Reader Question: Can you visit Norway for more than 90 days?
Whether you need a visa or not, many travellers are limited to stays of just 90 days within Norway. So, are there any alternatives or ways to visit Norway for longer?
Question: I have been visiting Norway fairly often recently. Is there any way of spending longer than 90 days in Norway?
Thank you for your question and a reminder to our readers that our inbox is open to reader questions that will be answered anonymously if used in a future article.
Non-EEA nationals and visitors who aren’t citizens of Norway are typically restricted to visits to Norway of up to 90 days out of 180 in the EU/ Schengen area. Once they have spent 90 days within the Schengen area, they must leave for 90 days.
There are two ways this rule applies. Firstly, those who can come to Norway visa-free, such as those from the UK, USA, Canada and Australia (as examples). A list of all other nationals who do not require a visa is available on the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) website.
Then, there are those who require visitor visas to enter Norway/the Schengen area. They can apply to visit Norway (and all Schengen countries) for up to 90 days.
Those who have held visas to visit the Schengen zone in the previous 90 days must check when they are eligible to enter again and for how long.
There are other requirements, such as having sufficient funds, having accommodation booked or having an invite from the person you plan to visit. More information on the rules is available online.
EEA and EU nationals can visit Norway for up to 90 days at a time without registering with the authorities as living in the country and can do so as often as they wish.
Are there any ways around this?
Unfortunately, the answer for most appears to be no. One can apply to extend their visa if they are seriously sick or if a natural disaster has occurred. The same also applies to family members you are visiting. This can only be done if the event happened after you arrived in Norway.
A parent can visit a child in Norway for up to 9 months. To do this, you will be required to apply for a residence permit. The person you are visiting must have a place to live and a sufficient income. More details are available on the family immigration section of the UDI’s website.
Aside from this, the only other way around the rules would be to move to Norway with a residence permit.
For workers, there are skilled worker and seasonal worker permits. The skilled worker permit requires one to have sufficient qualifications for the full-time job they have been offered. In addition, they are required to meet minimum salary and working conditions requirements. More information is available from the UDI.
Those who are aged between 18 and 30 and do not have children of their own can also apply for an au pair permit. However, this also means caring for somebody else’s kids, which may eat up a significant portion of your visit. Still, the family are required to enrol you on a Norwegian language course.
This isn’t a long-term solution, though, as the Norwegian government wishes to phase out the Au pair scheme.
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Question: I have been visiting Norway fairly often recently. Is there any way of spending longer than 90 days in Norway?
Thank you for your question and a reminder to our readers that our inbox is open to reader questions that will be answered anonymously if used in a future article.
Non-EEA nationals and visitors who aren’t citizens of Norway are typically restricted to visits to Norway of up to 90 days out of 180 in the EU/ Schengen area. Once they have spent 90 days within the Schengen area, they must leave for 90 days.
There are two ways this rule applies. Firstly, those who can come to Norway visa-free, such as those from the UK, USA, Canada and Australia (as examples). A list of all other nationals who do not require a visa is available on the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) website.
Then, there are those who require visitor visas to enter Norway/the Schengen area. They can apply to visit Norway (and all Schengen countries) for up to 90 days.
Those who have held visas to visit the Schengen zone in the previous 90 days must check when they are eligible to enter again and for how long.
There are other requirements, such as having sufficient funds, having accommodation booked or having an invite from the person you plan to visit. More information on the rules is available online.
EEA and EU nationals can visit Norway for up to 90 days at a time without registering with the authorities as living in the country and can do so as often as they wish.
Are there any ways around this?
Unfortunately, the answer for most appears to be no. One can apply to extend their visa if they are seriously sick or if a natural disaster has occurred. The same also applies to family members you are visiting. This can only be done if the event happened after you arrived in Norway.
A parent can visit a child in Norway for up to 9 months. To do this, you will be required to apply for a residence permit. The person you are visiting must have a place to live and a sufficient income. More details are available on the family immigration section of the UDI’s website.
Aside from this, the only other way around the rules would be to move to Norway with a residence permit.
For workers, there are skilled worker and seasonal worker permits. The skilled worker permit requires one to have sufficient qualifications for the full-time job they have been offered. In addition, they are required to meet minimum salary and working conditions requirements. More information is available from the UDI.
Those who are aged between 18 and 30 and do not have children of their own can also apply for an au pair permit. However, this also means caring for somebody else’s kids, which may eat up a significant portion of your visit. Still, the family are required to enrol you on a Norwegian language course.
This isn’t a long-term solution, though, as the Norwegian government wishes to phase out the Au pair scheme.
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