Working in European countries for non-EU citizens

EU/EEA citizens have the right to live, work and study in Norway under the EEA rules – you just register (see above). If you lose your job after working less than a year, you can stay and look for a new one for 6 months (registered with Nav and provided you did not resign yourself).

If you are not an EU/EEA citizen, you need a residence permit from UDI. The main routes:

• Job seekers after studies – recent graduates (and researchers and skilled workers) can get a residence permit for up to one year to look for work. You must have your own funds of at least NOK 27,116 a month (NOK 325,400 a year), as UDI stated in October 2026.
• Skilled workers – with a concrete, normally full-time job offer from a Norwegian employer and a university degree or at least 3 years of upper-secondary vocational training. Pay and working conditions must not be poorer than normal in Norway. With a degree, you normally get a permit for up to 3 years at a time.

All the conditions and application steps are explained by UDI: skilled workers and job seekers.