So it is that time of the year when you start planning your next vacation. That new desired destination you wanted to visit for a long time, and now it is finally coming true, but you do not know where to start. You will undoubtedly look at plane tickets, hotel reservations, motorhome rentals, and main attractions to fill your bucket list. However, we often tend to forget the most important and relevant things that should be our priority. Currency exchange, the language they speak at your travel destination and how you will communicate if you do not speak that language, driving regulations, and, of course, if you need a visa.
This post will show you how to request a Norway visa, whether you need one or not, other requirements, and document types. Let’s get started!
Who needs a visa to enter Norway?
You might be wondering if you need a visa to enter Norway. Despite the travel purpose, this information is essential since I am sure that you will not want to be detained at the border protection and denied to enter the country due to misinformation.
Everyone who is not part of the Schengen area will need a visa to enter Norway. The Schengen Area is a free travel area. The largest in the world, in fact, and covers most European countries and allows you to travel passport-free within them.
It must never be confused with the EU though, they are two different things, and not every member of the European Union is part of it. Some Schengen area members are not part of the EU, but are associated with Schengen states: Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.
The current members of the Schengen area are these 26 European Countries:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Norway Schengen Visa
If you are not a member of these countries, you will need a visa like I previously mentioned. However, there are some exceptions that I will mention later in this post. Getting the Schengen visa for tourist or business purposes is not complicated. So you can have a rough idea, it can be compared to the Visa Waiver Program to enter the United States, which is more or less the same, in terms of allowance and duration. The process to get it is different though, it needs to be acquired in the destination country’s embassy.
The Schengen visa will allow you to enter the country for up to 90 days, and there is no border control within the area, meaning you can move freely within the 26 Schengen countries. You can also leave the Schengen zone and come back if you are within those 90 days.
Back in 2019, about 15 million travelers used their Schengen visa to travel around Europe.
Sadly, there are no statistics on how many people traveled using this visa during 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic. However, prior to the Covid, back in February 2020, the price increased by 33.3%, from 60 Euros to 80 Euros, as new regulations were applied.
The new regulation helps frequent travelers to have a more comfortable experience when traveling to the participant Schengen countries. Also, the time to submit the applications has been extended from 3 months to 6 months.
Lastly, the new regulation will contribute to the cooperation of third countries on being re-admitted.
Norway Visa for US citizens
Fortunately, for US citizens, traveling to the 26 countries is relatively easy; you will not need a regular visa or a Schengen one, as you are only required to have a valid US passport and be allowed to come for three months (90 days). Again, for pleasure or business.
How to apply for a Norway visa
The Schengen Visa
Over 60 countries worldwide can enter the visa-free zone in Europe, meaning you do not need to apply for a visa to enter this area, depending on your country.
If you are not part of these 60 countries, then you might be wondering how to apply, and here is how:
First, you need to know when to apply, the latest regulation allows you to apply six months before your arrival, and the latest you can file the visa application is, at most, 15 working days before your trip.
Then, you need to book an appointment to get an interview at the embassy or consulate of Norway in your home country. In some countries, you can apply online; some others only let you apply in person.
Once you’ve booked the appointment, it is time to fill in the application.
Filling the form is free and needs to be taken to the interview day.
Here is some of the information you will be asked
-Personal information such as names, date of birth, country of birth, nationality, other nationalities, sex, civil status, national identity number, etc.
- Further personal information such as passport validity, passport number, expedition date, expiration date, etc.
- Purpose of travel
- Details regarding the trip.
Make sure to fill every gap and not leave any blank spaces; otherwise, the form will be useless and rejected. If some columns do not correspond to your case, fill with NA (no answer). Finally, print two copies of it and sign at the end of each form.
Gathering the documents before your interview
We are almost done, so you need to gather the documents you need to bring to your interview.
These documents are:
The application form previously filled, a valid passport, two identical photos, travel insurance policy (make sure to talk to your credit card provider, they usually have travel insurance), flight tickets, accommodation proof, and financial proof.
Finally, you will attend the interview, be sure to show up on time. During the interview, you will be asked some personal questions and questions related to your trip. You need to answer with honesty and match the information you provided in the application form and other documents. The duration is about 10-15 minutes.
Norway work visa
Whether you came as a tourist or for business and irremediably fell in love with the country, you will need a work visa if you finally decide to move here. Starting a new life in Norway is in your plans? This is what you need.
If you come from a country that is outside the EU/EUA, then you need to get a residence permit for work, and there are different procedures, depending on the type of worker you are:
· Skilled worker
· seasonal worker
· self-employed
There are more categories, but not as popular as those. If you are self-employed, you need to meet specific earnings criteria to apply.
Applying for a Norway visa
People might think it is tedious and overwhelming to get a visa since, usually, there are many steps to complete and time to spend when applying for such permissions. This article is meant to help you get a clearer idea of getting a visa and being correctly informed about what you need to do. We hope it did!