
READ MORE: When will I be able to travel to and from Norway again?
This would allow entry for family visits from abroad and potentially entry for partners and extended family such as grandparents.
Business travel will also resume.
The government has also said it would consider exemption from measures such as quarantine for those with vaccine passports or corona certificates, but it is yet to finalise the details.
Currently, only permanent residents and Norwegian citizens may enter Norway, with a few exceptions.
READ MORE: 'Inhumane and discriminatory': How Norway's Covid border closure has left lives on hold
Exemptions apply to close family such as a spouse or children of a resident of Norway; foreign residents who commute daily between Norway and Sweden; and children who commute from Sweden or Finland for school.
There is an entry quarantine period in Norway of 10 days. Anyone returning to Norway on trips deemed unnecessary will have to enter a quarantine hotel and pay a subsidy of 500 kroner per day for between 7-10 days.
Only Norwegian residents, a child of, or somebody who shares parental responsibilities with a permanent resident of Norway, will be able to leave the quarantine hotel after seven days, provided they return a negative PCR test for Covid-19. But they will still have to spend the remaining three days in quarantine at their home.
Everyone arriving in Norway must also register before their arrival and provide a negative PCR or rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours of their departure flight. They are also obliged to take a rapid test on arrival and remain at the test centre until their result is delivered.
You are exempt from quarantine if your trip abroad is considered essential.
Essential trips include those taken to visit your children, go to a funeral, or to visit a relative or close relation with a severe or terminal illness, as well as strictly necessary maintenance on a holiday home in Sweden or Finland.
Foreign residents taking a trip are advised to make sure they are in the population register and have a fødselsnummer as some foreign residents with D-numbers have been turned away at the border.
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Current restrictions limit entry to a very small group outside of Norwegian residents and citizens.
"Even though we see that infection levels are declining in Norway, the serious infection situation in the world around us means that we still need strict entry restrictions from the time being. We are extending them until May 24th," Minister for Justice Monica Mæland said in a statement.
"The Norwegian government is paying close situation in the world and will always ensure that the entry restrictions are adapted to the current situation. No one wants strict entry requirements longer than necessary," she said.
Mæland also said that the restrictions would be lifted in line with the government's reopening plan.
The government has said repeatedly that it hopes to begin step two of its four-step plan to lift restrictions and reopen society towards the end of May.
READ MORE: When will I be able to travel to and from Norway again?
This would allow entry for family visits from abroad and potentially entry for partners and extended family such as grandparents.
Business travel will also resume.
The government has also said it would consider exemption from measures such as quarantine for those with vaccine passports or corona certificates, but it is yet to finalise the details.
Currently, only permanent residents and Norwegian citizens may enter Norway, with a few exceptions.
READ MORE: 'Inhumane and discriminatory': How Norway's Covid border closure has left lives on hold
Exemptions apply to close family such as a spouse or children of a resident of Norway; foreign residents who commute daily between Norway and Sweden; and children who commute from Sweden or Finland for school.
There is an entry quarantine period in Norway of 10 days. Anyone returning to Norway on trips deemed unnecessary will have to enter a quarantine hotel and pay a subsidy of 500 kroner per day for between 7-10 days.
Only Norwegian residents, a child of, or somebody who shares parental responsibilities with a permanent resident of Norway, will be able to leave the quarantine hotel after seven days, provided they return a negative PCR test for Covid-19. But they will still have to spend the remaining three days in quarantine at their home.
Everyone arriving in Norway must also register before their arrival and provide a negative PCR or rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours of their departure flight. They are also obliged to take a rapid test on arrival and remain at the test centre until their result is delivered.
You are exempt from quarantine if your trip abroad is considered essential.
Essential trips include those taken to visit your children, go to a funeral, or to visit a relative or close relation with a severe or terminal illness, as well as strictly necessary maintenance on a holiday home in Sweden or Finland.
Foreign residents taking a trip are advised to make sure they are in the population register and have a fødselsnummer as some foreign residents with D-numbers have been turned away at the border.
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