Norway

Country: Norway

No general minimum wage, but legally binding minimum pay in nine sectors – from cleaning and construction to hotels and restaurants – and a written contract for every job. In 2026 Norwegian businesses were short of about 34,000 workers, above all in health care, industry and construction. Find out where to look, how to register and how tax works in your first weeks.

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.


published: 2014-09-03
last modification: 2026-10-03

Common questions about job applications and interviews

Key figures: Eurostat (population on 1 January 2026; unemployment and employment rates 2025; minimum wages July 2026); for the United Kingdom – Office for National Statistics; for Liechtenstein – national statistics. Country information: EURES – Living and working conditions, public employment services and the official government websites listed under each country. Rules, thresholds and amounts can change – check the official sources before you move. Updated: October 2026.

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