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Working
in Norway:
What to Know Before You Go
By Louise Rankin, Norway Career Advisor
Part
1
Work
Permits
If you have come to Norway on a work assignment with your
company, you will be issued a work and temporary residence
permit (usually valid for three years). If you are a trailing
partner in Norway, you will normally have a temporary residence
permit and no work permit. If you are a national from a member-country
of the EEA (European Economic Area/E¯S), however, you
will have access to the Norwegian free market for employment.
If
you come to Norway on your own, without a job, but as an EEA
national, you have a period of three months where you can
seek work without a work permit or residence permit. The police
(Aliens Office/ Utlendingskontoret) may extend your right
to stay in Norway for up to six months, on the condition that
you are actively seeking work. This has to be confirmed by
the Employment Office. Information is available in English
on this site.
As
an EEA member, you are allowed to set up your own business
in Norway if your qualifications are recognized in your field
(see below). You will be liable to the same rules and regulations
as local Norwegians. You will still need the necessary work
and residence permits, and you will need to prove that you
have sufficient means to finance your stay in Norway. The
nature of the business must be long-term. If you want to work
in Norway and provide services, you won't need to start a
company. Most services are liable to Value Added Tax (MOMS),
with the exclusion of teaching.
Before
you start work, you will need to register with the National
Register (Folkeregisteret), which will give you an ID number.
A tax card based on your ID number can be obtained from the
local tax office (Ligningskontoret). This tax card must be
presented to your employer when you start work, otherwise
50 percent of your income will be deducted in tax. Many companies
will have already sorted this out for you if you are arriving
on an assignment.
Part
2
Finding
Work
Non-EEA nationals will need to consult their national advisory
bureau for the correct information concerning work and residence
permits in Norway. Contact the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration
at +4723351600 for information. The Norwegian Employment Office
is also a good resource; call them toll-free at 800 33 166,
or go to their website.
As
an EEA national, EURES (the European Employment Services,
which play a key role in the Norwegian Employment Services)
is your best advisory bureau. Prior to coming to Norway, it
is advisable to contact your nearest Euroadviser linked to
your local Employment Office.
There
are also many private job-seeking organizations in Norway,
such as Manpower, KellyÕs, N¿kkel Personnel,
Adecco, and Top Service. Look in the local Yellow Pages catalog
under Vikarbryå (Temporary Staff Recruitment). In fact,
the Norwegian Employment Office often recommends that you
start with private companies, and then seek their help; they
have job placement and retraining programs that may be useful.
Higher-level head hunters in Norway often use professional
networks and some well-hidden agencies, which new jobseekers
may find difficult to access.
Qualifications
for Work
You may also encounter problems using your home country qualifications
to help you find a job. Many well-qualified foreign professionals
seeking work in Norway have found it necessary to learn Norwegian,
and/or undergo a rigorous re-training/re-qualification period
in their chosen profession. This can last up to two years,
especially for health professionals.
Although
nearly everyone in the country speaks English, learning Norwegian
is a prerequisite for most work. There are two national languages:
Nynorsk, the older language, and Bokmål, the more modern
and widely spoken. If you have your work permits in order,
you will be entitled to 850 hours of free Norwegian language
instruction.
If
you seek work that requires proficiency in Norwegian, you
will have to pass one of three different tests: The Bergens
Test; Level 3 (Nivå 3); or Vidergåendeskole. The
latter is the most comprehensive, difficult and of the longest
duration (up to three years). You can approach the state employment
office (Arbeidskontoret or Aetat depending on your area) to
seek guidance on enrollment on such courses. Excluding some
specialists, most job-seekers donÕt need to register
with the employment office until they have learned Norwegian.
General
information on the approval of higher-level qualifications
can be obtained from the National Academic Information Centre
(NAIC in Oslo, tel: 4722858860) or the Education Board (StatensUtdanningskontoret)
in each country.
Useful
Sources of Information
Aetat Employement Office website or tel: 815 59 800/800 33
166
Manpower website or tel +47 51858470
The Directorate of Immigration website
Stavanger Partners Information Network website
For
more information on conducting an international job search,
go to www.goinglobal.com.
Original article can be found at: http://www.goinglobal.com/hot_topics/norway_rankin_what2know.asp
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