Applying for a work permit as a Non-EU citizen

General guidelines

When you apply, you must hand in a number of supporting documents to the police or embassy. UDI has made checklists explaining which documents you need to hand in.

Specifications

If you wish to move to Norway:

- Foreign nationals who are going to work in Norway normally need a residence permit. You can read more about different types of residence permits for work and about who does not need a residence permit.

- You cannot start working until a residence permit has been granted. In some cases, however, you may start working before the application has been reviewed, provided that you have received a written confirmation from the police.

- If you are granted a residence permit, it will have an expiry date but most residence permits are renewable. In that case, you must apply for renewal no later than one month before the permit expires in order to retain all your rights. 

We recommend applying two to three months before your permit expires. You will find an overview of case processing times here. 

If you already live in Norway:

- Foreign nationals who are going to work in Norway normally need a residence permit. Foreign nationals can be granted a residence permit in Norway on grounds of, for example, labour immigration, protection (asylum) and family immigration.

- Some types of residence permits entitle their holder to work in any type of job, while others might be restricted. It is not up to us to decide what type of working permit you will receive as it depends on your personal situation. Please contact UDI directly if you have any questions about this.

- Some asylum seekers who are waiting for their applications to be reviewed are permitted to work. In such cases, you will have to upload the written confirmation that UDI or the police has provided you.