Norway Granted 9,638 Work Permits to Non-EEA Citizens in January to October 2026, UDI Figures Show

UDI, the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, publishes a table of granted work permits for third-country nationals by month and citizenship. The 2026 table covers January to October and adds up to 9,638 permits. The page shows no update date, so we cite it by the period it covers.

Where the permits went

By citizenship, the largest groups in the table from January to October were Vietnam (2,039), the United Kingdom (935), the Philippines (860), India (829), Ukraine (670), Thailand (475), the USA (400), Argentina (349) and Serbia (333). UDI's table does not say which permit types are counted or which employers or sectors are involved, and we do not draw conclusions about either.

Read the definition before the headline

• UDI defines a work permit in this table as a permit given to third-country nationals when the purpose of the stay is to work in Norway; it does not list the permit types included.
• The page does not state whether the table counts first-time permits only or all permits, and it notes that the definitions of first-time permits and renewals were adjusted in 2026. A new permit on the same legal basis counts as a renewal if less than six months have passed since the previous one expired.
• Because of this, the table should not be compared directly with SSB's labour immigration figures, which measure arrivals.

What it means for jobseekers abroad

The table shows that permits are being granted to citizens of many countries, but it says nothing about your chances. Whether you can get a permit depends on your situation, the job and the rules; see the skilled worker permit overview and work and residence permits: an overview. UDI also publishes waiting-time information in its guide to case processing times.

Sources

• Innvilgede arbeidstillatelser for tredjelandsborgere etter måned og statsborgerskap, 2026 (UDI): table covering January to October 2026, no update date shown; read 7 November 2026.