Visitor’s visa and residence permit
A visitor's visa allows you to stay in Norway or other Schengen countries for up to 90 days over a period of 180 days. A residence permit gives you the opportunity to work in Norway and to stay for more than 90 days.
Requirement to give biometrics when applying for residence permit and visa for Norway
Since March 18, 2021, persons applying for a residence permit in Norway have been requested to submit biometrics in the form of a live photograph. This means that, applicants will have to meet at a VFS application Center to submit their application.
From and including January 24, 2022, applicants will, in addition to fingerprints and photographs, have to submit a signature when applying for a residence permit with VFS.
The matrix below gives a full overview of the biometric requirements for the different groups of applicants:
The Norwegian Embassy in Abu Dhabi is responsible for handling visa and residence permit applications for Norway for the following countries: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In addition to the above-mentioned countries, the Embassy receives applications for residence from Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
For information about the application procedures and requirements for other nationals, please select your country from the list on www.norway.no.
There are no entry restrictions to Norway due to the corona situation
Entry to Norway
There are no longer special requirements for entry into Norway due to the corona situation. The same rules as before the corona pandemic apply now. Please note that there are other rules for Svalbard (external website)
You may experience that other rules apply if you have connecting flights in another country, and the airlines may also have restrictions due to the corona situation. You must familiarize yourself with the rules that apply during your travel to Norway.
Where and how to hand in my application?
The Norwegian Embassy in Abu Dhabi is responsible for handling visa and residence permit applications for Norway for the following countries: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Qatar.
In addition to the above-mentioned countries, the Embassy receives applications for residence from Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
For information about the application procedures and requirements for other nationals, please select your country from the list on www.norway.no.
Information regarding the situation in Afghanistan and temporarily acceptance of submission of applications for residence in Norway.
Due to difficulties in crossing the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, family members (reference persons) can now apply for family immigration on behalf of a family member who is in Afghanistan.
Please note that if your family member is staying outside Afghanistan, he or she must apply the ordinary way by handing in the documents in person at a VFS application centre in the country of residence. You can find information about the VFS application centre and Embassies which accepts applications for residence permits here- Embassies which accepts applications for residence permits - UDI
You can find information on the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration’s (UDI) website about How to apply in Norway on behalf of a family member in Afghanistan- Reference persons in Norway may apply for family immigration on behalf of family members residing in Afghanistan - UDI.
Please note the following:
VFS Global: VFS' Visa Application Centers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran and Qatar are opened. Please visit www.vfsglobal.com for more information and to book an appointment.
Interviews: Interviews are being conducted through the VFS Application Centers. However, to protect our staff and the applicants from the risk of contracting Covid-19, until further notice it is not possible for interviews to be conducted at our Embassies in Teheran and Islamabad.
DNA-tests: DNA-tests are being conducted. However, to protect our staff and the applicants from the risk of contracting Covid-19, the tests are being done with very limited capacity. The missions in Islamabad, Teheran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia will contact the applicant to schedule a date for the DNA- sample to be collected.
Representation agreements
The representation agreements Norway has with the Netherlands in Oman, Germany in Kuwait and Bahrain are now re-activated. Applicants in the afore-mentioned countries who wish to apply for a visa to Norway can now submit their applications to the Embassy of the Netherlands and German in the respective countries where they represent Norway.
Iceland is represented by The Embassy of Norway in the United Arab Emirates.
General enquiries about visas and residence permit
Please note that The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway has a global agreement with VFS Global regarding receiving applications for visa and residence permits, answering phone calls and answering e-mails on behalf of Norwegian Embassies. Therefore, if you have any questions regarding your visa or residence permit to Norway, you must contact VFS Global. The main webpage of VFS Global is www.vfsglobal.com. From here you can find contact details to the VFS applications centers in the country you want to hand in your application, or you want to contact for questions.
If you have further queries that VFS cannot answer, you may contact the Visa Team at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
You can contact the Norwegian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, visa section- visa.abudhabi@mfa.no