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.
Citizens of Pakistan and Afghanistan (holding a Pakistani, or Afghani passport) need to apply for a visitor's visa to enter Norway. If you plan to stay longer than 90 days, you need to apply for a residence permit to enter Norway.
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:
Visa Information:
The Norwegian Embassy in Abu Dhabi handles all visa applications. Here you can find the latest Visa Status Update!
However, visa and immigration related questions should always be addressed to our visa application service provider, VFS Global, via email or telephone:
VFS Helpline: +92 51 843 9383
Website: VFS Global
E-mail: infonorwaypk@vfshelpline.com
Opening hours of VFS Global: Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm
Please include your name and date of birth/and/or your reference no in your request to VFS Global.
Where and how to hand in my application?
The Norwegian Embassy in Abu Dhabi is a regional visa hub and responsible for handling visa and residence permit applications for Norway from the following countries: Pakistan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Yemen and Qatar.
In addition to the above-mentioned countries, the visa hub 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: All VFS/Gerry's Visa Application Centers in Pakistan are open and operational. Please visit www.vfsglobal.com for more information and to book an appointment. You need to pay the service fee online when you book an appointment.
Interviews: Interviews are being conducted through videolink at the VFS Application Centers. If you are waiting for an interview, please note that the Embassy will contact you to schedule the appointment once it is your turn.
DNA-tests: DNA-tests are being conducted. 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.