Living and working in Norway // Living and working in Norway

// Contents

Facts about Norway 3 Culture 6 Labour market trends 8 How to find a job in Norway 10 Checklist – moving to Norway 14 Unemployment and social insurance 16 (Folketrygden) Employment terms and conditions 18 Education/accreditation of qualifications 22 Housing in Norway 24 Useful reading about Norway 25 CV/application letter 26 SVALBARD JAN MAYEN

Eggøya Ny-Ålesund Olonkinbyen

Longyearbyen Barentsburg

Polarsirkelen

Facts about Norway // Norway contains large areas of unspoilt countryside which offer abundant opportunities for outdoor pursuits, including sporting challenges.

Geography approximately 50 000 islands of which Norway extends over 1 750 km between just 2 000 are inhabited. the 58th and 71st degrees north, and as Norway is a country of many such is characterised by great distances. mountains. From the inland mountains If you imagine an axis at the southern and plateaux, the landscape descends tip of the country and rotate it through sharply towards the coast. The western 180 degrees on a map of Europe, the parts are characterised by steep mountains opposite end would reach as far south as and deep valleys which soften gradually central Italy. At its widest, the country into wide valleys and rolling hills in the covers 420 km from east to west, at its eastern parts. The west features fjords narrowest just 6 km. cutting deep into the country; these are With a total area of 387 000 square in fact sub-sea extensions of the valleys. kilometres, Norway is the seventh A quarter of the country is forested, and largest country in Europe. It borders approximately 4 per cent is cultivated land. Sweden, Finland and Russia and its The islands of Svalbard and Jan Mayen exceptionally long coastline is dotted with also belong to the Kingdom of Norway.

3 // Living and working in Norway

Population Climate Norway has 4.87 million inhabitants. In Norway we have four seasons: spring, Approximately 460 000 are non-nationals. summer, autumn and winter. The largest groups from Europe come A combination of humid, westerly from Poland, Sweden, Germany and winds and the warming Gulf stream Denmark. Immigrants from countries produces a much milder climate than beyond Europe are mainly from Pakistan, would otherwise be expected in a country Iraq, Vietnam and Somalia. this far north. There are great climatic variations in Norway; temperatures can Population figures drop to minus 20-30 degrees Celsius (Six largest cities, 1st January 2010) during the winter and reach plus 30 degrees Celsius in the summer. North Oslo 574 000 of the Arctic Circle the sun is visible at Bergen 257 000 midnight in the summer, while daylight is Trondheim 168 000 limited in the winter. Stavanger 121 000 Kristiansand 80 000 Tromsø 66 000

Meteorologisk Institutt P.O. Box 43, Blindern Niels Henrik Abels vei 40 N-0313 Oslo Tel: + 47 22 96 30 00 [email protected] www.met.no

4 Language Prospective job seekers are advised Norwegian is a North Germanic to look into the possibilities for learning language closely related to Danish and Norwegian in their home country. Check Swedish. There are two written forms of if the Norwegian embassy can provide Norwegian: “Bokmål” and “ Nynorsk”. an overview of Norwegian courses. In Formally, Bokmål and Nynorsk are Norway you can obtain information about treated as equals, but Bokmål is the most Norwegian courses from the service widely used. Nynorsk is used by around office in the municipality you live in. 10-15% of the population, mostly in If you are resident in Norway pursuant Western Norway and in official usage, to the EEA regulations or are a citizen literature, theatre and broadcasting. of a Nordic country and want to take a Usually, knowledge of Norwegian Norwegian course, you will have to pay or another Scandinavian language is a for it yourself. See www.norway.no for prerequisite for obtaining a job in Norway. information about Norwegian courses and However, in some branches such as the the rules. construction industry, farming, the fishing Norwegian universities and private industry and the hotel and restaurant language schools also offer Norwegian industry, a good command of English may courses. Addresses for these institutions suffice. Some companies, for example in are available at www.gulesider.no (search the petroleum sector, use English as their for “språkskoler”). The largest organisa­ corporate language. tion offering language training nationwide in Norway is Folkeuniversitetet, the adult education association; see: www.fu.no.

5 // Living and working in Norway Culture // Although a young nation, Norway has a long history and strong heritage. Over the years, our own customs and traditions have merged with impulses and influences from abroad.

However, an enduring feature of national costume), May 17th (Norwegian Norwegian culture is the nation’s Constitutuion Day) reindeer meat, oil rigs, appreciation of the unique and unspoilt the Midnight Sun, the Aurora Borealis countryside, with its rich diversity of (Northern lights), skiing and cheese made plant and animal life. Winter sports are of goat milk (brunost). particularly popular in Norway, giving Norway is a sparsely populated country rise to the claim that we are born with where most systems and infrastructures skis on our feet! are well organised and efficient. This means What people associate with Norway`s that trains, buses and ferry time­tables are history and culture varies a great deal. reliable, that flights depart on time, that Some people might mention the shops, museums and attractions are open Vikings or the Sami, while others would as advertised, and that public information point to internationally famous authors, in general is accurate and up-to-date. composers, sportsmen and musicians such Norwegian business culture is as Henrik Ibsen, Edvard Grieg, Ole-Gunnar somewhat informal compared to that in Solskjær and a-ha. other European countries. We tend to have What then are the hallmarks of flat organisations and often address our Norwegian culture? The following are manager by her/his first name. Norwegian often cited: the expeditions of Thor employers expect employees to show Heyerdahl, smoked salmon, lutefisk initiative and assume responsibility for (cured fish), stave churches, bunad (our their own work.

// Amusing thoughts about Norway and Norwegians

You know you’ve been in Norway too long when…

• You start believing that if it weren’t • You think there is no such thing as bad for Norway’s efforts the world would weather, only bad clothing. probably soon go under. • You usually eat lunch at 11 am and • You buy only your own drink at the dinner at 5 pm. bar, even when you are with a group of people. • You can prepare fish in five different ways without cooking it. • You’re not surprised if the person in front doesn’t hold the door open for you. • You spend all your spare time in the great outdoors whatever the weather. • When a stranger on the street smiles at you, you assume that: • You dress up for social occasions, a. He is a drunk dress down for work. b. He is insane c. He is American d. He is all of the above

6 7 // Living and working in Norway Labour market trends // Unemployment in Norway has been among the lowest levels in Europe for a number of years. In April 2010, NAV (the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration) recorded unemployment rate of 3.2 per cent.

Norway experienced an economic upturn in More information about the labour market in 2006 and 2007. However, towards the end Norway is available from: of 2008 Norway also fell victim to the global financial crisis and 2009 was characterised NAV by numerous lay-offs and increasing (The Norwegian Labour and unemployment. The demand for labour Welfare Administration) varies in different sectors. www.nav.no The structure of employment varies considerably from one Norwegian county NAV EURES to the next. Public services and the (European Employment Services) fisheries are the dominant sectors in the www.eures.no northern part of Norway, while industry accounts for a large share in the coastal These sites also publish factsheets on the counties in southern Norway. Many following sectors: people in the cities of Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim work in financial and business • Petroleum services. The regional variation is smaller • Fisheries in other sectors, such as building and • Building and construction construction. • Health • Maritime • Tourism • Transport • Shipbuilding

The European Job Mobility Portal contains up-to-date information in several languages about the labour market in Norway.

Labour market statistics are available from Statistics Norway: www.ssb.no.

The European Job Mobility Portal http://eures.europa.eu

8 9 // Living and working in Norway How to find a job in Norway // The EEA Agreement (the agreement on the European Economic Area) enables job seekers, students and self-employed persons, as well as their family members, from other EEA member states to take up residence, work and study in Norway.

Applying for jobs from outside of Norway

Some of NAV’s services are available Service Centre. The Service Centre can from abroad. The employment services in provide information about NAV EURES all of the EEA member states exchange services, and help in locating EURES information in a European network called advisers. You can contact NAV Service EURES (European Employment Services) Centre EURES via email: concerning working and living conditions [email protected]. in the respective countries. EURES has a database of job vacancies within the EEA, EURES advisers the European Job Mobility Portal: see NAV EURES and the EURES advisers in http://eures.europa.eu. Norway can provide you with information Your local employment office in your about the labour market, how to apply home country will be able to refer you to for jobs and about working and living the nearest EURES adviser in your region conditions. In Norway EURES is part of for information about vacancies in Norway. NAV. If you want more information, you can contact NAV EURES in the region in Internet which you are applying for work. You can The majority of vacancies in Norway are find the addresses of the EURES advisers listed on the Internet. NAV’s website, from www.eures.no/english: find EURES www.nav.no, contains the biggest jobs adviser or from http://eures.europa.eu. database in Norway. Here you can search You can also contact a EURES adviser via for jobs, register your CV and record NAV Service Centre EURES. permanent jobs searches. The service is in Norwegian. You can also search in various General job applications languages for jobs in Norway at Norway also has an informal market http://eures.europa.eu. for job vacancies, i.e. vacancies that are Many Norwegian companies have their not registered with any organisation or own websites, and these sometimes adver- otherwise advertised. tise vacancies not featured anywhere else. To pick up on these vacancies, one way Use the Norwegian on-line Yellow Pages is to send out general job applications to to find addresses: www.gulesider.no. any company of interest. You should also You can also look for jobs in Norway make a follow-up call to the company on the website of the employment services after you have sent your application. If in your home country. you want to send a general job application to selected companies, you can search NAV Service Centre EURES for addresses on the Norwegian on-line Job seekers can ring the NAV Service Yellow Pages at www.gulesider.no. Centre on tel.: +47 800 33 166 (Monday- In some sectors it is not unusual to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm) to enquire about turn up in person at companies to ask for vacancies. It makes things easier if you a job. Remember to bring your CV, in have thought about what kind of job you Norwegian or English, with references are looking for and where in Norway you and diplomas, etc. Make sure that you talk want to live, before contacting the NAV to the staff in the personnel office.

10 Applying for jobs from outside of Norway

Media LO – the Norwegian Confederation Many Norwegian newspapers advertise of Trade Unions is the largest confederation job vacancies. The largest national news- of trade unions. paper for job listings is Aftenposten. Most This organisation can provide an jobs are also listed on www.finn.no/jobb. overview of the various trade unions in All the positions advertised in Norwegian Norway, depending on the sector you newspapers are also registered at the NAV work in. (+47 800 33 166) and published on the UNIO is Norway’s second largest trade Internet at www.nav.no. union confederation. UNIO has many You can find an overview of Norwegian members who work in teaching, nursing newspapers at www.norske-aviser.com. and the police. Another trade union confederation Trade Unions is Akademikerne, whose members are Trade Unions are good sources of professionals with higher education. information. Unions in your own country YS – Yrkesorganisasjonenes may have links with their counterpart Fellesforbund­ – is another large trade organisations in Norway. Membership of union confederation. YS consists of a trade union is not obligatory, but is very 23 federations covering different employ­ common. Some unions publish magazines ment sectors. that advertise vacancies in their industry.

LO Akademikerne Youngsgt. 11, N-0181 Oslo Fridtjof Nansens plass 6, N-0160 Oslo Tel: +47 23 06 10 50 Tel: +47 95 3 90 90 Fax: +47 23 06 17 43 Fax: +47 23 10 34 11 [email protected] [email protected] www.lo.no www.akademikerne.no

YS UNIO Brugata 19, N-0186 Oslo Stortingsgata 2, N-0158 Oslo Tel: +47 21 01 36 00 Tel: +47 22 70 88 50 Fax: +47 21 01 37 20 Fax: + 47 22 70 88 60 [email protected] [email protected] www.ys.no www.unio.no

11 // Living and working in Norway

Job search in Norway

NAV Networking At the NAV office you can obtain Using personal contacts and networking information on, e.g.: are vital for anyone looking for work. This improves your chances of getting a • Job vacancies job because people know you already and • Transferring unemployment benefit know that you are looking for work. This to and from Norway is also a way of picking up on vacancies • Education opportunities in Norway on the informal market. Many people use • How to apply for jobs social networks to build up a network of • How to register as a job seeker business contacts and job opportunities. • The labour market situation Becoming a member of a club, association • Rights and obligations of unemployed or voluntary organisation is a good way of persons in Norway building up a network.

At most NAV offices you can use the Summer jobs telephone to call potential employers, In Norway summer jobs are listed on the use a computer to write your CV/job Internet. See www.nav.no (use the search application, search for vacancies on the word “sommer” or “ferie” in the free text Internet and photocopy diplomas and field) and http://eures.europa.eu. references. These services are free of charge. Many summer jobs are advertised as early as in February, so don’t delay! Private recruitment agencies Foreign job seekers have the option Starting your own business of signing up with private recruitment For those wishing to start their own agencies. business in Norway, a lot of useful The recruitment agencies often information is available from the specialise in particular industries and Company Information Service, see: professions. The agencies are listed in www.bedin.no. They also have a the Yellow Pages on the Internet: telephone information service, called www.gulesider.no (search for Narvikstelefonene: +47 800 33 840. “rekruttering” or “vikartjenester”). You can find information about what you ought to consider before starting your own company and answers to frequently asked questions about registering your own company at: www.spor-oss.no. You can contact the local office for Commerce and trade (Næringsetaten) in the municipality you will be residing in. NAV Service Centre EURES They will give you information on how P.O. Box 354 to proceed. N-8601 Mo i Rana Tel: +47 800 33 166 E-post: [email protected]

12 Job search in Norway

13 // Living and working in Norway Checklist – moving to Norway // Citizens of EEA member states may travel to Norway to look for work for up to six months.

Here is a checklist of things to consider • Contact your local employment, social and necessary preparations before moving security and tax office to find out how to Norway. going to Norway will affect your status Note that different rules may apply if as regards taxes and benefits, and be you are regarded as resident in Norway, a sure to obtain the appropriate forms. commuter, or working under contract to a foreign company. Contact the responsible You may also wish to contact the authority for further information particular Norwegian embassy in your home country to your situation. for further advice before leaving for Norway. For addresses see • It is important that you bring your www.norway.info. passport/valid ID card, diplomas and reference certificates (preferably in Living and working Norwegian or English). If you are a citizen of an EEA member • Even if you are in Norway only to look state and have a valid ID card or passport, for work, you may be asked to prove you have the right to live in Norway for that you have adequate financial means 3 months. The same is true for family both for the duration of your stay and members who are citizens of an EEA for your return travel. member state. If you want to stay in • Contact EURES advisers in your home Norway for more than 3 months you must country. They have information about have a basis for staying and be registered the formalities you need to complete with the police. You must have a valid before travelling to Norway, and will ID card or passport and otherwise be also be able to obtain information on able to document that you will not be vacancies in Norway from the European burden on public welfare schemes. If Job Mobility Portal: http://eures.europa.eu. you are an employee, you must produce • Find out if special accreditation is required proof of employment or an employment in order to practise your profession or contract. You may register online at trade in Norway. (For more information www.selfservice.udi.no. After this you see the section on education below). must appear at your nearest police station • Make arrangements with former or a service centre for foreign workers to employers­ or colleagues in your submit the necessary documents in order country who can provide references. to complete your registration. Once you Norwegian employers will normally have registered, you will receive proof of wish to contact them. It is an advantage registration. This is issued free of charge. to cite references who can speak a Separate rules may apply to nationals of Scandinavian language or English. Bulgaria and Romania who wish to take • Norwegian employers often require a up employment in Norway. Please check reasonable proficiency in the Norwegian with the Norwegian embassy/consulate language. In some sectors, English will in your home country, the Norwegian be sufficient. (For more information see Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or a the section on language above). police station in Norway.

14 More information about your right European health insurance card to stay and the registration scheme is You can contact Helfo to apply for a Euro- available in several languages from the pean Health Insurance Card which you will Directorate of Immigration. need in case of illness during travel to other For addresses of police stations in EU/EEA countries. For more information Norway, see: www.politi.no. and addresses, see www.helfo.no or contact For Norwegian embassies/consulates, the HELFO Service Centre: Tel: 815 70 see: www.norway.info. 030 or +47 33 51 22 80 from abroad.

Registering moves Customs Everyone who moves within a munici­pality, The brochure «Moving to Norway» between Norwegian municipalities, to provides a summary of the most important Norway from abroad or from Norway to information to be aware of. This brochure, another country must notify their tax office. as well as information regarding the Depending on the length of your stay, your importation of motor vehicles and registration tax office will provide you with either a tax on these, is available at all Customs provisional D number or a personal ID offices and on the Internet. number. For further information and If you are intending to import a car to addresses, see: ww.taxnorway.no. Norway you will be required to pay import tax. There are also rules concerning Tax temporary use of a vehicle registered When you work for a Norwegian employer outside Norway. For rules concerning you are required to pay tax in Norway. importation of cars, household effects, Bring your employment contract and quotas, food, animals, etc., see the Norwegian passport along to the nearest tax office to Customs and Excise website: www.toll.no your Norwegian place of residence and or contact one of the Norwegian Customs apply for a tax deduction card (skattekort). Service centres on: Tel: 03012 or, from Once you have been issued with a standard abroad, +47 22 86 08 50, or via email personal ID number or a D number you to [email protected]. will then be issued with a tax deduction card to hand in to your employer. Bank accounts For more information and addresses, If you want to open a bank account, you see: www.taxnorway.no. should contact a bank for information and advice. To open a bank account, you Social security must bring along your passport, a passport Your employer registers you with the photo, and your personal ID number or D National Insurance Service. Meanwhile number. It is a good idea to make enquiries you will find a lot of useful information at several banks so you get the best terms. about sick pay, child benefit, pensions etc on www.nav.no. If you are entitled to child benefit, you will need to apply for this directly from your NAV office. Service Centre for Foreign Workers (SUA) Schweigaardsgate 17, N-0191 Oslo www.sua.no

Norwegian Directorate of Immigration Police (Oslo Police District) P.O. Box 8108 Dep., N-0032 Oslo Grønlandsleiret 44, N-0190 Oslo Tel: +47 23 35 15 00 Tel: +47 22 66 90 50 / 02800 www.udi.no www.politi.no Information service for applicants: The immigration office, Visiting address: public services Hausmannsgate 21, Oslo Schweigaards gate 15 B, N-0032 Oslo Tel: +47 23 35 16 00 (9 am –2.30 pm) Tel: + 47 22 34 21 00 [email protected]

15 // Living and working in Norway Unemployment and social insurance (Folketrygden) // During your employment in Norway you are covered by the Norwegian Social Insurance Scheme (Folketrygden).

All persons working and paying taxes in The legislation stipulates that if you Norway are compulsory members of the register later than 7 days after leaving social insurance scheme. Premiums are home, the benefit will be calculated from paid as part of tax deductions and amount the date of registration at the NAV office to 7.8% (in April 2010) of your private in Norway. income. The employer deducts your Be prepared to adapt to new rules and premium from your salary. procedures. You will be obliged to comply Persons who are not working in with Norwegian legislation, reporting Norway, but who hold a residence permit requirements and other procedures for a year or more are automatically particular to Norway. covered by the social insurance scheme. If you do not find a job in Norway by The benefits of social insurance include the end of the E-303 period, you must retirement pension, disability pension, return to your home country in order to occupational injury compensation, child retain your entitlement to unemployment benefit, unemployment benefit, pregnancy benefit. allowance and parental benefits. Transfer of unemployment Unemployment benefit benefit (E-301) while looking for a job in Norway If you become unemployed in Norway (E-303) and do not fulfil the requirements for Unemployed persons who are entitled unemployment benefit here, you may to unemployment benefit in their request that any rights you have earned home country for at least four weeks in another EEA country to be transferred before departure can have their benefit to Norway. In this case you will need an transferred and paid out in Norway. E-301 certificate from the country you Contact the local employment office have been working in for the last 3 years. in your home country and explain your Your application for unemployment intention to look for work in Norway. benefit must be submitted to the nearest You will be required to fill in a standard NAV office in Norway. form, which will be forwarded to If you are planning to leave Norway and the employment services in due time require form E-301 for transfer of rights before departure. If you qualify for from Norway, contact your NAV office for unemployment benefit in another country, an application form. you will be issued with a form an E-303 Information about form E-301 is certificate before departing for Norway. also available from the NAV EEA This certificate ensures the payment of Unemployment Benefit Administration. your unemployment benefit for up to 3 months. Unemployment benefit in Norway On arrival in Norway, you should bring If you become unemployed, you must this document to register at the nearest immediately report to your NAV office NAV office within 7 days of departure and apply for unemployment benefit, from your ordinary country of residence. assuming you have earned such rights. Be sure to bring sufficient money to last Further information is available from you in Norway; it may take time before NAV. the first benefit payment is made.

16 You can register as a job seeker online For information about this system, and at www.nav.no. Note that this service is about how to register with a doctor, see available in Norwegian only, and that www.helfo.no or call the county medical you need a Norwegian ID number or a coordination office (fastlegekontor) on: D number as well as a local address. +47 810 59 500. If you are temporarily laid-off, contact Contact your NAV office for further your nearest NAV office for information information about social insurance or see about your right to receive unemployment www.nav.no. benefit. You can also call NAV’s service number for information in Norwegian, English Social security and Polish. Tel.: +47 810 33 810. EEA regulations coordinate the law regulat­ ing rights to social insurance in the various Pensions member states in order to ensure contin­uous Persons who have worked in two or cover. The main object of the regulations is more EEA countries may accumulate to ensure that you are not deprived of any rights to a state pension in each country. benefits to which you are entitled. See www.nav.no for further information Being employed in Norway entitles you or contact your NAV office or (and, as a rule, your immediate family) to NAV International. the same rights as Norwegian citizens. You may be entitled to social insurance in Occupational injury connection with illness, maternity, children, As an employee in Norway you will be disability, and old age retirement pension. covered by the legislation on compulsory In Norway we have a system whereby insurance against occupational injury. all persons resident in Norway have the This means that you will be insured right to a general practitioner as their through your employer in the event of any assigned doctor for all consultations accident at work. In the event of a work- (Fastlegeordning). related accident you (or your employer) should contact the authorities through the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority. HELFO Service Centre (See the section on employment terms and Tel: 815 70 030 conditions.) Tel: +47 33 51 22 80 (from abroad) General practitioner helpline: 810 59 500 [email protected]

NAV EEA Unemployment NAV International Benefit(EEA Administration) P.O. Box 8138 Dep. N-0033 Oslo Postuttak E, N-2201 Kongsvinger Visiting address: Langkaia 1 Tel: +47 21 07 37 00 Tel: +47 2 1 07 37 00 (Mon-Fri: 8 am – 3:30 pm) (Mon-Fri: (8 am – 3:30 pm) Fax: +47 62 01 67 91 Fax: +47 21 07 37 01 [email protected] [email protected] www.nav.no

17 // Living and working in Norway Employment terms and conditions // You are entitled to the same pay and employment terms as Norwegian employees when you are employed in Norway.

Employment contract erning overtime, contact the Norwegian You are entitled to a written employ- Labour Inspection Authority. ment contract whether your position is permanent or temporary. Make sure you Pay understand all the terms and conditions In essence, it is up to you and your applying to the job and the stipulations of employer to agree on your pay. In some the contract. Find out how and how often sectors, such as the construction, shipping you will be paid, study the terms for giving and shipbuilding industries, a statutory notice and other points relevant to your minimum wage has been introduced. In employment. See www.arbeidstilsynet.no many other instances, there are collective for a sample employment contract. agreements on pay between trade unions Employment normally starts with a and employer organisations. This means probationary period, as confirmed in a that, through membership of a trade written contract. The length of the proba- union, your pay will be determined by a tionary period must be agreed in advance, pay-scale agreement. Pay/wage statistics the maximum duration being six months. for different occupations are available Normally you or your employer can from www.ssb.no. terminate the contract on notice of 14 days during that period. The Working Environment Act Working hours in Norway are up to Norway has a Working Environment Act 40 hours per week, i.e. an average of eight governing the rights and obligations of hours a day for five days a week. Groups employees and employers. The purpose with inconvenient working hours, such as of the act is to protect employees against shift workers, have slightly fewer weekly physical or mental injury, and to ensure hours as a rule Most offices have working proper, safe and healthy working condi- hours from 8 am to 4 pm. Working hours tions for all. An English translation of may vary depending on the type of business/ the act is available to order from the industry, with some starting at 7 am and Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority’s others at 9 am. website. Brochures on work and holiday Work in excess of 40 hours a week is legislation and one called “Welcome to considered overtime and is payable by at Norway as a new jobholder” are available least an additional 40% when imposed on in several languages from the Norwegian the employee. However, there is no legal Labour Inspection Authority. requirement for overtime pay for staff in If you have any concerns about your senior positions. For the regulations gov- workplace, you should always raise these with your supervisors first. If this does not produce results, contact the safety Norwegian Labour delegate (verneombud), the staff Inspection Authority’s representative (tillitsvalgt) or the union. If Information Service no solution is found, you can contact the (Arbeidstilsynets informasjonstjeneste) Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority Tel: +47 815 48 222 (Arbeidstilsynet) for advice and [email protected] assistance. www.arbeidstilsynet.no www.arbeidstilsynet.no/english

18 19 // Living and working in Norway

Holidays Taxation According to the Annual Holiday Act, Norway has bilateral tax agreements employees are entitled to 21 working with the other EEA member states to days holiday each year. Most employees, avoid dual taxation. The tax system is though, are entitled to 25 days holiday. comprehensive. When you work for a This is not yet a statutory entitlement, Norwegian employer you have to pay tax but is an agreement between the social here. Your local tax office will provide partners as a result of the pay settlement. further information. Persons over the age of 60 are entitled to The employer is obliged to deduct tax one week extra. from your salary before you are paid. Your local tax office in Norway will, on Holiday pay request, issue you with a tax deduction Holiday pay must be earned the calendar card, which you should present to your year before the holiday is taken. Anyone employer as soon as possible. The tax who was unemployed in that preceding deduction card states what percentage of year is still entitled to holiday, but not to your income your employer must deduct holiday pay (i.e. they can take holiday in tax. If you start working without a tax without pay). Holiday pay is paid out deduction card, your employer is obliged when the holiday is taken. There is no to deduct 50% tax. This is normally more entitlement to normal pay instead of the than you would pay based on your tax percentage-based holiday pay during deduction card and the excess will be holidays. refunded to you in the following year. The amount of holiday pay is based on Your payslip tells you how much tax you remuneration for work (pay etc.) during have paid each month. the preceding year. Not all payments are The amount of tax you have to pay included in the calculation. Your payslip depends on how much you earn and any tells you how much holiday pay you have tax allowances, but as a rule of thumb in earned. Holiday pay amounts to 10.2% of Norway, tax amounts to around one third normal pay in the preceding year. of your gross pay. Your contribution to For employees over the age of 60, the National Social Insurance Scheme is the rate is 12.5%. If you are covered by included in your tax. The Norwegian Tax the provisions of a collective agreement Administration’s website features a tax- which grants you a fifth week of holiday, calculation program (in Norwegian only). the standard rate is 12%, and for employees over the age of 60, 14.3% (2010). In case of termination of employment, holiday pay entitlements owing are paid out together with the final pay disbursement. Guidance on work and holiday legisl­a­tion is available in English and other languages from the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority, see: www.arbeidstilsynet.no. You can also contact a trade union for more information.

20 Taxpayers are divided into two categories: Tax return • Class 1, for single persons and for In Norway, tax is paid on income for the most married couples where both have current year, i.e. deductions from your an income. salary are based on an estimate of how • Class 2, for single parents and for much you are going to earn. By April 30th married couples where only one person each year you are required to submit a tax has an income. return. This is normally filled in advance by the tax authorities and mailed to you Persons temporarily resident in Norway in April. You should check all the details may be granted a standard tax-free in the tax return before returning it to the allowance of 10% percent (and a tax authorities. For this you will need a maximum of NOK 40 000 as of 2010). pay and deductions statement from your This means that 10% is deducted from employer and other relevant documents your gross earnings before the tax rate is from your bank, etc. applied. To be eligible for this allowance, With the tax return form you also your residence in Norway must not exceed receive a booklet in Norwegian with two years. If this applies to you, ask about instructions on how to complete the tax this at your tax office when you apply for return form. The local tax office may also your tax deduction card. offer assistance on completing the form. Other regulations may apply to commuters or employees on assignment in Norway. Contact the Central Office of Foreign Tax Affairs (Sentralskattekontoret for utenlands­saker) for more information. For updated tax and allowance rates and more information about taxation, contact a tax office or see: www.taxnorway.no.

Norwegian Tax Administration The Central Office of Foreign Tax Affairs Tel: 800 80 800 Tel: +47 22 07 70 00 from abroad P.O. Boks 8031, N-4068 Stavanger www.skatteeten.no Visiting address: Lagårdsveien 46, www.taxnorway.no Stavanger Tel: 800 80 800 Tel: +47 22 07 70 00 fra utlandet Fax: +47 51 96 96 96 [email protected] www.skatteetaten.no www.taxnorway.no

21 // Living and working in Norway School system // All compulsory education in Norway is free. Young people who have completed their compulsory schooling are entitled to 3 years upper secondary education. All counties in Norway have university colleges, and there are seven universities in Norway.

Preschool child care Higher education Children under the age of six can be Higher education comprises universities placed in a child care centre. Child care and colleges, and admission is normally centres are places where children can be based on a diploma after attending three while their parents are at work. You have years of upper secondary school. to pay for your child to be there. Norway Norway has universities in: Oslo, Ås, has both public and private child care Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim, Kristiansand centres. However, in some municipalities and Tromsø. Additionally, there are techni- there is a shortage of institutions and cal colleges specialising in various sciences: it can be difficult t get a place. Contact • Norges Handelshøyskole the municipality you will be living in to (Norwegian School of Economics apply for a child care place. The costs and and Business Administration) admission rules can vary. The admission • Norges Musikkhøyskole process usually takes place once a year. (Norwegian State Academy of Music) • Norges Idrettshøyskole Public schools (Norwegian College of Physical Children start school when they are six Education and Sport) years old (1st grade) and finish their • Norges Veterinærhøyskole (Norwegian compulsory education after 10 years (10th School of Veterinary Medicine) grade). Compulsory schooling is divided • Arkitektur- og designhøgskolen (Oslo into two main phases. The first 7 years of School of Architecture) compulsory schooling (1st – 7th grade) are called primary school, and the next Each county in Norway also has its own 3 years are called lower secondary school university college offering various types (8th – 10th grade). of education or training, as well as private All young people between the ages of colleges. For more information about edu­ 16 and 19 then have the right to attend ca­tion in Norway, see: www.norway.no. upper secondary school. This leads The Norwegian Universities and to either a vocational profession or Colleges Admission Service (NUCAS) qualifications for pursuing higher education. coordinates ad- mission to universities and Upper secondary school is also free. university coll­eg­­es in Norway. You will All children who are going to stay in find an overview of courses on Norway for longer than 3 months have www.samordnaopptak.no. a right and obligation to attend school. Contact the municipality you will be Approval of foreign qualifications living in for more information and for the Information about recognition of higher addresses of schools. It is a good idea to education from abroad is available from contact the school before you move to Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance Norway, so it is prepared to receive a new in Education (NOKUT). An application pupil. Pupils in compulsory schooling for recognition of a foreign qualification/ whose first language is not Norwegian are education should be sent to NOKUT. entitled to special Norwegian language NOKUT liaises with a network of similar tuition. centres in the other EU/EEA member states. More information and application forms are available from NOKUT.

22 Questions regarding recognition • Tilsynsrådet for advokatvirksomhet (The of a particular higher education from Supervisory Council for Legal Practice) another EU/EEA member state can also is responsible for approving lawyers. be addressed directly to the appropriate • The Norwegian Maritime Directorate university college/university in Norway. authorises a number of professional Information on vocational training positions in the maritime sector. is provided by the county board/office • Civil Aviation Authority – Norway is for vocational training in the individual responsible for accrediting pilots and county administrations (Yrkesopplærings­ aircraft technicians. nemda/fagopplæringskontoret). Addresses and telephone numbers for the county For a list of all regulated professions, administrations are available from see www.invia.no. www.norway.no. As a rule, any accreditation obtained in one EU/EEA country will be Studying in Norway recognised by the other member states Students from other EU/EEA countries are with no additional assessment required. allowed to study in Norway. Information can be found on www.study­innorway.no. Who requires authorisation or Maintenance costs during studies in an accreditation? EU/EEA country must be covered by the • Applications for authorisation to work in student or by a grant/loan. the health sector must be submitted to the Through the EEA agreement, Norway national authorisation office for health- has joined the EU member states in a sector personnel (Statens autorisasjons­ number of programmes related to education kontor for helsepersonell – SAFH). and research. The most comprehensive • Finanstilsynet (The Financial programmes are Leonardo Da Vinci and Supervisory Authority of Norway) is Erasmus. For more information about these responsible for accrediting accountants, programmes, see the EU Commission’s state-authorised estate agents, debt website: www.europa.eu or www.siu.no. collection agencies, and for authorising The Norwegian Government’s official accountants. website contains further details and • Mattilsynet (The Norwegian Food documentation about the Norwegian Safety Authority) authorises veterinary educational system as well as useful surgeons and marine biologists. information on many other topics in English: www.regjeringen.no.

The Norwegian Registration Authority for Health Personnel (SAFH) NOKUT P.O. Box 8053 Dep P.O. Box 1708 Vika N-0031 Oslo N-0121 Oslo Visiting address: Storgaten 33 A Visiting address: Kronprinsensgt. 9 Tel: +47 21 52 97 00 Tel: +47 21 02 18 00 Fax: +47 21 52 97 03 Fax:+47 21 02 18 01 [email protected] [email protected] www.safh.no www.nokut.no

23 // Living and working in Norway Housing in Norway // The cost of housing varies a great deal in Norway and has risen in recent years. The highest prices are in Oslo and other cities; in rural areas the prices are generally lower.

The cost of housing in Norway is Estate agents usually sell houses/flats, generally high for several reasons: houses though some also provide rental services. are of a high standard, fully insulated, You can find these in “Gule sider” with heating in all rooms because of (www.gulesider.no) under “Eiendoms- the cold climate. In addition, quality megling”. requirements are high, which means that If you want to rent a house or flat, there is little simple and inexpensive you should ensure you have a signed housing available. tenancy agreement, with a mutual right There are several ways of securing to terminate it. The period of notice is accommodation in Norway. You can rent, usually one month, and as a rule you will live in a housing cooperative, or own need to pay a deposit of 1-3 months’ rent. your own home. The rental market in The deposit should be paid into a blocked Norway is quite small. The vast majority account. Standard tenancy agreements own their own home. Houses and flats are can be bought from bookshops, found on usually advertised on the Internet, in local the Internet, or obtained by contacting the newspapers and in the national newspaper Leieboerforeningen, www.lbf.no. This is a Aftenposten. Some newspapers publish special interests organisation that protects housing supplements one day a week and the interests of tenants who rent houses publish housing adverts on the Internet. and flats. You can also advertise for accommodation Tip: Check if your future employer can yourself. help you find accommodation.

24 Useful reading about Norway // The following websites provide various sources of useful information:

Job Search Public Services www.nav.no www.arbeidstilsynet.no Job search facilities and other Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority information from NAV www.invanor.no www.eures.no/english Innovation Norway Information on job seeking, living www.nav.no and working in Norway The Norwegian Labour and Welfare http://eures.europa.eu Organisation The EURES website, job search facility, www.helfo.no CV database and other information The Norwegian Health Economics www.finn.no/jobb Administration Database of vacancies www.nortrade.com www.stillinger.no The official Norwegian trade portal List of websites with job vacancies www.norway.no Portal for public sector information Living and working in Norway and services www.nyinorge.no www.norway.info www.eures.no/english Portal for Norwegian Embassies http://eures.europa.eu www.regjeringen.no Information published by the Government Studying in Norway and Ministries www.taxnorway.no www.studyinNorway.no Norwegian Tax Administration www.siu.no www.ssb.no www.trainee.no Statistics Norway www.toll.no Starting your own business Norwegian Customs and Excise www.bedin.no www.politi.no www.spor-oss.no The police www.sua.no Approval of foreign Service Centre for Foreign Workers qualifications www.udi.no www.nokut.no Norwegian Directorate of Immigration The Norwegian Agency for Quality www.selfservice.udi.no Assurance in Education Registration scheme for staying and www.safh.no working in Norway The Norwegian Registration Authority www.hallonorden.no for Health Personnel Nordic Council of Ministers’ www.invia.no information service Information about the approval of foreign academic and vocational qualifications Newspapers www.norske-aviser.com Portal for all the Norwegian newspapers

25 // Living and working in Norway CV (Curriculum Vitae)

In Norway the usual practice is to enclose a Work experience CV/resume with your job application. The This is a very important part of your CV. In- CV should preferably fill just a single page clude a brief description of each job/position. and it is not customary to attach a photo. The detail provided in CVs varies a great Other qualifications deal, ranging from basic to in-depth, but Here you should mention your language the most important aspect of your CV is skills; spoken and written. You can also for it to state accurate information and be describe your IT skills and other relevant clearly laid out and typed. qualifications. Note that it is customary in Norway to present the most recent education and Personal interests working experience first. When sending Describe your out-of-work interests and a CV from abroad, you should state your leisure activities in a few lines. Particular nationality under the personal details knowledge of foreign countries should be section and remember to add the country mentioned. If you have lived or spent time code to your telephone number. Your CV in Norway, do not hesitate to say so. should contain the following sections: References Personal details It is very important to name at least two Name, address, telephone numbers, email references from a current or previous address, date of birth and marital status. employment. Ask the relevant people for permission to state their names, job Education title and telephone numbers. It is prefer- This section contains your formal qualifi- able if your references speak English or cations. If possible, indicate the equivalent a Scandinavian language (specify which Norwegian degree or examination. It is language in brackets next to their name). always helpful to describe the general You can also use an EU standardised content of your education. CV: see www.europass.cedefop.europa.eu. Applications // Applications should be typewritten and on one page. Applications should also directly relate to the job for which you are applying. They should state why you are the right person for the job

Pay attention to the following:

• Read the job advert carefully and ensure • A CV with references is always expect- you respond to what they are asking about. ed, and some employers also want you to enclose diplomas and testimonies. • The application should state why you want this particular job, or why you are • Send applications by email or ordinary sending a general application. mail.

• Ensure that it is clear to the recipient • Many employers use online applications. that you are familiar with the company, have the necessary qualifications for • Comply with deadlines. It may be a the position, and how you meet their good idea to follow up an application requirements. with a telephone call a short while after the application deadline. • Describe why you are motivated about the job, and perhaps why you want to move to Norway.

26 CV sample // Note that a Norwegian CV is always in chronological order with your latest education and work experience at the top. When sending a CV from another country, you should always give your nationality under the personal information. Also, remember to include your country`s prefix with your telephone number.

CV

Name: John Job Seeker Address: Application Road 12 N-0300 Oslo Date and Place of birth: 10.10.74 in Hamar, Norway Tel: +47 22 33 44 55 (home) / +47 99 88 77 66 (mobile) Email: john@job seeker.no

Key qualifications Sales, marketing management, fluency in English and international experience.

Education 1996 - 1999 Bachelor degree in business administration, Norwegian School of Management, Thesis on marketing 1994 - 1996 Computer technology, Østfold College 1990 - 1993 Halden Upper Secondary, general subjects

Work experience 2001 - Key Account Manager, Cisco Systems, Houston U.S.A. Responsibilities: sales, marketing and development 1999 - 2001 Salesman, PC-Computing AS, Oslo Responsibilities: Sales and consulting in PC/software for business customers 1996 - 1999 Waiter, Bryggen Restaurant, Bergen, part-time job 1994 - 1996 Interviewer, Norsk Gallup, Halden, part-time job alongside studies 1990 - 1993 Newspaper boy, Halden Arbeiderblad

Other qualifications 1997 - 1998 Chief Editor of Studentus, a student union paper 1993 - 1994 Military service

Language skills Norwegian: First language English: Excellent skills, both written and spoken German: Elementary level

Personal interests Sport, music, literature and travel

References John Johnsen, Director, Cisco Systems AS, Tel.: +47 22 24 50 00 (English speaker) Ola Olsen, Head of Dept., PC-Computing, Tel.: +47 22 85 50 50

// You can find more information on CVs, applications and interviews procedures on www.nav.no (in Norwegian only).

27 // Living and working in Norway

Arbeids- og Velferdsdirektoratet NAV EURES P.O. Box 5 St. Olavs Plass N-0130 Oslo Tel: +47 21 07 00 00 [email protected] www.eures.no // www.nav.no http://eures.europa.eu

ISBN 978-82-551-2019-3 // August 2010 // 10 000 Project management: NAV EURES Design: King Design AS Photo: Samfoto, James Hudson, Damien Heinisch/Snøhetta, Knudsens Fotosenter AS, Colourbox og Tiofoto.