NorgeStart
Everyday life
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.
Updated: 2026-07-06
Shopping hours & alcohol rules
- Sunday = closed (groceries, malls, most shops). Only small kiosks/petrol stations and some "Sunday shops" are open. Shop on Saturday.
- Beer (max 4.7%) in grocery stores only until 20:00 weekdays / 18:00 Saturday, never Sundays/holidays. The shelf literally gets locked/curtained.
- Wine & spirits: only at state monopoly Vinmonopolet (Mon–Fri ~10–18, Sat ~10–16, closed Sunday). 18 for beer/wine, 20 for spirits, ID checked hard.
- Cheapest grocery chains: Kiwi, Rema 1000, Extra; budget lines First Price/Xtra; "Tilbud" = sale, "salg" = clearance.
Recycling & pant
- Bottles/cans carry a deposit (pant, NOK 2–3) — feed them into the machine at any grocery store for a voucher or charity donation.
- Source separation varies by municipality: typically food waste (green bags), plastic (purple/blue), paper, glass/metal to neighbourhood igloos, and everything electric to shops/recycling stations (free).
- Furniture/large items: municipal recycling stations (gjenbruksstasjon) — often free for private cars.
Phone, internet, ID in daily life
- Cheap mobile: Talkmore, OneCall, Ice, Chilimobil, Happybytes — NOK 200–350/month, eSIM in minutes, passport needed to register.
- Everything runs on your phone number + BankID; get them early and life gets 10× easier.
- Post: mail is delivered every other day; parcels go to grocery-store pickup points (Posten/Bring, PostNord, Helthjem apps).
Eating & drinking out
- Tipping is not expected — service is included. Rounding up for great service is plenty.
- Norwegians eat dinner EARLY (16:00–18:00). Kitchens may close by 21:00 outside big cities.
- Classics to try: brunost (brown cheese), kanelboller, fiskesuppe, reker on a summer dock, hot dog in lompe, taco on Friday (a genuine national institution).