Moving to Norway — complete guides for newcomers

Moving to Norway or just arrived? NorgeStart explains Norwegian bureaucracy, work, taxes, housing, healthcare and daily life in plain language — with an AI assistant that translates official letters and audits payslips.

• Work & your rights
  A written contract is mandatory — since 2024 the employer must give it to you within 7 days. It must state: salary, working hours,…
• Taxes
  Everyone working in Norway needs a tax card — order it at Skatteetaten with passport and work contract (ID check in person the fir…
• Renting a home
  Never transfer the deposit to the landlord's personal account. The law requires a separate deposit account (depositumskonto) in YO…
• Find housing & jobs
  finn.no — THE marketplace for everything in Norway; "Eiendom → Bolig til leie" for rentals. Set up saved searches with alerts; goo…
• Healthcare
  113 medical emergency · 112 police · 110 fire. Free, from any phone, English OK. 116 117 — legevakt (urgent care) for things that …
• Family & children
  Children ~1–5 go to barnehage . Apply via your municipality's portal; the main intake deadline is 1 March for an August start. A c…
• Getting around
  Each region has one app for all buses/trams/metro/local ferries: Ruter (Oslo), Skyss (Bergen), AtB (Trondheim), Kolumbus (Stavange…
• Driving
  EU/EEA licence : valid as long as it's valid at home; exchange optional. Non-EU licence : you may drive up to 3 months after movin…
• Money & banking
  You need a D-number/national ID + passport; opening takes 1–4 weeks — start immediately. Big banks: DNB, Nordea, SpareBank 1, Dans…
• Everyday life
  Sunday = closed (groceries, malls, most shops). Only small kiosks/petrol stations and some "Sunday shops" are open. Shop on Saturd…
• Nature & leisure
  Norway's right to roam : you may walk, ski, swim and camp on all uncultivated land, regardless of who owns it. Tent rules: minimum…
• Culture & unwritten rules
  Personal space is sacred : don't sit next to a stranger on the bus if other seats are free; don't small-talk in queues or elevator…
• Weather & seasons
  Winter (Nov–Mar): Oslo −10…0°, snow; coast (Bergen/Stavanger) mild ~0–5° but wet and windy; the north −15…−5° with proper snow. Da…
• Studying
  Public universities are tuition-free for EU/EEA students (non-EU pay tuition since 2023: NOK 130–500k/year depending on programme)…
• Laws to know
  Drinking in public (street, park) is formally illegal — enforcement is mild in parks on sunny days, but police can fine you (~NOK …
• Know Norway
  5.6 million people on a country stretching 1 750 km — the same distance as Oslo→Rome. Capital Oslo (~730k), then Bergen, Trondheim…
• Immigration & ID
  No residence permit needed — you may live and work freely. Staying over 3 months → register with the police (registreringsordninge…