Immigraion To Norway

About Norway Who needs a visa? Who can obtain a visa? What type of visa should I apply for? How do I apply for a visa? Invitation and guarantee declaration What is taken into account when assessing visa applications? Work and residence Who needs a work permit? What type of work permit should I apply for? Immigration   Business   Health and Fitness

How do I apply for a visa?

In order to be granted a visa, the applicant must meet certain conditions and provide certain documents. If you already have a visa and you wish to extend the validity period of the visa, separate rules apply.

Where do I apply?

A visa application must be made on the form for the purpose, and submitted in person to the nearest Norwegian foreign service mission. If there is no Norwegian foreign service mission in the country, another Schengen country may represent Norway. This country will then process the application on behalf of Norway.

If you plan to visit several Schengen countries over the course of one trip, you must submit your visa application to the embassy of the country where you will be spending the most time. If you will be visiting several Schengen countries for equal periods of time, you must submit your visa application to the first country that you will be visiting.

What must the application include?

The requirement for documentation varies from country to country, and may change over time. You should therefore check what requirements currently apply by contacting the Norwegian foreign service mission in the country from which you are applying.

As a rule, in addition to a completed application form you must include:

* Passport photo/other photo which meets the set requirements

* Copy of all used pages in your passport

* Written invitation from Norwegian reference person

* Documentation of relationship/kinship (if the reference person is a relative)

* Documentation of own funds for the stay or a guarantee declaration issued by the reference person

* A case processing fee is payable for visa applications, whatever the outcome. The fee must be paid when you submit your application.

* Documentation of valid travel and medical insurance (minimum cover of EUR 30,000) must be shown before the visa can be issued

Separate rules apply for foreign nationals who require a visa and who are covered by the EEA Agreement or the EFTA Convention.
As a main rule, it is sufficient that copies of the documents are sent with the application. However, you have to produce the original documents when you hand in your application.

Who makes the decision about the application?

Many Norwegian foreign service missions can decide whether to issue a visa, and most visa applications are processed at foreign service missions. In certain cases, an application may be sent to Norway for processing by the UDI. This applies in cases where:

* The foreign service mission has rejected the application and an appeal has been submitted against the decision

* The foreign service mission does not have the authority to decide on the case

* The applicant is a refugee, is stateless or there is some doubt about his/her citizenship

* The applicant has been expelled from Norway or another Nordic country, or is registered in SIS (Schengen Information System) as being denied entry into one or more Schengen countries

* The foreign service mission has doubts and wishes the case to be processed by the UDI

* A national visitor’s visa has been applied for

How long will it take to process my visa application?

If your application is processed by the foreign service mission, it will normally take around two to three weeks for you to get a decision. This depends on the workload at the foreign service mission. Please enquire about processing times where you submit your application.

If the application is forwarded to the UDI in Norway, the processing time will be longer. For an overview of average processing times for the various types of permit, visit www.udi.no/caseprocessingtime, or contact the Information Service (OTS) by e-mail or by calling (+ 47) 23 35 16 00.

We urge everyone to allow plenty of time for their application. In order to avoid unnecessary case processing delays, it is important to take care when completing the application form and to include all the requested documentation.