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Norway for British passport holders: Visa-free

Your circumstances

Passport:
🇬🇧 British
Lives in:
Not specified (general rule)
Going to:
🇳🇴 Norway
Purpose:
Holiday

Route summary

Visa-free

Visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180 days (Schengen)

British passport holders do not need a visa for short stays in Norway and the rest of the Schengen area: up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

Conditions

  • Applies to British citizens; other British national categories (BN(O), BOTC, BOC, BPP, BS) are also listed as exempt.
  • Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area (all 29 Schengen countries count together).
  • Entry/Exit System (EES): since 10 April 2026 your fingerprints and face are registered at the first Schengen border and passport stamps are no longer used.
  • ETIAS is not yet in operation (official EU site, checked 4 Oct 2026) – no pre-travel authorisation is needed for now; when it starts it will cost EUR 20.
  • Passport must be valid at least 3 months after you plan to leave the Schengen area and issued within the previous 10 years (Schengen Borders Code art. 6).
  • No work allowed on a visa-free stay; border guards can ask for proof of purpose, accommodation, funds and return travel.

About this route

Route type
Visa-free: no visa application needed.
Documents
Document list not published by the official source.
Fee
No visa fee (as published).
Processing
Processing time not published by the official source.

Next step

Steps not published by the official source — use the official link to start.

Official sourceeur-lex.europa.eu ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Last checked 4 Oct 2026 against eur-lex.europa.eu · EUR-Lex consolidated text read 2026-10-04; ETIAS page rendered 2026-10-04 ("currently not in operation")

Documents

Document list not published by the official source.

Fees

Official government fee
No visa fee
Visa-centre / service fee (not a government fee)
None stated by the official source
Notes from the source
No visa fee. ETIAS (EUR 20) not yet required.

Visa-centre, service or other third-party charges are never official government fees.

Processing and validity

Processing time
Not published by the official source
Validity
Not published by the official source
Maximum stay
90 days in any 180-day period (whole Schengen area)

Requirements for all visitors to Norway

These apply on top of the visa rules above, whatever your passport, unless an item says otherwise.

  • Proof of fundsProof of means of subsistence: NOK 300/day if staying with family/friends or pre-paid accommodation; NOK 1,300/day without planned accommodation (NOK 1,000 each if several travel)

    Applies to: non-EU/EEA/Swiss visitors at the external Schengen border, on request.

    Official source: home-affairs.ec.europa.eu · Last checked 2 Nov 2026

Quick answers

Do British passport holders need a visa for Norway?

Visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180 days (Schengen). British passport holders do not need a visa for short stays in Norway and the rest of the Schengen area: up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02018R1806-20251230

Business, work or just passing through?

The rules above are for a holiday: tourism and visiting family and friends. Business visits, paid work and transit are covered separately below.

Business visits to Norway

Option 1
Visa-freeBusiness visit (meetings, conferences – not paid work)

Business visit: Visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180 days (Schengen)

Short business visits (meetings, conferences, negotiations – not paid work) follow the same route as a holiday, because the official source covers business visits (Tourism, family visits, business meetings (short stay)). British passport holders do not need a visa for short stays in Norway and the rest of the Schengen area: up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

Conditions

  • Applies to British citizens; other British national categories (BN(O), BOTC, BOC, BPP, BS) are also listed as exempt.
  • Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area (all 29 Schengen countries count together).
  • Entry/Exit System (EES): since 10 April 2026 your fingerprints and face are registered at the first Schengen border and passport stamps are no longer used.
  • ETIAS is not yet in operation (official EU site, checked 4 Oct 2026) – no pre-travel authorisation is needed for now; when it starts it will cost EUR 20.
  • Passport must be valid at least 3 months after you plan to leave the Schengen area and issued within the previous 10 years (Schengen Borders Code art. 6).
  • No work allowed on a visa-free stay; border guards can ask for proof of purpose, accommodation, funds and return travel.
Government fee
No visa fee
No visa fee. ETIAS (EUR 20) not yet required.
Processing
Not verified yet
Validity
Not verified yet
Max stay
90 days in any 180-day period (whole Schengen area)
Steps, documents & where to apply

How to apply

Steps not verified yet — follow the official source below.

Documents checklist

Document list not verified yet — check the official source.

✓ EUR-Lex consolidated text read 2026-10-04; ETIAS page rendered 2026-10-04 ("currently not in operation")

Official wording

“Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, Annex II (consolidated 30 Dec 2025): United Kingdom listed among countries whose nationals are exempt from the visa requirement for stays of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.”

Working in Norway

Main work visa routes for Norway

These are the main routes and what they require. Whether you qualify depends on your circumstances; the official page decides.

Residence permit for skilled workers

For: People with higher education or vocational training and a concrete job offer

  • Concrete, current offer of employment from a single employer in Norway
  • Normally full-time (at least 80% of a full-time position is accepted)
  • Offer documented on UDI's Offer of Employment form signed by employer and applicant

Source: UDI guidelines UDI 2014-018 (Norwegian Directorate of Immigration) (udiregelverk.no).

What the source says

"A concrete and current offer of employment must exist" … "As a rule, the offer of employment must be for full-time work for a single employer" … "An exception currently applies to all occupations when the employee has been offered at least 80% of a full-time position." … "The form must be signed by both the employer and the applicant"

Checked 16 Oct 2026. Requirements, fees and thresholds change; confirm on the official page before applying.

Transit through Norway

Option 1
Visa-freeAirport transit (changing flights in Norway)

Airside transit: no airport transit visa needed; leaving the transit area needs normal Schengen entry

Unless your nationality is on the EU common airport-transit-visa list or Norway's national list (those passports have their own rule here), you don't need an airport transit visa to change planes in the international transit area of an airport in Norway. If you have to pass through border control (e.g. to collect bags, change airport or terminal outside the transit area, or your onward flight is to another Schengen country), you are entering the Schengen area and the normal entry rules for your passport apply - see the holiday section.

Conditions

  • Stay in the airport's international transit area (do not pass border control).
  • Flights to or from another Schengen country count as entering the Schengen area: normal entry rules for your passport apply.
  • Hold the documents required for your final destination; your airline may check them.
Government fee
Fee not officially published
Processing
Not verified yet
Validity
Not verified yet
Max stay
Not verified yet
Steps, documents & where to apply

How to apply

Steps not verified yet — follow the official source below.

Documents checklist

Document list not verified yet — check the official source.

✓ Checked on the live official page

Official wording

“Visa Code (Reg. 810/2009) Art. 3: an airport transit visa is required for nationals on the common list (Annex IV; Handbook Annex 7A) and, where a member state has notified one, its national list (Handbook Annex 7B, 1 July 2026). Nationals not on these lists need no airport transit visa.”

Alert me if this route changes

Get an email when we update the guidance for British passport holders going to Norway, after we've checked the change against the official source. Nothing else.

Tell me about changes to

We send a confirmation email first. Unconfirmed sign-ups are deleted after 7 days.

Before you go to Norway

Customs cash limits and the scams official travel advice warns about in Norway.

Cash you can bring in and take out

Bringing cash in
Notify customs before travelling if bringing currency worth more than NOK 25,000 (any currency, incl. gift cards).
Taking cash out
Same when leaving Norway.

Official source: toll.no · Last checked 4 Oct 2026 · Details

Common tourist traps

  1. Petty theft around Oslo transport hubs

    How it works: There is a small risk of petty theft at airports and railway stations in and around Oslo.

    How to avoid it: Keep bags with you.

Emergency numbers in Norway

Paraphrased from official travel advice: gov.uk · FCDO page updated 25 Aug 2026 · Last checked 2 Nov 2026.

Explore Norway

Planning more than the paperwork? Our Norway guide picks out places to visit, with a source for every tip.

Places to visit:
Bergen and Bryggen
Read the full Norway guide

British passport: of the 154 destinations with a rule verified from an official source, 110 visa-free, 19 visa on arrival, 22 eVisa or travel authorisation, 3 embassy visa.

Norway: rules verified from an official source for 197 of 198 passports. Norway guide and every passport →

Where else can British passport holders travel? See every destination we cover →

Optional travel offers

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Plan your trip to Norway

Verify with the embassy before you book. Visa rules change without notice. We link every rule to its official source and last checked it on 4 Oct 2026, but the embassy, official e-visa portal and your airline have the final say. MyVisaPort is not a visa agent and is not affiliated with any government.