Visitor’s visa and residence permit

Norway works with a global visa service provider called VFS Global. All applicants are normally required to appear in person to provide their fingerprints and have their photo taken. This biometric data is mandatory for processing your application. VFS Global collects and checks all visa applications before sending them, along with your documents and ID, to the responsible Norwegian embassy.

Norway has some embassies that are responsible for more than one country. This means one embassy may handle visa applications from several countries. When the embassy gets your application, their staff will look at it. They might approve it right away, or ask you for more information. This could include fingerprints, a DNA sample, an interview, or other details. If more information is needed to complete your applications, you will receive a request from either the embassy or VFS to continue the process.

When the embassy finishes your applications—whether your visa is approved or not—they send the result back to the same VFS office where you applied.