Visitor's visa

A visitor's visa allows you to stay in Norway or other countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days over a period of 180 days.

Citizens of South Africa must apply for a visitor’s visa.

For nationals of other countries:

Nationals of EU/EEA countries and of countries that have a visa exemption agreement with Norway do not need a visa to visit Norway.
Nationals of all other countries need a visitor’s visa.

Before you apply

You should apply well in advance and at the latest 15 days before you plan to travel. You can submit your application up to three months before your planned departure.
We recommend that you do not buy your ticket until a visa has been granted.
Before you can hand in the required documentation, you must register your application online. When you come to hand in your documentation, you will be asked to provide fingerprints.
You may be asked to provide additional documentation or to come for an interview.

In order to apply for a visa from South Africa you must either be a citizen of South Africa or legally reside here.

If you want someone to act on your behalf in connection with your application, you must authorise this person to do so. Please visit the UDI website for more information and the relevant form.

Gather the necessary documentation

Online registration and payment

Before you can hand in your passport and other documentation, you must register your application in the Application Portal. If this is the first time that you are registering an application in the portal, you will first need to create a user account.

Once you have registered, you will receive confirmation by email, with a cover letter attached. The cover letter will confirm that you have filled in the application form and paid the fee. You need to print this letter and submit it together with the other required documentation.

Application fees

Applicants from South Africa will hand in their applications at VFS Global in Pretoria or in Cape Town. VFS charges a service fee.

Information about VFS and fees can be found here: http://www.vfsglobal.com/norway/southafrica/

The visa fee is EUR 60. Children under six years do not pay a fee. Children from the age of six years and below the age of 12 years shall pay a visa fee of EUR 35. Please visit the UDI website for information about other groups exempted from the visa requirement.

Except for children, please note that you pay the fee when registering the application in the portal. Applicants exempted from the visa fee requirement will have the fee refunded.

VFS offers some additional services against a fee. Please note that these services are optional.

Hand in your documents

You must bring with you:

A printout of the confirmation of registration from the Application Portal
The checklist and the documents listed on it
Your passport (must be valid for at least three months after your planned departure from the Schengen area)
Photograph (must comply with international standards)
Your travel health insurance policy
- You should be covered for at least EUR 30 000, including expenses in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, treatment in medical emergencies and/or emergency hospital treatment, and death
- Your insurance should be valid in all Schengen countries
- It should cover the whole of your planned stay in the Schengen area
- It should as a rule be purchased in your home country. If this is not possible it may be purchased in another country.

We will contact you if we need more information. The application process will start once all the required documents have been submitted.

You can hand in your application and the required documents here:

VFS: http://www.vfsglobal.com/norway/southafrica/

If you have given biometrics previously, and it can be re-used by the Embassy, you may also hand in your visa application at the Norwegian Consulate General in Durban:

9 Kensington Drive (opposite the Westville Mall) Westville, Durban 4001 P.O. Box 1166, Westville 3630

Tel: +27 (0)31 267 8410 or +27 (0)31 266 0030 Fax: +27 (0)86 575 1566 Email: [email protected]

Office hours: by appointment only

Processing time

Result of your application

You will be notified via email or telephone when your application has been processed.

The result can be collected at the Visa Application Centre or the Consulate, depending on where the application was submitted.

If you have been granted a visa, a sticker will be placed in your passport. Please check the duration of stay specified on the sticker. The duration of stay indicates how many days you are allowed to stay in the Schengen area.

If your application has been rejected, you will receive a written explanation as to why it was rejected. You can appeal the decision.

Please note: South Africa require specific documents when travelling with minors in and out of South Africa. Information can be found here: http://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/statements-speeches/621-advisory-new-requirements-for-children-travelling-through-south-african-ports-of-entry-effective-1-june-2015

On arrival

When you cross the border into the Schengen area, you will have to present:

your passport with the visa sticker
proof that you have enough money to support yourself during your stay (e.g. cash or a credit card). If you have a guarantee form, you should also bring a copy of this with you.
documentation showing the purpose of your visit, such as an invitation, hotel reservation, etc.
a return or round trip ticket if you are visiting the Schengen area for tourist purposes or private reasons

You may be asked to provide fingerprints by the border control officer, in which case these will be compared with the fingerprints provided when you applied for your visa.
As long as your visa is valid, you can travel around freely in the Schengen area, or in the specific Schengen countries covered by the visa. If you leave the Schengen area, for example to visit the UK or Svalbard, you will need a multiple entry visa.