Lost Your Job or Changing Employer on a Norwegian Skilled Worker Permit? What UDI Says

Many people who come to Norway on a skilled worker permit later want to change jobs, or lose their job unexpectedly. UDI has short answer pages on both situations. This guide sets out what they say, what they leave open, and where your own decision letter matters more than any general guide.

What the permit is tied to

UDI's answer page on the kind of work you may do says that your decision letter states what type of work you can do and, where relevant, which employer. That letter is the reference point. UDI's pages do not define "type of position" or "type of work" in general terms, so we cannot tell you whether a particular move counts as the same type of position. If you are unsure, the decision letter and UDI or the police are the places to check before you sign a new contract.

Changing employer

UDI's page "Can I change my place of employment?" gives these rules for a skilled worker:

• Same type of position, new employer: no new residence permit is needed. Pay and working conditions must not fall below what is normal in Norway, and you must still meet the requirements for a skilled worker permit.
• New type of position: a new residence permit is required, even with the same employer. In UDI's words, you cannot start in a new type of position until you have been granted a new residence permit.
• Assignments outside your contract or for a different enterprise: UDI says that if you are posted to such work, you must apply for a new residence permit.

Pay is the part many people overlook. The pay requirement does not disappear when you move; see our guide to salary requirements for a Norwegian work permit.

If you lose your job

UDI's page for skilled workers who have lost their job sets out a short sequence:

• Within seven days: notify the police in the area where you live that you have lost your job.
• Up to six months: you may stay in Norway to look for a new job, as long as your residence permit is still valid for the whole period. If the permit expires sooner, the period does not extend it.
• Finding a job in the same type of position: no new permit, but notify the police within seven days of starting.
• Finding a different type of position: apply for a new permit and wait for it before you start.

UDI's renewal page for skilled workers adds that if you are temporarily laid off, you do not need to notify UDI or the police and may stay as long as your permit is valid. That is a different situation from losing the job altogether.

Renewal: what has to stay the same

UDI's renewal page says that to renew, your work situation must be unchanged and you must meet the same requirements as when you first applied. It also says that if you have already held the permit for the maximum time allowed, you cannot apply for renewal. Renewal applications are normally handled by the police, who forward a case to UDI if needed. UDI says that if you apply at the latest one month before your permit expires, you keep the same rights as under your current permit while you wait. If you apply after it has expired, you must contact UDI to ask to keep working. Our guide to renewing a Norwegian work permit covers the deadline and the eID route in more detail.

What this guide does not cover

• Other permit types. Seasonal workers, family immigration and other categories have their own rules. See our guide to seasonal work for non-EU citizens.
• EU/EEA citizens. UDI says EU/EEA citizens do not need a residence permit to work in Norway, so the permit rules above do not apply to them in the same way. UDI also says they must register if they will stay more than three months. See our guide on residence permits from other European countries and UDI's EU/EEA pages for what applies after a job ends.
• Permanent residence. The pages we read for this guide do not say how a period without work affects a later permanent residence application. Our skilled worker permit guide and UDI explain the general conditions; check them for your own situation.
• Shortage is not eligibility. A shortage in your occupation does not change these notification and permit rules. See jobs in demand in Norway.

Key takeaways

• Your decision letter states the type of work, and sometimes the employer, your permit covers.
• Same type of position with a new employer: no new permit, but pay and conditions must stay at a normal Norwegian level.
• New type of position: new permit first, even with the same employer.
• After losing your job: tell the police within seven days; up to six months to find work if the permit remains valid.
• UDI's pages show no update date and do not define "type of position"; confirm your own case with UDI or the police.

Sources

• Skilled worker questions and answers (UDI): overview of UDI’s skilled worker questions, including “Can I change my place of employment?” (same-type and new-type positions, posted work). No date shown; read 23 October 2026.
• I have lost my job. Can I stay in Norway? (UDI): seven days, six months. No date shown; read 23 October 2026.
• What type of work can I do and for what employer can I work? (UDI): decision letter states type of work. No date shown; read 23 October 2026.
• Renewing a work permit (UDI): entry page for renewing work-immigration permits, leading to the skilled worker renewal page (temporary layoffs, renewal conditions, maximum duration, rights while waiting). No date shown; read 23 October 2026 and again 2 November 2026 (the one-month rule is consistent).
• Questions and answers: EU/EEA citizens (UDI): no residence permit needed to work; registration if staying over three months. No date shown for these statements; read 23 October 2026.

Related guides: Work and residence permits: an overview · Your rights and duties as an employee in Norway