Norway has no general job seeker visa for people from outside the EU/EEA. What you can do without a job offer depends on your citizenship and your current permit. Here is what UDI's own guidance says.
If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA and you are abroad, you generally cannot get a Norwegian work-based residence permit without a concrete job offer first. If you are an EU/EEA citizen, you can travel to Norway to look for work. Everything else is a narrower exception.
Nobody can sell you a job offer or a permit. Be careful with anyone who charges you to find a job in Norway. See Never Pay for a Job.
You may stay up to six months to look for work and must register with the police as a jobseeker within three months of arrival. Qualification and authorisation rules still apply.
A skilled worker permit or a seasonal permit both require a concrete offer from a specific Norwegian employer before you can be granted a permit.
A jobseeker permit of up to one year may be possible, with own funds of NOK 341,373 and a search for skilled work.
The skilled worker permit is the main work route for people from outside the EU/EEA. UDI requires a concrete offer from one specific Norwegian employer, and says you must normally already have received a job offer (self-employment has separate rules). You also need qualifications as a skilled worker (vocational training of at least three years at upper secondary level, a completed degree, or in some cases long documented experience), the job must require them, and it should normally be full-time. See our guide to the skilled worker residence permit.
Norway does have a residence permit for jobseekers, but it is not a general “come and search” visa. UDI describes it as a permit for people who have recently graduated in Norway or are researchers, and the permits UDI lists as a starting point (a Norwegian student permit, a permit for additional education, a researcher permit, or a skilled worker permit as a researcher) all require you to already hold a Norwegian permit. Key conditions:
Seasonal work is a separate category with its own conditions, and it too requires a concrete full-time job offer. Our guide to seasonal work in Norway explains the details.
Family ties to someone in Norway, studies, or an existing permit from another category can change your options. Those routes have their own rules, which this article does not cover. Check UDI or ask for an individual assessment before assuming a route is open or closed.
You do not need a job offer. According to UDI, EU/EEA citizens may stay in Norway for up to six months to look for work, and must register with the Norwegian police as a jobseeker no later than three months after arriving. Your right to look for work does not remove other requirements: regulated professions such as health care still need Norwegian authorisation, and you should check recognition of your education early.
Living in another European country does not by itself give a non-EU/EEA citizen the right to work in Norway. A residence permit from, for example, Germany or Poland is permission to live there, not a Norwegian work permit. Your own citizenship and the permits you hold decide which rules apply.
Related guides: Work and Residence Permits: An Overview · Norway's 2026 labour shortage
General information can help you understand the rules, but it cannot determine whether you personally qualify to work here or which opportunities are realistic for your background. Your citizenship, current residence status, education, work experience and professional qualifications can all affect your options.
JobsNorway provides an independent assessment of your potential eligibility, qualifications and realistic employment opportunities in Norway. Every assessment is checked before it is sent, and includes personal advice where relevant. Before investing months in applications or spending money on relocation plans, find out whether Norway is a realistic option for you.
One-time paid assessment. No job placement. No employment guarantees.
General information, not legal advice or an individual assessment. UDI's requirements, including the funds amounts shown here, change over time; check UDI for the current version. JobsNorway does not find jobs.
About this guide. Written by JobsNorway (Gravityrock AS, Norway) from the official sources listed above. We use AI tools to help with research and drafting; every statement about the rules is checked against its source before publishing, and the date at the top shows when that was last done. We are not lawyers, and this is general information, not legal advice. Found an error or an outdated rule? Email support@jobsnorway.no and we will correct it.