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.
Covid-19, visa and residence permit applications
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic our ability to provide services for applicants who wish to apply for visas and residence permits has been affected. As changes can happen fast, we will update this article with relevant information regarding the application process for those who wish to submit their visa or residence permit applications in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan.
Who can travel to Norway?
There are still some limitations as to who can enter Norway.
You can travel to Norway if:
- You are able to document that you are fully vaccinated or have had COVID-19 during the previous six months via a valid COVID-19 certificate.
- You are a citizen of or are residing in the EU/EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom or a purple country or area and have been there for 10 days prior to entering Norway. For an overview, visit the UDI Norwegian Directorate of Immigration.
Unless you belong to one of the two above mentioned group, you will have to be covered by one of the exceptions in order to be allowed to enter Norway:
Information about the corona situation from the Norwegian government can be found here: https://www.regjeringen.no/en/topics/koronavirus-covid-19/id2692388/
If you are allowed to enter Norway and are not fully vaccinated or have had COVID-19 during the previous six months, you will need to:
- Complete the registration form prior to travelling.
- Undergo testing upon arrival in Norway.
- Enter a 10 days quarantine period.
It is your duty to familiarize yourself with the rules including potential exceptions. If you do not meet the requirements or comply with the rules, you might be denied entry or prosecuted.
For more information, please see: National online health services in Norway (Helsenorge): Travel advice - helsenorge.no
Requirement to give biometrics when applying for a residence permit in Norway
Starting on March 18th 2021 persons applying for a residence permit in Norway will be requested to submit biometrics in the form of a live photograph.
As of 16th of April a requirement to also give fingerprints when applying for a residence permit is required.
The fingerprint requirement applies to persons above the age of 6.
Persons over the age of 10 have to provide their signature as well.
The matrix below gives a full overview of the biometric requirements for the different groups of applicants:
The requirement for biometrics in visa cases remain unchanged.
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.
Please note the following:
VFS Global: VFS' Visa Application Centers in the Iran, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are open, but with reduced capacity. Please visit www.vfsglobal.com for more information and to book an appointment.
Interviews: Interviews are being conducted through the VFS Application Centres. However, to protect our staff and the applicants from the risk of contracting Covid-19, it is not possible for interviews to be conducted at our Embassies in Tehran and Islamabad at this time.
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, Tehran, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh will contact the applicant to schedule a date for the DNA-sample to be collected.
Representation agreements: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the representation agreements Norway has with the Netherlands in Oman and Germany in Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, are until further notice suspended. As a result, applicants in the afore-mentioned countries who wish to apply for a visa to Norway must now travel to the nearest VFS Visa Application Centre to submit their applications. In the UAE, we have until further notice suspended our representation agreement with Iceland. Subsequently, we do not receive applications for Iceland. That said, we will upon the request of Icelandic authorities.
If you have questions, kindly contact the VFS Helpline for general queries on how to apply and what documents are required. Furthermore, regarding questions about the status of a residence the Norwegian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, visa section- visa.abudhabi@mfa.no