Want to renew Work immigration
You need to do the following
- The waiting times to get an appointment with the police can be very long. You should register the application online and book an appointment with the police well in advance, at least three months before your residence permit expires.
- Usually, no later than one month before your residence permit expires, you must attend your appointment with the police and hand in your documents. Only then is your application submitted. If you have a renewable residence permit and have attended your appointment at the police and submitted an application for renewal one month before your current permit expires at the latest, you have the same rights as your current residence permit.
What happens to my rights if I apply for renewal but do not get an appointment with the police at least one month before my current permit expires?
Have you made plans to travel abroad?
Please note that you may have trouble traveling in and out of Norway while waiting for your new permit. This is because you do not have a valid residence card when your residence permit has expired. Without a residence card, you can be stopped by border control in other countries. You may also have trouble getting into Norway again when you return.
What kind of residence permit do you have?
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Skilled worker
How to applyRequirements of the applicant
- You must pay an application fee.
- Your work or research situation must be unchanged.
- You must meet the same requirements as when you applied for the first time.
Requirements of the type of residence permit you have
- Your residence permit must be renewable. If you already have held the residence permit for the maximum amount of months or years, you cannot apply for renewal.
Residence permit for: Is the permit renewable? Skilled worker with an employer in Norway Yes Employees of international companies Yes, but you can only have it for up to six years, then you must live outside Norway for two years before you can apply for a new such permit.
Employees of companies abroad Yes, but you can only have it for up to six years, then you must live outside Norway for two years before you can apply for a new such permit. Offshore workers Yes Athletes or coaches
Yes Religious leaders/teachers Yes Self-employed persons with a company in Norway Yes Self-employed persons with a company abroad Yes, but you can only have it for a total of six years, then you must live outside Norway for two years before you can apply for a new such permit. Are you going to change employers or jobs and have a residence permit as a skilled worker with an employer in Norway?
- If you are going to change employers, but work in the same type of position, you do not need to apply for a new residence permit. The pay and working conditions must not be inferior to what is normal in Norway, and you still must meet the requirements for your residence permit as a skilled worker with an employer in Norway.
- If you are going to start in a new type of position you must apply for a new residence permit, no matter if you are staying with the same employer or changing employers. You cannot start in a new type of position until you have been given a new residence permit.
Did you lose your job?
- If you lose your job, you must notify the police where you live within seven days. You can then stay in Norway for up to six months to look for a new job. Your residence permit must still be valid for the duration of this period.
- If you get a new job, but are going to work in the same type of position as before, you do not need to apply for a new residence permit, but you must notify the police where you live within seven days after you start the new job.
- If you get a new job, where you are going to have a different type of position than before, you must apply for a new residence permit. You cannot start in the new type of position until you have been given a new residence permit.
Who is responsible for processing renewal applications?
Renewal applications (skilled workers) are normally processed by the police, without involving UDI. You will be notified by email if the police do forward your case to UDI.
Information about the expected waiting times for the police (external website).
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Seasonal worker
How to applyRequirements of the applicant
- You must pay an application fee.
- Your work or research situation must be unchanged.
- You must meet the same requirements as when you applied for the first time.
Requirements of the type of residence permit you have
- Your residence permit must be renewable. If you already have held the residence permit for the maximum amount of months or years, you cannot apply for renewal.
A residence permit for seasonal workers can be renewed, but you cannot stay in Norway for more than six months out of twelve months.
Requirements of persons who have changed employers
- If you are going to change employer or client since the last time you applied, you must normally submit a new application for a residence permit for work purposes instead of applying for renewal.
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Job seeker
How to applyRequirements of the applicant
- You must pay an application fee.
- You must meet the same requirements as when you applied for the first time.
Requirements of the type of residence permit you have
- You must have a valid residence permit as a job seeker. If you have another type of residence permit now, you must hand in a new application for a residence permit as a job seeker, instead of applying for renewal.
- Your residence permit must be renewable. If you already have held the residence permit for the maximum amount of months or years, you cannot apply for renewal.
Residence permit for: Is the permit renewable? Skilled job seeker with visa free citizenship Yes, but you can have it for a maximum of six months at a time. Then you must live outside Norway for one year before you can apply for a new such permit.
Job seeker who has recently graduated or is a researcher Yes, but you can have it for a maximum of one year in total.
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Exchange programmes, culture and organisational work
How to applyRequirements of the applicant
- You must pay an application fee.
- Your work or research situation must be unchanged.
- You must meet the same requirements as when you applied for the first time.
Requirements of the type of residence permit you have
- Your residence permit must be renewable. If you already have held the residence permit for the maximum amount of months or years, you cannot apply for renewal.
Residence permit for: Is the permit renewable? Employee of a humanitarian, non-profit or religious organisation Yes, but you can have it for a maximum of four years in total.
Artist, musician or performer Yes, but you can have it for a maximum of one year at a time, then you must live outside Norway for three months before you can apply for a new residence permit as an artist, musician or performer.
Participant from the Norwegian Agency for Exchange Cooperation (Norec) Yes, but you can have it for a maximum of four years in total.
Working holiday for young adults from Australia Yes, but you can have it for a maximum of two years in total.
Working holiday for young adults from Canada Yes, your permit can be renewed if it has a duration of less than one year. If you have held the permit for one year, it cannot be renewed. You can apply for a new residence permit for working holidays, even if you have previously held such a permit (you can find more information on the page where you apply). You can get residence permits for working holidays for a maximum of two years in total.
Working holiday for young adults from Argentina, Japan or New Zealand Yes, but you can have it for a maximum of one year in total. Working guests in agriculture Yes, but you can have such a permit for a maximum of three months at a time, then you must live outside Norway for three months before you can apply for a new such permit.
Requirements of persons who have changed employers
- If you are going to change employer or client since the last time you applied, you must normally submit a new application for a residence permit for work purposes instead of applying for renewal.
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Vocational training and research
How to applyRequirements of the applicant
- You must pay an application fee.
- Your work or research situation must be unchanged.
- You must meet the same requirements as when you applied for the first time.
Requirements of the type of residence permit you have
- Your residence permit must be renewable. If you already have held the residence permit for the maximum amount of months or years, you cannot apply for renewal.
Residence permit for: Is the permit renewable? Trainees No
Researcher with own funds Yes Requirements of persons who have changed employers or research institution
- If you are going to change employer or research institution since the last time you applied, you must normally submit a new application for a residence permit for work purposes instead of applying for renewal.
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Russian worker
How to applyRequirements of the applicant
- You must pay an application fee.
- Your work or research situation must be unchanged.
- You must meet the same requirements as when you applied for the first time.
Requirements of the type of residence permit you have
- Your residence permit must be renewable. If you already have held the residence permit for the maximum amount of months or years, you cannot apply for renewal.
Residence permit for: Is the permit renewable? Unskilled Russian workers Yes, but you can only have it for up to two years, then you must live outside Norway for one year before you can apply for a new such permit.
Russian cross-border workers Yes Requirements of persons who have changed employers
- If you are going to change employer or client since the last time you applied, you must normally submit a new application for a residence permit for work purposes instead of applying for renewal.
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Seafarers on foreign ships sailing between Norwegian ports
How to applyRequirements of the applicant
- You must pay an application fee.
- Your work or research situation must be unchanged.
- You must meet the same requirements as when you applied for the first time.
Requirements of the type of residence permit you have
- Your residence permit must be renewable. If you already have held the residence permit for the maximum amount of months or years, you cannot apply for renewal.
A residence permit for seafarers on foreign ships sailing between Norwegian ports is renewable.
Requirements of persons who have changed employers
- If you are going to change employer or client since the last time you applied, you must normally submit a new application for a residence permit for work purposes instead of applying for renewal.
