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Can I go to Norway? Travel restrictions from the UK explained

By Sarah James

As of Friday 18 March 2022, all Covid travel rules have been dropped in the UK. This means that any travellers returning to the UK from Norway don't need to take any tests or quarantine on arrival in the UK and no longer need to fill out a passenger locator form . But what are the rules for entering Norway, and which tests are needed? Here’s what you need to know.

What are the entry requirements for Norway?

It's now much easier to travel to and from Norway. There are currently no travel restrictions upon entering Norway – the same rules as prior to the pandemic now apply. As of Tuesday 1 March, travellers arriving into Svalbard no longer have to show evidence of a negative Covid test. 

Wherever you're travelling, it's always best to check the government guidelines for your destination before booking and well ahead of your trip. It's also always wise to get travel insurance with Covid cover . 

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Travel to UK from Norway

Norwegians travelling to the UK are able to take advantage of either visa-free travel or a range of dedicated visas, depending on the purpose and length of visit.

For more information about travelling to the UK from Norway, including if you need bespoke advice for your own immigration situation, reach out to one of our legal advisers today. Call us on  (+44) 333 4149244 , or contact us  online .

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Benefits of Choosing IAS’ Immigration Lawyers

At IAS, we understand that every case and client is unique, so we provide bespoke assessment and support to each client. With us, you get a dedicated immigration lawyer who is dedicated to ensuring your application is successful. Enjoy the following benefits with IAS:

Compassionate support from an experienced immigration lawyer dedicated to your success

Support in gathering supporting documents and completing a high-quality application.

A personalised Letter of Representation to help compile a compelling case for approval

Continued support from your lawyer in the event of any complications.

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Need help with an immigration issue? Book a one-to-one advice session with one of our legal caseworkers.

We can complete your visa application on your behalf, taking the stress and hassle out of the process.

Need to submit an application quickly? We can help you complete and send it off in as little as 24 hours.

Ensure you have the greatest chance of a successful appeal with our legal support and guidance.

Overview of Travelling to UK from Norway

The UK and Norway have long enjoyed a cordial diplomatic relationship, covering shared cultural, economic and political ties.

One of the most prominent examples of Norwegian presence in the UK comes in the form of the Norwegian Christmas tree that stands in Trafalgar Square, London every year. It is given in remembrance of the UK’s support of Norwegian forces during the Second World War, and stands as a significant symbol of the two countries’ lasting ties.

Meanwhile, Norwegian immigration to the UK might not be as prolific as other countries in Europe, but select parts of the UK, such as Shetland and Orkney, boast a large population of people with Norwegian heritage, and strong links to Scandinavian culture.

Norwegian nationals looking to travel to the UK may often do so without a visa for short periods of time. Norwegians are also eligible to apply for the  EU Settlement Scheme , or one of the UK’s many visas that allow for long-term residency or the right to work or conduct business in the UK.

Visa-Free Travel to the UK for Norwegians

Norwegian nationals are able to travel to the UK without a visa to do any of the following:

• Engage in tourism
• See family or friends
• Volunteer for up to 30 days with a registered charity
• Pass through the UK to another country
• Do certain business activities, such as attending a meeting or interview
• Take part in a school exchange programme
• Do a recreational course of up to 30 days
• Study, do a placement or take an exam
• Visit as an academic, senior doctor or dentist
• Visit for medical reasons

Note that you will normally only be allowed to visit the UK for up to 6 months at a time in order to carry out the above activities.

Additionally, you will not be able to do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, access public funds, or live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent or successive visits.

Visa-Required Travel to the UK for Norwegians

If you’re a Norwegian intending to travel to the UK for a reason other than ones already listed, or you wish to stay in the UK long-term, you may have to apply for a visa.

Visas are available for a variety of purposes and to suit many different types of travellers. For instance, there are a range of work visas available, such as the  Skilled Worker visa  for general skilled work, the  Health and Care Worker visa  for foreign workers looking to work in the health sector, or the  Sportsperson visa , for professionals in the sports industry.

The UK also has its own  Student visa  for those looking to study courses in the UK long-term. Graduates who have studied in the UK may also apply for a  Graduate visa  to continue to stay and work in the UK.

Some Norwegians may also already have family from the UK, such as children, partners or parents. If this is the case, then you may be eligible for a  Family visa  if you plan to settle in the UK long-term.

Most UK visas have a finite window of validity, which means that you will either have to apply to extend them or leave the UK when they expire. Some will additionally allow you to apply for permanent settlement in the UK, also known as  indefinite leave to remain .

Get in touch with our immigration experts for help with your move to the UK from Norway.

UK Entry Requirements

When travelling to the UK, you will need to ensure that you have the right documents with you and that you adhere to UK government guidance on entry requirements for foreign visitors.

All Norwegian citizens must have either of the following when travelling to the UK:

• A valid passport
• A Norwegian national identity card, if you’re eligible to use one

Your document should be valid for the entirety of your stay in the UK.

Note that you will not be able to use a Norwegian national identity card to enter the UK unless you:

• Have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man’s settlement schemes
• Have an EU Settlement Scheme family permit, or the equivalent from Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man
• Have a  Frontier Worker permit
• Are an S2 Healthcare Visitor

You must also ensure that you have a valid visa if you need one, such as if you intend to work in the UK or stay in the UK long-term.

Also note that you and your baggage may be checked at the border for any restricted items, or for items that must be declared. You must always ensure that you’re up to date with border and luggage restrictions when travelling to the UK.

How Can IAS Help?

The UK remains one of the most popular travel destinations in Europe, even after its departure from the EU.

If you are a Norwegian looking to travel to the UK and need additional advice and assistance for your situation, IAS can help.

We offer full, bespoke and comprehensive immigration advice for individuals from both inside and outside the EU/EEA. Our range of services and packages are carefully curated to ensure that we can help all of our clients with their immigration issues, regardless of the complexity or nature of the case.

Whether you’re a Norwegian national in need of assistance when applying for a UK visa, need help liaising with your local embassy or consulate, or just need extra advice on the latest UK travel advice and entry requirements, we can help.

For more information about and what we can do for you, reach out to one of our immigration experts today. Call us on  (+44) 333 4149244 , or contact us  online  through our website, where more information about our services can be found.

We offer immigration advice sessions as face to face appointments at all of our UK offices, or via the phone.

Table of Contents

Frequently Asked Questions

How can i apply for a uk visa.

If you need to apply for a UK visa, you can do so online through the  Gov.uk  website in Norway before you travel.

As part of the application process, you will have to provide your personal information and upload a range of supporting documents.

You may also have to attend a local visa application centre in order to give additional information, such as your biometrics.

There is one UK visa application centre located in Oslo.

Am I permitted to travel back to Norway on a UK visa?

In most cases, you will be able to travel to Norway from the UK at any time while in the UK.

The only exceptions to this are when you’re waiting for a new visa decision while in the UK. In this instance, travelling to Norway will result in your application being withdrawn.

If your current visa will be invalidated due to you leaving the UK, you will be informed of this when you receive your visa and details of its terms.

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Our lawyers support multinational corporations and entrepreneurs to obtain employee visas, business immigration licences and business visit visas.

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With IAS’ track record of successfully helping clients achieve their Family visas, we can help you reunite with your partner, parent, or child.

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Obtaining a spouse visa can be nerve racking. You want to get it right the first time and we want that for you as well. Get in touch with us for a personalised spouse visa application service.

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There is a good range of inexpensive flights to Norway from London, though from the UK’s regional airports the choice is poorer. Oslo Gardermoen airport is the main point of arrival. Flights are almost invariably much less expensive than the long and arduous journey from the UK to Norway by train or car. There are currently no ferry services direct from the UK to Norway, but this situation may change and it’s worth checking out if you’re considering taking your car.

Flights from the UK

Flights from ireland, flights from the us and canada, flights from australia and new zealand, flights from south africa, by train from the uk, driving from the uk, by ferry from the uk, by train, bus and ferry from the rest of scandinavia and russia, tours and organized holidays, tour and holiday operators.

From Ireland , there is much less choice, but there are regular flights to Oslo Gardermoen airport. For travellers arriving from North America , the main decision is whether to fly direct to Oslo – though the options are limited – or via another European city, probably London. Australians , New Zealanders and South Africans have to fly via another country – there are no nonstop, direct flights. Finally, getting to Norway from the rest of Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden and Finland) is quick, easy and relatively inexpensive, whether you travel by plane, bus or train.

From the UK, there’s a good choice of direct, nonstop flights from London to Oslo as well as a scattering of flights there from the UK’s regional airports . Norway’s main international airport is Oslo Gardermoen, 45km north of the city, but several budget airlines use the deceptively named Oslo (Torp) airport, which is actually just outside Sandefjord, 110km from Oslo, and Oslo (Rygge) airport, 60km south of the city near the little town of Moss. There are also a handful of nonstop, direct flights from the UK to other Norwegian cities, including Stavanger, Ålesund, Bergen and Trondheim, but for the likes of Tromsø you’ll have to change planes. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and its subsidiary Widerøe has the largest number of routes.

Prices vary enormously, but Norwegian Airlines often offers the least expensive tickets with a return from London Gatwick or Manchester to Oslo costing from as little as £140. Flying times are insignificant: Aberdeen to Stavanger takes just one hour, London to Oslo a little over two.

Flying from Ireland to Norway, there’s not much choice, but Ryanair ( w ryanair.com) has flights from Dublin to Oslo (Rygge) and Norwegian Airlines ( w norwegian.com) flies between Dublin and Oslo Gardermoen. As sample fares, Norwegian charges anywhere between €70 and €160 for the flight from Dublin to Oslo with a flying time of just over two hours.

From the US , you can fly direct/nonstop to Oslo Gardermoen from New York City with United Airlines ( w united.com) but otherwise you’ll have to change at a hub airport with London being an obvious choice. Return fares from major cities in the US to London start at around US$800, but otherwise reckon on spending around US$1500–2000 return for a nonstop New York–Oslo return flight with Continental. There are no direct flights to Norway from the west coast, but plenty of carriers will get you to Oslo with one stop, for as little as US$1500 return.

From Canada , the best deals are usually offered by Air Canada ( w aircanada.com), which flies nonstop to London Heathrow, with onward connections to Norway. From Toronto to Oslo, expect to pay around Can$2000 in high season and Can$1500 in low season, while typical fares from Vancouver are around Can$2200 in high season and, likewise, Can$1500 in low season.

The flying time on a direct, nonstop flight from the east coast of North America to Norway is just over seven hours.

There are no direct/nonstop flights from Australia or New Zealand to Norway. Most itineraries will involve two changes, one in the Far East – Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur – and then another in the gateway city of the airline you’re flying with – most commonly Copenhagen, Amsterdam or London. You can get tickets to Oslo from Sydney, Melbourne or Perth for Aus$1500–2500, NZ$2000–3000 from Auckland.

There are no direct/nonstop flights from South Africa to Norway, but several airlines will get you to Oslo with one stop via a European hub city. For example, KLM ( w klm.com) fly from Cape Town to Amsterdam with onward connections to Oslo for a return fare of between ZAR9500 and ZAR12,500.

Eurostar ( w eurostar.com) services running through the Channel Tunnel to Brussels put Norway within reasonable striking distance of the UK by train , but the whole journey from London to Oslo, which is usually routed via Brussels and Copenhagen, still takes about 22 hours and costs about £300 one-way (£350 return), though special deals and concessionary rates can reduce these fares considerably.

Rail passes

If you’re visiting Norway as part of a longer European trip, it may be worth considering a pan-European rail pass . There are lots to choose from and Rail Europe ( w raileurope.com and w raileurope.co.uk ), the umbrella company for all national and international passes, operates a comprehensive website detailing all the options with prices. Note in particular that some passes have to be bought before leaving home, others can only be bought in specific countries. Note also that Inter-Rail Pass ( w interrailnet.com ) and Eurail Pass ( w eurail.com) holders get discounts on some internal ferry and bus journeys within Norway.

To reach Norway by car or motorbike from the UK, the best bet is to use Eurotunnel ’s ( w eurotunnel.com ) shuttle train through the Channel Tunnel. Note that Eurotunnel only carries cars (including occupants) and motorbikes, not cyclists and foot passengers. From the Eurotunnel exit in Calais, it’s a somewhat epic journey of around 1400km or so to Oslo.

There are currently no car ferries from the UK to Norway; the nearest you’ll get is Esbjerg in Denmark, about 900km (around 10hr) by road from Oslo, with DFDS Seaways ( w dfdsseaways.co.uk ) from Harwich . Tariffs vary enormously, depending on when you leave, how long you stay, what size your vehicle is and how many passengers are in it; on overnight sailings, there is also the cost of a cabin to consider. As a sample fare, a seven-day, peak season return fare for two adults in an ordinary car costs around £250. Reservations are strongly recommended. There are three or four Harwich-to-Esbjerg sailings every week and the journey time is about eighteen hours.

By train you can reach Oslo from both Stockholm (2–3 daily; 6hr) and Copenhagen (2 daily; 8hr). There are also regular services from Stockholm to Narvik (1–2 daily; 21hr), operated by the Swedish company SJ ( t 00 46 771 75 75 75, w sj.se ). For online tickets, go to w raileurope.com.

Several bus companies provide services into Norway from other parts of Scandinavia. These include Eurolines ( w eurolines.co.uk ) buses from London to Oslo, which pass through several Danish and Swedish towns, notably Copenhagen, Malmö and Gothenburg; the Swedish company GoByBus ( w gobybus.se), which has services to Oslo from Stockholm, Copenhagen, Malmö and Gothenburg among others; and Swebuss ( w swebus.se ), which operates an express bus from Stockholm to Oslo. In the far north, Eskelisen Lapin Linjat ( w eskelisen-lapinlinjat.com ) runs a number of bus services from Finland to Norwegian destinations, including Tromsø, Kirkenes and Nordkapp.

A number of car ferries shuttle across the Skagerrak from Denmark to Norway.

As for border crossings , there is (usually) little formality at either the Norway–Sweden or Norway–Finland borders, but the northern border with Russia is a different story. Border patrols (on either side) won’t be overjoyed at the prospect of you nosing around. If you have a genuine wish to visit Russia from Norway, it’s best to sort out the paperwork – visas and so forth – before you leave home. Kirkenes is the main starting point for tours into Russia from Norway.

Tourism in Norway is a multi-million-dollar industry that has spawned a small army of tour operators. Some provide generic bus tours of parts of the country, but there are many more specialist companies too, featuring everything from skiing and walking through to whale-watching and cycling. Most of the better companies offer a choice of escorted and independent tours. Additional, domestic tour operators are detailed throughout the Guide.

Anglers’ World Holidays

UK t 01246 221 717, w anglers-world.co.uk . Sea- and river-fishing holidays in Norway.

Brekke Tours & Travel

US t 1 800 437 5302, w brekketours.com . A well-established company offering a host of sightseeing and cultural tours of Scandinavia in general and Norway in particular.

Discover the World

UK t 01737 214 251, w discover-the-world.co.uk . Specialist adventure tours including whale-watching in Norway, wildlife in Spitsbergen and dog-sledging in Lapland. Independent, tailor-made tours too.

UK t 0845 508 4197, w exodus.co.uk. Large, activity-holiday specialist offering cross-country skiing and all sorts of other winter sports plus whale-watching, hiking and Spitsbergen excursions.

UK t 0845 564 7148, w headwater.com . Limited but well-chosen selection of winter fun holidays in Geilo and Venabu, where punters choose anything from skiing to reindeer safaris.

High & Wild

UK t 0845 004 7801, w highandwild.co.uk . Adventure holiday specialist through whose services you can join a Sámi reindeer migration.

Hurtigruten Norway

t 00 47 81 00 30 30, w hurtigruten.com . The Hurtigruten coastal voyage is Norway’s most celebrated sea cruise (see Hurtigruten sailing schedule).

UK t 01653 617 001, w inntravel.co.uk. Outdoor holidays in Norway including skiing, walking, dog-sledging, fjord cruises, and whale- and reindeer-watching.

North South Travel

UK t 01245 608 291, w northsouthtravel.co.uk . Friendly, competitive travel agency, offering discounted fares worldwide. Profits are used to support projects in the developing world, especially the promotion of sustainable tourism.

Saddle Skedaddle

UK t 0191 265 1110, skedaddle.co.uk . Highly recommended company organizing a couple of cycling tours of Norway each year, usually one to the Lofoten islands and another round the western fjords.

Scandinavian America World Tours

US t 1 800 545 2204, w scandinaviantravel.com . Scandinavian specialist offering an extensive programme of group and individual tours and cruises within Norway.

Scand-America

US t 1 727 415 5088, w scandamerica.com . A wide variety of packages – everything from dog-sledging to garden tours – throughout Scandinavia. Florida based.

US t 1 800 223 7226 w scantours.com . Huge range of packages and tailor-made holidays to every Scandinavian nook and cranny.

The Rough Guides to Norway and related travel guides

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Travel advice for Norway

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written by Rough Guides Editors

updated 26.04.2021

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Technical Glitch Shuts Down Part of Norway's Airspace

A technical failure in Norway caused the temporary closure of airspace over the southern part of the country, leading to significant delays at Oslo's airport, one of Scandinavia's busiest aviation hubs. The incident disrupted air traffic for over three hours, affecting flights across Europe.

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Technical Glitch at Oslo Control Center

Avinor, the state-owned company that operates most of Norway's civilian airports, announced that a technical error at the Oslo control center was the cause of the airspace closure. This failure led to a significant restriction in air traffic over southern Norway.

Following the disruption, air traffic was gradually restored, but Avinor indicated that delays would persist throughout the day. Priority was given to long-haul flights to minimize the impact on international travel.

"It will be a long time before we are fully back to normal," Avinor spokesperson Katrin Fuglesang Framholt told the Norwegian news outlet NTB .

Impact on European Air Traffic

The airspace closure in Norway comes at a time when European air traffic is already experiencing disruptions.

A planned strike by French air traffic control workers has contributed to delays and cancellations across much of Europe. This follows a recent incident at Chisinau airport in Moldova, where a bomb threat led to the evacuation of passengers and staff from the airport building.

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