No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to:
\n\nIf you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.
\n\nThe Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.
\n\nSign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.
\n\nFollow FCDO:
\n\nThis information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of the current rules for the most common types of travel.
\n\nThe authorities in Norway set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how Norway’s entry requirements apply to you, contact the Norwegian Embassy in the UK.
\n\nNorway follows Schengen area rules. Your passport must:
\n\nhave a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive – if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it might have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ago, making it invalid for entry to the Schengen area
\nhave an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area (the expiry date does not need to be within 10 years of the date of issue)
\nCheck with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
\n\nYou will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
\n\nWhen returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or proof of right of abode. See Dual Citizenship.
\n\nYou can travel without a visa to the Schengen area, which includes Norway, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This applies if you travel:
\n\nThe requirements for working in Norway are different.
\n\nIf you’re travelling to other Schengen countries as well, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries in the 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days. If you overstay the 90-day visa-free limit, you may be banned from entering Schengen countries for up to 3 years.
\n\nAt Norwegian border control, you may also need to:
\n\nTo stay longer, you must meet the Norwegian government’s entry requirements. Check which type of visa or work permit you need with the Norwegian Embassy in the UK.
\n\nIf you are in Norway with a residence permit or long-stay visa, this does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.
\n\nRead about entry processes if you live in Norway.
\n\nThe European Union’s (EU) new Entry/Exit System (EES) is now being implemented across the Schengen area.
\n\nThis means that when you travel into the Schengen area for short stays, you may need to register your biometric details, such as fingerprints and a photo. There is no cost for EES registration.
\n\nOn your first visit into a Schengen country, you may be asked to register your details at a special booth before proceeding to the immigration desk. Follow directions from your travel operator or the staff at your port of entry. You may also need to provide either your fingerprint or photo when you leave the Schengen area. Children aged 11 or younger will not have their fingerprints scanned but can be required to have their photo taken.
\n\nYou do not need to take any action before you arrive at the border on entry to the Schengen area, but EES may take each passenger extra time to complete so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border and to allow more time for immigration controls when you depart the Schengen area. If you are departing the Schengen area by plane, allow extra time to reach your departure gate as EES checks may take place before boarding.
\n\nEES is replacing the previous system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the Schengen area for short stays. You may be asked to input biometric details every time you enter or exit.
\n\nIf you enter the Schengen area through the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel at Folkestone or Eurostar at St Pancras International, any information will be taken at the border before you leave the UK.
\n\nYour digital EES record is valid for 3 years.
\n\nRead more information on the EU Entry/Exit System and to understand which countries are in the Schengen area.
\n\nIf you are long-term resident in a Schengen country, you are exempt from EES in all Schengen countries. The full list of EES exemptions is on the EU’s official Travel Europe website.
\n\nIf you believe you have been incorrectly entered into EES or your record of time spent in the Schengen area is incorrect, approach border officials when you next cross the Schengen border and request a correction. If you are exempt, carry documentation confirming your status. If you believe your time spent in the Schengen area has been recorded incorrectly, raise this with border officials and be prepared to provide supporting evidence if requested.
\nYou’ll need your passport to travel to and enter the Svalbard archipelago.
\n\nFor details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Norway guide.
\n\nThere are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Norway. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
\n\nIt is illegal to import whale meat from Norway into the UK. You could get a fine of up to £5,000 or a prison sentence.
\n\nThere are restrictions on vehicles with Russian licence plates in Norway.
\n\nYou cannot take meat, milk or products containing them into EEA countries without special permission. There are some exceptions such as powdered baby milk, baby food and special foods or pet feed required for medical reasons.
\n\nDeclare cash or travellers cheques if the value is 25,000 Norwegian krone or more. If you do not declare it, you could get a substantial fine and temporary confiscation of the excess money, which may then be released only through a bank.
\n\n","slug":"entry-requirements","title":"Entry requirements"},{"body":"This guide also has safety advice for regions of Norway.
\n\nThere is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
\n\nUK Counter Terrorism Policing has information and advice on staying safe abroad and what to do in the event of a terrorist attack. Find out how to reduce your risk from terrorism while abroad.
\n\nTerrorist attacks in Norway cannot be ruled out.
\n\nDemonstrations in Norway are usually peaceful. If you’re near areas where demonstrations are taking place, follow the advice of local authorities and move away if there are signs of disorder.
\n\nThere’s a small risk of petty theft, particularly at airports and railway stations in and around Oslo.
\n\nIllegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties. You should expect a long jail sentence and heavy fines for possessing, using or smuggling illegal drugs, including when transiting through the airport.
\n\nAirports in Norway have excellent technology and security for detecting illegal items. This is also used to scan the baggage of transiting passengers.
\n\nTo fly any type of drone in Norway you need to be registered as an operator in either Norway or an EU/EFTA country and have liability insurance. Other conditions apply and certain areas are no fly zones. Familiarise yourself with local requirements at Norwegian civil aviation authority website.
\n\nGet information about the risk of avalanches from the Norwegian Avalanche Warning Service or the European Avalanche Warning Services.
\n\nPolice enforce bans on campfires in many hiking areas during the summer months.
\n\nIf you are planning to drive in Norway, see information on driving abroad and check the rules of the road in the RAC’s Norway guide. The guide lists driving regulations and other legal requirements you need to be aware of.
\n\nYou can use a UK photocard driving licence to drive in Norway for up to 90 days. If you still have a paper driving licence, you may need to update it to a photocard licence or get the correct version of the international driving permit (IDP) as well.
\n\nIf you are visiting Norway, you may be able to use your Blue Badge in some circumstances. Check local parking rules.
\n\nDrink-driving is a serious offence in Norway. If you are tested and found to have a quarter of England’s legal limit of alcohol in your system you may get a fine and possible imprisonment. There are frequent roadside checks for alcohol.
\n\nYou must use winter tyres with a minimum 3-millimetre (mm) tread if there is snow or ice covering the roads. You may also need to use studded tyres or snow chains. Truck drivers must use winter tyres with a minimum 5mm tread and have enough snow chains.
\n\nYou can get the full tyre requirements from Norway’s State Highways.
\n\nKeep your headlights on, but dipped, during the daytime all year round in all places.
\n\nOn roads that are not marked with a priority sign (yellow diamond), you must give way to traffic coming from the right.
\n\nIf you commit a driving offence, you could get an on-the-spot fine of up to 10,000 Norwegian krone.
\n\nNearly half of Norway is in the Arctic Circle, including some very remote areas of land and sea. Emergency medical assistance and search and rescue are limited in these areas. See Arctic travel safety advice.
\n\nExtreme weather, floods and landslides can happen. You should follow the advice of local authorities.
\n\nFind out what you can do to prepare for and respond to extreme weather and natural hazards.
\n\nThe weather can change quickly, producing Arctic conditions even in summer on exposed mountain tops. Extreme weather can cause floods and landslides.
\n\nThe winter is long and can last well into April. Temperatures can drop to -25°C and below. There is also a high wind chill factor, particularly in unsheltered areas and mountain ranges. Weather conditions can worsen quickly.
\n\nThere is a risk of wildfires, especially during hot and dry periods. Police enforce bans on campfires in many areas.
\n\n","slug":"safety-and-security","title":"Safety and security"},{"body":"This section has safety advice for regions of Norway. It only covers regions where the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has specific advice.
\n\nYou should also read FCDO’s overall travel advice and safety and security advice.
\n\nFollow the safety advice of the Governor of Svalbard, including on how to protect yourself from polar bear attacks, the risks of glaciers, avalanches and other dangers outside the main town of Longyearbyen.
\n\n","slug":"regional-risks","title":"Regional risks"},{"body":"Before you travel check that:
\n\nThis is particularly important if you have a health condition or are pregnant.
\n\nDial 113 and ask for an ambulance.
\n\nContact your insurance or medical assistance company quickly if you’re referred to a medical facility for treatment.
\n\nAt least 8 weeks before your trip:
\n\nSee what health risks you’ll face in Norway.
\n\nThe legal status and regulation of some medicines prescribed or bought in the UK can be different in other countries.
\n\nRead best practice when travelling with medicines on TravelHealthPro.
\n\nIf you’re a UK national, you can use your UK passport to get free state-provided medical treatment in hospitals. Some doctors may charge for their services elsewhere.
\n\nAccess to free healthcare is not an alternative to travel insurance. Read more about what your travel insurance should cover.
\n\nFCDO has a list of medical providers in Norway where some staff will speak English.
\n\nTo get medically necessary state healthcare in Norway, you can now also use the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
\n\nThe NHS’s getting healthcare abroad webpage has details about:
\n\nA GHIC or EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance. You may have costs your GHIC or EHIC does not cover, including:
\n\nThere is also guidance on healthcare if you’re living in Norway.
\n\nRead FCDO guidance on travel and mental health. There is also mental health guidance on TravelHealthPro.
\n\n","slug":"health","title":"Health"},{"body":"The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) cannot provide tailored advice for individual trips. Read this travel advice and carry out your own research before deciding whether to travel.
\n\nFire: 110
\n\nPolice: 112
\n\nAmbulance: 113
\n\nContact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.
\n\nFor refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first.
\n\nFind out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including:
\n\nFCDO has guidance on staying safe and what to do if you need help or support abroad, including:
\n\nSee how to get help from the UK government abroad including in an emergency.
\n\nYou can call FCDO in London if you need urgent help because something has happened to a friend or relative abroad.
\n\nTelephone: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)
\n\n\n\nSign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.
\n\nFollow FCDO:
\n\nThe Overseas Business Risk service offers information and advice for British companies operating in Norway on how to manage political, economic, and business security-related risks.
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