Visa and permits
If you are bringing your family, each member must be registered individually with the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) you may use the same account in the UDI application portal.
Career counseling
For counseling on job opportunities in Norway, you should contact the NAV EURES Contact Centre at +47 55 55 33 39, press 2 (opening hours 10-14).
Job vacancies
Check NAV's tips for foreign job seekers on where to find job vacancies in Norway (nav.no).
Recognition of qualifications
General recognition
See The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) pages about Education from outside of Norway
Specific recognition
Subject specific recognition involves recognition of foreign education on the basis of the specific subjects, degrees and professional programmes offered at a relevant institution of higher education in Norway. Each institution decides whether the foreign education meets their specific requirements for the scope and depth of the subject or the degree. This type of recognition is relevant when applying for admission to further studies or credit transfer and takes place at the academic institution in question. Read more about recognition of foreign higher education (HK-dir)
Professional recognition
Professional recognition or authorization is necessary if you wish to practice a profession that is legally regulated in Norway. This is determined on a case by case basis by a licensing authority. Read more about recognition of foreign vocational education and training (HK-dir)
Children
In Norway, most children attend either private or public pre-school day care centres (barnehage) between the ages of one and five. In the Oslo area the day care facilities by and large cover the demand. The closing date for applications at most nurseries and kindergartens is March 1 and must be made for an entire kindergarten year (August - June/July).
Therefore, it is advisable to plan for day care services well ahead of time and to check out private facilities that often operate under more flexible conditions. The municipality can provide an overview and counselling with regard to public and private day care options available in your neighbourhood. In Oslo, the web page Kindergartens in the City of Oslo (oslo.kommune.no) (Norwegian) provides detailed information.
Day time and evening babysitters may be sought through Oslo Baby Sitters Group AS (in Norwegian), phone +47 22 60 20 22, a reputed private agency with 20 years of experience in the field of procuring day care, nanny, and baby sitting services in the Oslo area.
School
Children living in Norway for more than 3 months, have the right and obligation to go to school. Children must be enrolled in school the year they turn 6.
Primary and lower secondary education is compulsory and lasts for 10 years. Parents must contact the nearest school or the local municipality to register children at school. If you live in Oslo, find your local primary school or your local lower secondary school.
The first 7 years children attend primary school (barneskolen), followed by 3 years of lower secondary school (ungdomskolen). Youth are entitled to, but not obliged to attend an additional 3 years of upper secondary school (videregående skole). Public schools are free of charge, and girls and boys share classes. Teaching is in Norwegian only. Alternatively, one can explore opportunities at private schools.
All children have the right to go to their local school. Specially adapted Norwegian education for newly arrived non-Nowegian speakers is organised according to the pupil's age and school background. It is common to attend a language centre for up to 6 months before starting at the local school. Read more about language education in Oslo.
International schools in Oslo
English
- Northern Lights International School (nlis.no) - primary school
- Oslo International School (oslointernationalschool.no) - from kindergarten to IB Diploma
- Public schools: Bjørnholt lower secondary school and Bjornholt High School, IB Diploma
- Blindern High School (ibo.org), Public school, IB Diploma
French
- Lycée Francaise d’Oslo – René Cassin (rcassin.no)
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German
- Deutsche Schule Oslo – Max Tau (deutscheschule.no) from kindergarten to upper secondary school
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Afterschool programmes at schools (aktivitetsskolen, AKS) are public and optional for children in Year 1–4 who need day care after school hours. Children with special needs are offered school day-care from Year 1–7. Afterschool programmes offer assistance with homework, play and educational activities and close at a certain hour by which you must pick up your child.
For more information, contact your child’s school directly.Social benefits
Norway values families highly and seeks to support parents in all phases of parenthood. Learn about the different benefits and check in which way they might support you and your family on the website of the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (nav.no).