Life in Norway is an information guide for English speakers living and working in Norway, and for those who want to make the move.
The website is written by foreigners from all around the world who are already settled in Norway, to give you the inside scoop on what life is really like here–from an outsider's perspective.
Move to Norway
Our relocation guides are aimed at giving you all the information you need for a happy relocation for you and your family.
Firstly we help you to navigate the immigration rules and regulations, which vary depending on your circumstances and country of citizenship. Then the big one – we give plenty of advice on how you can find a job in Norway, which is often the biggest hurdle faced by foreigners.
Living in Norway
Once you're here, there's a whole new culture to explore. Our information articles and expat blogs cover everything from learning the language to the best new music, trying the food and explaining the cultural quirks we encounter.
We regularly interview people – both Norwegians and fellow expats – with an interesting story to tell. Some of these interviews are showcased within our new podcast.
Stay updated with Norway
Every Tuesday we send out Norway Weekly to more than 10,000 people in Norway and around the world.
It's jam-packed with the latest articles from the site, as well as the biggest news headlines from Norway from the last seven days and other articles of interest to people living in Norway. Everything is in English, and it's entirely free of charge. Subscribe now!
A diverse team of writers
Originally the personal blog of British freelance writer David Nikel, Life in Norway now features writers from all across the country: Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger and the Arctic, originally from as far afield as England, Scotland, Canada, the USA, Mexico and Ecuador.
David remains on board as Editor-in-Chief, so please get in touch with him if there's anything you'd like to know, or if you'd like to contribute an article for the expat blogs section.
Meet David
Hi! Originally from the UK, I now work for myself as a freelance writer and consultant in beautiful Trondheim.
I moved to Norway in 2011 almost by accident. As an IT contractor I was lucky enough to be offered several jobs abroad and I couldn’t resist the lure of Scandinavia. After a while, the same questions kept popping up:
“What is Norway really like?”
“What are Norwegians like?”
“Does everyone has blonde hair and blue eyes?”
“Is it really that expensive?”
And so, Life in Norway was born!
It started off as a simple personal blog. As more and more people became interested in my stories, thoughts and observations, I expanded the site to include several other voices. You won’t find a more diverse collection of writers anywhere online! The success of this website was a contributing factor in me quitting my job to launch a freelance career.
If you’d like to make a suggestion or write an article, please do get in touch.
Hi:
Thanks for including me on your Blogroll. I’d include you on mine, if I had one.
I try to cover fashion from the whole region, which is tricky to do since I rarely get to visit Norway and Iceland. One thing I would love to include on my blog is street fashion photos from Oslo. Do you know anyone who might be tempted to contribute photos of Osloites dressed in an interesting or attractive manner?
Best wishes from Stockholm, which is today dusted with a thin blanket of something cold and white.
d
Sure thing David, I’ll drop you an email!
Dear David, your summary of Norway says we have a pension pot from the oil industry. That is a simple misunderstanding.
The former “oil fund”, now called Norges Bank’s “Government Pension Fund Global”, is in fact NOT a pension fund. It’s a heritage fund for future generations, no pensions are tied to this fund, no person is entitled to any of that money ever.
The name was changed only to reflect our commitment to managing it with future generations in mind. It’s an odd and misleading name, I’ll give you that. However the actual and separate pension funds of Norway (Folketrygdfondet/Statens Pensjonskasse), which existed prior to the oil fund, are wholly funded by ordinary taxes on income.
Thanks for your comment Andrew although I think you misunderstood my use of the word “pension pot” 🙂 Tha About page of my blog is not the place for a detailed analysis of Norway’s finances, rather a one-liner which hints at Norway having a solid financial picture.
I have been meaning to write more about the oil industry, so thanks for the reminder!
Hi David,
First off great blog, if you don’t mind could i ask your advice, how do you find a job in Norway?
I am married and have three little children, i am a part qualified accountant and have a years experience, i am completing my studies as I write this, any advice would greatly received many thanks.
Hello – Could you please tell me how I can contact you via email? Your contact page is not working 🙂 Thanks
hi there david!
This is the kind of blog i have been looking for! I am planning to move to Norway this coming May 2013 with a job seeker visa for six months until someone would sponsor me with a work visa. Do you have any idea of how to find jobs there in Norway and how to find a cheap flat there specifically in oslo or bergen like the big cities there? I took a bs degree in international hospitality management majoring in culinary arts and already have years of experience. Your reply is greatly greatly appreciated. Thank you! =)
Hi Sab, thanks for your comments! Good luck with the move, my first advice is to sign up for Norway Weekly where you’ll find lots of useful information about life here in Norway. There’s no such thing as a cheap flat, but if you want to save money you can look for a flatshare, which many adults do these days. Good luck!
God morgon, David, Thank you so much for the helpful too! Just one snag: I just clicked on the link for Expat Weekly twice in a row, and each time, I was taken to a puzzling webpage, seeming to belong to Verizon. Each time, what I saw was something like, “The website Expat Weekly doesn’t exist right now….” If you have any further information about how I can connect to this group online, I’d be very grateful to you.
Great blog. I’m really interested in Norway so I’ll be following your blog. Good luck!
Hilsener fra Polen
Hi David,
Found you’re blog while I was looking for some advice on my planned trip to Norway. It is indeed informative.
We are planning to tour Norway for 10 days, staying at liilihammer, trondhiem and one more location still undecided but some mid point between oslo and Bergen. Any advise as we are visting Norway for the first time
Hello David,
Janie here in Austin Texas. I wanted to tell you how much I like your Moon guidebook on Norway. I will be there in late May and will include a much anticipated visit to the Lofoten Islands for 5 days. Do you have a recommendation on an island to base out of for lodging?
Cheers,
Janie
HI guys, been living on Norway (Oslo and Drammen) for 4 years but only just found your site (when searching on the Corona virus). Great site with a lot of useful and up to date information. Will be visiting again soon and would consider putting together an article or too as well. Cheers Jim
Hi, just found your website while researching Covid19. Our son and his family moved to Norway to work last August. We want to post them some birthday presents, his climbing equipment and other useful items, as we can’t visit at the moment. We aren’t clear about how to do this. He tells me that he will have to pay import tax and vat on anything that we send. Is this right? How can we label the parcel to show it includes presents and used items of clothing and toys?
Many thanks
Roger and Chris
https://www.toll.no/en/goods/gifts/
Brilliant, thank you for your prompt reply. Do you know if you have to list the contents on the outside of the parcel, or just label it as ‘birthday present?
Roger
Hi Roger I had a friend sent me an Easter present from Scotland which was a large box of chocolates. It was declared as a gift and the cost was GBP 22. Within a few days of receiving it l had an invoice from DHL for NOK 550!! When questioned DHL responded that not only is the value of the goods accounted for but also the post and packaging so be warned. Only in Norway!
An update. Apparently, if you send chocolate or similar you fall foul of the Norwegian sugar tax. I have been successfully sending small parcels, (less than 2 kg) of children’s clothing presents via Royal Mail. Postage is about 18 UK pounds and they take about 2 weeks to be delivered but no import duty has had to be paid (yet!).
Very good explanation about the electricity. Effort well worth it.
I have been here since 1988. Its all very strange politically but the result is a very good place to be. Apart from the wife I have not integrated into society one iota. Think of H G Wells “The country of the blind”.
Hi David,
reading all this “stuff”, about god’s own country, I see how misleading it is for poor people trying to find out about a new land to set up home in and thinking that Norway must be a great place to select. Problem with Norway is that it is FAR TOO WEALTHY and everything here is a “RIP OFF” from firstly the greedy government to services and anything bought……, food, power,petrol/diesel, all the most necessary things needed to live comfortably. The politicians are TOTALLY”SCREWING THE POPULUS,with their kindergaten control mentality, operated through their government controlled(influenced media)…. and the norwegian people are, so consertive in their JANTA LAW that they accept all this socialist/comunist influence that they re elect the same amateur poiticians over and over again, and they in turn hike prices through the roof,through “tollroads” and other feeble excuses, to gain EVEN MORE revenue, although having a population of merely ca.5mil. and virtually unlimited resources like, FISH,HYDRO EL.OIL and the greatest gas field ever discovered(Ormin Lange) at the same time they SHOUT SOCIALDEMOCRACY but let their own people sufferwith exhorbetant fuel and el. Prices that many small businesses and individuals can barely survive.
I personally have lived in this screwed up society for over 50 years now, coming from a real DEMOCRACY, where the market controls prices , and not a group of amateur “bak-evje” bureaucrats who like to call themselves politicians.
Norwegians believe that they should”look over the neighbours shoulder to keep him “in-line”. in true” Janta lov” tradition. I am at present TRYING to get the hell out of this place, but my wife is Norwegian and after having (mistakenly) invested my whole working life and economy here am finding that I must lay in the bed that Iv’e made……, for me I experience Norway as a comunist_autucratic state.
I so wish that I could move out of here back home to Aussie…….