Contracting in Norway

With just a few clicks, you can calculate your take-home pay in Norway and choose the optimal solution to get the most out of your contract. Use the app below to calculate your possible net retention in Norway.

Employment

This is a standard form of employment – you officially work for a company who pays you a monthly salary.

Pros:

• Enrollment in the social security system, which includes a pension plan, paid time off and sick leave.
• Stable monthly paycheck.
• Income tax is deducted from your salary, so you do not need to worry about calculating how much you have to pay.

Cons:

• Lower retention rate compared to other solutions due to social security payments.
• More and more companies are looking towards independent contractors rather than employees, so it could be more difficult to find such employment, especially as a foreigner.
• Less flexibility – you do not get to choose the projects that you can work on, you must work on the tasks assigned to you by your employer.
• Formal working hours – you may have to work “9-5”, as determined by your employment contract, rather than being able to determine your own working hours.

Self-Employment

This type of employment means that you are a freelancer – a company pays you to do a specific job, and you get remunerated, but you are not an official employee.

Pros:

• Freedom to choose projects that interest you.
• Freedom to choose your own working schedule.
• Can deduct certain expenses, dependent on your business activities.

Cons:

• Self-employed individuals pay 11.4% national insurance.
• You will need to sort out payments of income tax and social contributions yourself, or you could consider engaging a payroll company like Access Financial.
• Need to pay an extra 25% VAT.
• Must issue invoices that follow specific rules.
• There can be a fine line between self-employment and regular employment. If, for example, you end up doing too much work exclusively for a specific company, you could be classified by an audit as falsely self-employed, which can result in very hefty fines and the possibility of some legal action against you/your client.

Skilled Worker Visa

The most common type of Norwegian Work Visa is the Skilled Worker Visa, which is issued to someone who has found a job for a Norwegian employer and has a university degree or vocational training.

Although it is called a Work “Visa”, what you are actually applying for is a Norwegian Residence Permit for Work, which allows you to live and work in Norway legally.

Independent Contractor Visa/Self-employed Visa

Norway currently offers an independent contractor visa which allows self-employed individuals to live and work in Norway for up to two years.

Transfer within the Company

The Intra-company Transfer (ICT) permit is applicable for individuals who are employees of a non-EU company and are being relocated to the company’s Norwegian office.

Norway Seasonal Work Visa

If you will work, short-time, in a job which can only be done in a specific time of the year, or if you will work as a substitute for a permanent employee. You must receive an employment offer and get confirmation from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) before applying

Norway Job-Seeker Visa

This visa is for skilled workers who have completed their studies in Norway, which will allow them to stay in Norway without a job offer and look for work.

Norway Working Holiday Visa

This type of visa is issued to young adults (under 31 years) from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand, which allows them to work and live in Norway for up to a year.

Work Visa for Artists

This is a short-term visa for artists, performers, or musicians, who will have concerts or performances in Norway. Maximum allowed stay of 14 days.

EU, EAA, Switzerland

If you are a citizen of the EU or the EEA, you are already eligible to live and work in Norway.

Other Foreign Nationals

If you are a third country national, you need a visa and a work permit in order to live and work in Norway (the work permit allows you to live in the country). Read more

As an Employer of Record, we conclude an agreement with you and your client. We become your legal employer while your client maintains control over your work relationship, ethics, tasks, and daily responsibilities.

Why is this needed?

Not all companies have registered legal entities in the countries where they need employees. Moreover, not all companies want to bother with payroll, work permits, taxes, social security, and in general paperwork when employing workers. That’s why it’s more profitable and convenient for them to turn to an EOR provider (such as Access Financial) who already has local experience and can take on all the worries associated with hiring employees and be responsible for their paperwork and compliance.

Here are just some of the services we offer in Norway:

• Assistance in obtaining the necessary visas/work permits for employees from third countries.
• Registering employees with the tax and social security office.
• Providing consultations on Norwegian labour regulation & benefits.
• Setting up the Payroll system compliantly.
• Submitting wage tax returns and national insurance forms.
• Keeping our clients up-to-date and compliant with changes in Norwegian regulations.

We provide a full set of services in Norway, allowing corporate clients, recruitment agencies and professional contractors to operate in an optimal manner, while ensuring that all local compliance obligations are taken care of.

Access Financial offers the following services in Norway:

• Contract Management
• Outsourced Payroll
• Employer of Record (EOR)
• Work Permits & Immigration Assistance