Residence Permits - Fulbright.no

Who must apply for a residence permit?

U.S. citizens do not need a visa to enter Norway or any other country that is part of the Schengen area. However, anyone who plans to stay in Norway or in Norway and other Schengen countries for more than 90 days must apply for a residence permit. Residence permits are different from visas. Everyone, including applicants under 18 years of age, must submit their own individual application. 

Scholars whose total stay in Norway (and other Schengen countries) is less than 90 days are not required to apply for a residence permit.

If you will be arriving very early, or if you think that your situation differs from the norm in any way, please contact us immediately. Contact us also if you receive contradicting information from other sources.

The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) is Norway's central executive body for immigration and refugees.

When to apply

You should submit your application as early as possible and absolutely no later than three months before arrival in Norway.

You may be told that it is possible to apply for a residence permit upon arrival. This is accurate but misleading. We strongly recommend our grantees apply well in advance. The most important reason for this is that having your residence permit is the key two important subsequent steps: 1) applying for a personnummer so that you can 2) open a bank account. If you are delayed in receiving a residence permit and subsequently a personal number, you will be delayed in opening a bank account and therefore delayed in receiving disbursements from your Fulbright grant. 

Where to submit the application

You should submit your application to a Norwegian Foreign Mission in the US.

IMPORTANT Before you submit your application: Make a photocopy of your entire application and keep the copy for your own records Notify us when you have submitted your application When you receive the letter granting you a residence permit, carefully check information such as: Birth dates, spelling of names, dates of residence in Norway Notify the Norwegian Consulate AND the Fulbright Office immediately if there are any mistakes.   Upon arrival in Norway You must register with the local police no later than seven days after arrival. Create an account and schedule an appointment at the police station on UDI's website. Bring your passport and the letter granting you a residence permit. Your actual residence permit will be pasted into your passport. The Fulbright Office needs a copy of your passport page with the residence permit – both for grantees and for their accompanying dependents.

Jump to the following sections:

Information for Students

Information for Scholars

Information for Accompanying Family Members (Dependents)

Information for Family Members Visiting for Shorter Periods

* US citizens are not permitted to remain in any country within the Schengen area for more than 90 days within a 180 day period without a residence permit.  The US State Department maintains a fact sheet on the Schengen Area, to which you may want to refer.