Emigrating to Norway

Norway fascinates above all with its unique and beautiful nature – fjords, northern lights, snow-capped mountains. If you want to emigrate to Norway, you should probably be a fan of cooler temperatures. We will tell you more about emigrating to Norway, living and working there and much more.

If you want to emigrate to Norway, then you are probably already aware of some of the good reasons for doing so. Just in case, here is an overview.  

Norway has a fascinating and unique nature. If you are in Norway for the first time, you are sure to gasp with admiration for this extraordinary landscape: fjords, lots of water, landscapes and forests that are verdant green in summer and snow-covered in winter, moose and reindeer and all this crowned by the unique natural spectacle of the Northern Lights. Nature lovers will definitely get their money’s worth here.

Norwegians attach great importance to a good work-life balance. Although a full-time working week has 40 hours in Norway too, many Norwegians only work 35 hours part-time.

Among other countries, Norway is known to have the highest quality of life and has often ranked number one in studies in this regard. But why is this so? The unemployment rate is low, the economy is doing well, the social system is above average. But Norwegians’ true happiness probably lies in togetherness and a unique sense of community.

A big advantage of emigrating to Norway is that Norwegians can speak English very well and you can often get by with English for the first while at least. In the long run, however, you should learn Norwegian – simply to be able to participate better in the community. But for the time being, English is sufficient for arrival and applying for jobs in the country. This is because children in Norway are exposed to the English language from an early age. Films and television are often broadcast in English rather than being dubbed into Norwegian.

While Norway is not a member of the European Union, it is a member of the European Economic Area and the Schengen Area. This means that EU citizens also enjoy freedom of movement in Norway and do not need a visa to emigrate to Norway. As an EU citizen, you only need to apply for a residence permit in Norway after three months at the latest. You can obtain this from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (Utlendingsdirektoratet / UDI). Immigrants from the EU also receive special help from the local authorities in Norway.

Norway is a sparsely populated country: its 385,207 square kilometres is home to only 5.5 million people. The country consists largely of unspoiled landscape, so Norwegians are also a very nature-loving people. However, they are also very multicultural: one in nine inhabitants in Norway is an immigrant.

Norway wins ex-pats over with an above-average quality of life, economic stability and a low unemployment rate. However, the cost of living is high – usually twice or sometimes even three times higher than in Germany. On the other hand, wages are also higher than in Germany.

You will not get anywhere in Norway without a personal number. You will need this, for example, to open a bank account or conclude a mobile phone contract. You can apply for your personal number at the Folkeregister office as soon as you have received your residence permit.

Once you live and work in Norway, you are automatically covered by the social security system (Folketrygden). Since Germany and Norway have concluded a social security agreement, both countries recognise the social security and pension rights of the other country. This means that you do not lose any entitlements when you emigrate or when you return to Germany. Due to the double taxation agreement of the two countries, you will also pay taxes only in Norway and no longer in Germany.

By registering in the Norwegian social security system, you are entitled to Norwegian health insurance. Just like in Germany, this is financed by taxes. The biggest difference to the German healthcare system is the fact that the Norwegian healthcare system is state-organised and all citizens have the same insurance. So there are no differences between private or statutory insurance – everyone is treated equally. However, Norwegians have to pay around 15 euros for doctor’s visits and also for medication up to a maximum limit of 30 euros. In total, no one has to pay more than 200 euros per year. Costs for chronic diseases, cancer or palliative treatments are covered in full. You can also take out private insurance on top but will then have to seek out private clinics or practices for treatment. For this reason, private insurance is relatively rare in Norway. Another big difference to Germany is that there specialist physicians are few and far between. Local GPs cover the majority of treatment. Children also go to the normal family doctor’s practice like their parents.

The education system is also very different to Germany. In Norway, all children attend school together from the first to the tenth grade – primary school from the first to the seventh grade and middle school or secondary school from the eighth to the tenth grade. After that, they can decide whether they want to continue on to upper secondary level or undertake vocational training.

The cost of rent, like the cost of living, is not particularly cheap in Norway. Rents are most expensive in Oslo, followed by Trondheim and Bergen. In addition, apartments are often rented ready-furnished, which is why you can expect higher rental costs.

You can find apartments online via the following portals:  

• finn.no
• hybel.no
• aktiv.no
• UTLEIEMEGLEREN

Are you thinking about buying a house or apartment in Norway? Then you will be surprised, because buying real estate in Norway is very different from it is in Germany. For example, in Norway, no notary is involved, with private contracts or deeds of conveyance are concluded instead. In addition, you cannot just go out and buy a house. In Norway, there is a bidding process that is organised completely online. You can only view the property on fixed dates. After that, you can bid on the desired property – the highest bid wins.

The average working week in Norway is 34 hours, although a full-time week is 40 hours. This means that most Norwegians work part-time. Work-life balance is very important in Norway. The core working hours are therefore usually until only 3 p.m. Furthermore, the work culture is characterised by teamwork, flat hierarchies and open communication.

In Norway, employees are in demand in medicine, nursing, the oil and gas industry, fisheries and the IT sector in particular. However, keep in mind that there may not be as many jobs to choose from in Norway as there are in Germany, so maybe you could just consider working remotely. But make sure that your salary from another country is enough to live in Norway. The average wage is about 61,000 euros gross per year.

You can easily find a job online on one of the following job portals:

• finn.no
• Glassdoor
• LinkedIn
• nav.no

Once you have found a suitable vacancy, you can prepare your job application for Norway. In most cases, you can simply submit your documents in English. It is best to have your application proofread so that you make a good first impression with an error-free application. For your application in Norway, you will need the following documents:  

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae
• Graduation certificates
• Professional qualifications
• References and performance reports

You are also often required to have a driver’s licence, as the country is very extensive.

Are you now sure that you want to emigrate to Norway? Then we have a small checklist with the most important steps for you:

• Job search in Germany: It is best to look for a job while you are still in Germany, since that way you will be financially secure right from the start. You will need an employment contract or proof of sufficient financial resources at the latest when you go to apply for a residence permit.
• Accommodation search: You should already look for your first accommodation while you are still in Germany. You can also rent an Airbnb first and then look around for a permanent solution once you arrive in Norway.
• Preparing to move: So, you have found a job and your accommodation? Then you can get ready for your move. You can hire a company to handle your move, or you can rent a van and organise everything yourself.
• Deregister in Germany: If you then emigrate to Norway, you must deregister in Germany. This is will not be done automatically through registration in Norway.
• Apply for a residence permit: You have to apply for a residence permit in Norway after three months at the latest. Here you will receive a registration certificate, which you will need later. To obtain a residence permit, you will need the following documents: identity card or passport, health insurance certificate, employment contract or proof of sufficient financial reserves.
• Apply for a personal number: You will need your personal number in Norway for almost everything. Apply for it in good time, as processing can take several weeks. You will need the following documents: identity card or passport, birth certificate, employment contract for at least six months, certificate of deregistration from Germany, a fixed address in Norway, marriage certificates or divorce certificates (if required), registration certificate.
• Apply for a tax card: With your personal number, you can now apply for your tax card, which you will also need to open a bank account in Norway.
• Open a bank account: You can open a bank account in Norway with your personal number and income tax card. In Norway, most payments are made by card, and cash payments are rather uncommon. To open a bank account, you will need the following documents: letters of recommendation from your German bank in some cases, income tax card.
• Learn Norwegian: Last but not least, it is recommended that you learn Norwegian. You will be able to manage with English at first, but being able to communicate in Norwegian will allow you to integrate a little better and thus become fully part of the Norwegian community.