Finding employment in foreign places always involves more paperwork than finding work in your home country. There are residence permits, taxes, banks, insurance, and customs you should get to know about before you embark on your overseas employment stint.
Residence permits
If you intend to work in Norway for more than three months, you will need a residence permit.
Contact the local police office or the Service Centre for Foreign Workers if you are in Oslo, to apply. Bring a valid passport and/or ID-card, a passport photo and your working contract.
Special rules apply for nationals from the new EEA-member countries Bulgaria and Romania. You may start working as soon as you have submitted an accurately completed application with all the necessary documents enclosed, if the requirements for full time work and wages are in accordance with relevant collective agreements, or are otherwise normal for your region and occupation.
Check with the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration for more information about how to apply and for actual forms.
You will not need a residence permit if you are from a Nordic country.
Tax card and national ID-number
When you work for a Norwegian employer you are required to pay tax here. Therefore you will also need to apply for a tax deduction card at the tax assessment office where you live. To do so you will need to present your passport, as well as complete an application form ("Skjema RF-1209"). Also bring a valid residence permit if you have one. Once you have been issued a tax deduction card, you should give this to your employer.
Together with your Tax card you will also apply for a national ID-number or D-number (for persons residing in Norway 6 months or less). The national ID-number or D-number is stated on your tax deduction card and is used to identify you to the authorities.
If you will be staying in Norway for more than 6 months, you will need to report a change of address at your local tax office.
If you are in Oslo, you might apply for both a tax card and the ID- or D-number as well as report the change of address to The National Population Registry at the Service Centre for Foreign Workers.
Bank
In order to receive your salary, you need to open a Norwegian bank account. Note that most banks will require an ID-number or D-number as well as your passport as identification. Also bring your working contract. It is a good idea to check with more than one bank to get the best terms.
National Insurance
As a rule all persons working in Norway are automatically insured under the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme from their first day of work. This is administered by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Service (NAV). You can obtain further information at your local NAV office.
As an employee you are obliged to pay a national insurance contribution. This amounts to 7.8 per cent of your wages, and is deducted together with tax withholdings. If you do not pay tax to Norway, the national insurance contribution is to be paid to your local NAV office. As a member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme you will be entitled to benefits according to the Norwegian national insurance legislation. If, for example, you need to see a doctor, you are entitled to use the Norwegian health services in the same way as residents of Norway.
If you wish to apply for a Norwegian Health Insurance Card, or need information on health services, please contact the NAV Health Service Administration Service Centre.
If you are entitled to child benefits or cash benefit you will need to apply for this at your local NAV office.
Customs
There may be many things you wish to bring with you to Norway when you start working here. You should be aware that there are rules concerning import of various items to Norway, such as household goods, food, plants, animals etc. For example, if you wish to bring a car to Norway you are required to pay import tax. In some cases you may apply for dispensation for temporary use of a vehicle registered outside Norway, but you may need to start this process before moving to Norway. Norwegian Customs and Excise will provide information about the most important of these regulations.
Familiarizing yourself with the necessary administrative procedures to get employed in Norway will be extremely beneficial in the application process. Do make sure you have the necessary documents and photographs prepared way in advance to prevent any last minute panic. Once you have all the relevant documentation in place, your working experience in Norway will be a pleasant one, especially since you’ll be able to enjoy the same Norwegian health services as Norway residents.
Source: Nav
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