Self-Employed Residence Permit

1. Visa12 months
2. Renewrenewable
3. Permanent residencyafter 3 years
4. Citizenshipafter 8 years

• Leads to residency 3 years
• Leads to citizenship 8 years

Country

Norway

Visa name

Self-Employed Residence Permit

Local name

Selvstendig næringsdrivende med firma i Norge

Program type

Freelancer visa

Status

Active

Initial duration

12 months

Max duration

—

Income requirement

$2,969/month ($35,631/year)

Application fee

$658

Tax status

Standard

Application method

online, embassy, in country

Processing time

Up to 60 days

Can apply in-country

Yes

Multiple entry

Yes

Schengen access

Yes

Can open bank account

No

Renewable

Yes

Norway has no digital nomad visa. This permit is for a skilled person who will live in Norway and run their own sole proprietorship here. The business cannot be a limited company. The holder may work only in that business and may not take other work, including remote work. The work must require skilled-worker competence: a completed vocational programme of at least three years at upper-secondary level with a Norwegian equivalent, a university or university-college degree, or special qualifications that usually mean at least six years of relevant experience. Many applications based only on experience are refused. UDI's Nynorsk program page requires a likely profit (business income) of at least NOK 341,373 a year before tax. That is 2.5 times the National Insurance basic amount from 1 May 2026 (NOK 136,549). UDI states the same annual subsistence figure as NOK 28,448 a month on its job-seeker page. The English program page still showed NOK 325,400, which is 2.5 times the basic amount from 1 May 2025. The stored income uses the updated figure. Public grants can count toward the economic basis. The company does not have to be registered in the Brønnøysund Register until a first-time permit is granted, unless the applicant already lives in Norway. The permit is for one year at a time and can be renewed. After three years the holder can apply for permanent residence. Work immigration uses the three-year residence period for permanent residence, with at most seven months abroad in those three years. Citizenship uses the main rule of eight years of residence in the last eleven, and the applicant must hold or meet the conditions for permanent residence when UDI decides. Sufficient income can shorten citizenship residence to six years in the last ten. That shorter path is not stored. The fee is NOK 6,300 for applicants over 18 and NOK 3,150 under 18, including renewals. Family members can apply at the same time. The adult family-immigration fee is NOK 11,900 and the child fee is NOK 5,950. There is no per-person income add-on in the ordinary spouse or child case. The reference person needs future income of at least NOK 436,957 a year pre-tax, adjusted each May, plus previous income. For applications decided after 1 February 2026, previous income for 2025 is at least NOK 409,972. USD figures use Norges Bank's 8 October 2026 rate of 9.5807 kroner per US dollar. EU/EEA nationals register as self-employed instead of using this permit. UDI's waiting-time guide, as indexed with a stated update of 27 August 2026, said up to two months after the police or a VFS centre receives the documents, longer if UDI investigates further.

1. Oct 10, 2026

   Added

   created the record for UDI's self-employed permit with a company in Norway, separated from the company-abroad assignment permit. Likely profit at least NOK 341,373 a year before tax, about USD 35,631 at 9.5807. Fee NOK 6,300, about USD 658. One year at a time, permanent residence after three years, citizenship on the eight-year rule (https://www.udi.no/skal-soke/arbeidsinnvandring/faglart/selvstendig-naringsdrivende-med-firma-i-norge/).