Norway skilled-worker residence permit in 2026
Norway's main work route for many non-EU/EEA professionals is the skilled-worker residence permit. UDI requires qualifying vocational training, higher education, or documented special qualifications, and the offered job itself must require skilled-worker competence.
The offer must normally be full-time, although UDI accepts positions of at least 80%. Pay and working conditions cannot be poorer than normal in Norway. Where no collective agreement applies, UDI currently uses salary safeguards of at least NOK 624,700 per year pre-tax for positions requiring a master's degree and NOK 545,400 for positions requiring a bachelor's degree, unless lower normal pay is strongly documented.
For university-level positions, permits can normally be issued for up to three years at a time; vocational-level positions are generally issued for up to one year at a time. After three years on qualifying permits, a skilled worker can potentially apply for permanent residence if all permanent-residence requirements are met.
Changing employer does not always require a new permit when the new role is the same type of position and the skilled-worker conditions remain satisfied. Moving to a different type of position requires a new permit before starting. If employment ends, a skilled worker may stay for up to six months to find a new job while the permit remains valid, with police-notification requirements.
Remote work is allowed only when it is part of the job covered by the residence permit.
Official guidance: UDI skilled workers and UDI pay and working conditions.
Related: self-employment, family immigration, permanent residence, Norway hub, legal disclaimer.
Official and supporting sources
- Official Norway source 1government · accessed 2026-09-20
- Official Norway source 2government · accessed 2026-09-20