Norway Information
Joined: 21 Oct 2006
Posts: 17
Home Country: norway
|
 Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 10:35 am Post subject: VISA TO NORWAY |
 |
|
VISA TO NORWAY
NON VISA COUNTRIES/ INDIVIDUALS
The general rule is that all foreign nationals require a visa to visit Norway. However, there are some exceptions to this requirement. Below is a list of those who do not require a visa.
Schengen countries
As part of the Schengen Agreement, there are no passport controls when travelling between countries which have signed up to the agreement. Citizens of these countries may therefore enter Norway freely, without having to apply for a visa. The same applies to foreign nationals who have a residence permit for one of the Schengen countries. The 15 member states are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
It should be noted that European countries such as Ireland, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom are not parties to the agreement.
Countries exempted from visa requirement
A visa is not required for nationals of countries with which Norway has signed a visa waiver agreement. Nationals of countries with a visa waiver may stay in Norway for up to three months. The countries with which Norway has a visa waiver agreement are:
A: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria
B: Belgium, Bermuda (BDTC passport), Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria
C: Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic
D: Denmark
E: El Salvador, Estonia
F: Finland, France
G: Germany, Greece, Guatemala
H: Hong Kong (SAR passport), Honduras, Hungary
I: Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy
J: Japan
K: Korean Republic
L: Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg
M: Macau (SAR passport), Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco
N: Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua
P: Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal
R: Romania
S: San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
U: UK, Uruguay, USA
V: Vatican State, Venezuela
Diplomatic, service and special passports
Holders of the following diplomatic, service and special passports are exempted from the visa requirement:
* Albanian diplomatic passport (only applies to ambassador accredited to Norway and the ambassador’s spouse and children)
* Philippine diplomatic, service and special passports
* Macedonian diplomatic and service passports
* Moroccan diplomatic, service and special passports
* Pakistani diplomatic and service passports
* Russian diplomatic passport (only applies to ambassador accredited to Norway and the ambassador’s spouse and children)
* South African diplomatic and service passports
* Thai diplomatic and service passports
* Turkish diplomatic, service and special passports
* Tunisian diplomatic passport
Others exempt from the visa requirement
Others who are exempted from the visa requirement include:
* Persons with a Norwegian work permit, residence permit or settlement permit. The permit must be registered in the holder’s travel document
* Holders of a refugee travel document issued by Malta, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland or the UK
* Holders of a British passport with unlimited/indefinite leave to enter and remain in the UK
* Holders of a British “Emergency Travel Document”, when the person is in transit in Norway, and the emergency travel document states that the destination of the journey is the UK
* Holders of a German “Reiseausweis als Passersatz zur Rückkehr in die Bundesrepublik Deutschland” (emergency passport), when the person is in transit in Norway, and the emergency travel document states that the destination of the journey is Germany
* Holders of a refugee seamen’s travel document issued by: Australia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Mauritius, Monaco, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland or the UK
* Holders of a seamen’s identity card issued by a state that is a signatory to ILO Convention No. 108, when the holder intends to take up or leave a post on board a vessel in a Norwegian port, or is a crew member on a vessel and wants to visit the port of call during shore leave
* Holders of a civil aviation licence, when the holder intends to travel to Norway and stay in the country in connection with work within international aviation
Holders of a Philippine “Seafarer’s Identification and Record Book” and/or a Philippine national passport (when the holder is to take up a post on board a vessel in a Norwegian port)
Requirements for nationals with visa waiver
If you are exempt from the requirement to obtain a visa for Norway, you may stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days. You may not stay in the Schengen area for more than 90 days in the course of the past 180 days. This means that, after a stay of 90 days, you cannot re-enter the Schengen area until another 90 days has elapsed. It is your responsibility to ensure that you comply with this requirement.
You can use the UDI’s visa calculator to calculate how many more days you can stay in the Schengen area.
There are certain requirements which apply to foreign nationals with a visa waiver. You must have:
* Sufficient funds to cover your stay in Norway. As a rule, you have to have NOK 500 per day that you will be staying in Norway, but if you are staying with family or friends, the amount is somewhat lower
* A passport that is valid for at least three months beyond the period of your stay in the Schengen area
* A legal right to return to your country of origin or other country where you have a residence permit
OBTAINING A VISA
In order to obtain a visa, you must meet certain requirements.
These requirements are :
* Have a passport which will remain valid for at least 90 days beyond the period for which you are seeking a visa
* Have sufficient funds to cover your travel costs and stay in Norway. In certain cases a financial guarantee for your stay and return trip issued by the person you are going to visit may be sufficient (guarantee declaration)
* Have a legal right to return to your country of origin or other country where you have a residence permit
* Intend to leave Norway when your visa expires. If the Norwegian authorities have reason to believe that you will remain in Norway or another Schengen country beyond the period for which you are applying for a visa, your application will be rejected
* Not be registered in the Schengen Information System (SIS) as a persona non grata (unwanted person) in any of the Schengen countries. This applies, for example, to persons who have been expelled from a country due to criminal activity
APPLYING FOR A VISA
Where to apply?
A visa application must be made on the form for the purpose, and submitted in person to the nearest Norwegian foreign service mission. If there is no Norwegian foreign service mission in the country, another Schengen country may represent Norway. This country will then process the application on behalf of Norway.
If you plan to visit several Schengen countries over the course of one trip, you must submit your visa application to the embassy of the country where you will be spending the most time. If you will be visiting several Schengen countries for equal periods of time, you must submit your visa application to the first country that you will be visiting.
What must the application include?
The requirement for documentation varies from country to country, and may change over time. You should therefore check what requirements currently apply by contacting the Norwegian foreign service mission in the country from which you are applying.
As a rule, in addition to a completed application form you must include:
* Passport photo/other photo which meets the set requirements
* Copy of all used pages in your passport
* Written invitation from Norwegian reference person
* Documentation of relationship/kinship (if the reference person is a relative)
* Documentation of own funds for the stay or a guarantee declaration issued by the reference person
* A case processing fee is payable for visa applications, whatever the outcome. The fee must be paid when you submit your application
* Documentation of valid travel and medical insurance (minimum cover of EUR 30,000) must be shown before the visa can be issued
Separate rules apply for foreign nationals who require a visa and who are covered by the EEA Agreement or the EFTA Convention.
Who makes the decision about the application?
Many Norwegian foreign service missions can decide whether to issue a visa, and most visa applications are processed at foreign service missions. In certain cases, an application may be sent to Norway for processing by the UDI. This applies in cases where:
* The foreign service mission has rejected the application and an appeal has been submitted against the decision
* The foreign service mission does not have the authority to decide on the case
* The applicant is a refugee, is stateless or there is some doubt about his/her citizenship
* The applicant has been expelled from Norway or another Nordic country, or is registered in SIS (Schengen Information System) as being denied entry into one or more Schengen countries
* The foreign service mission has doubts and wishes the case to be processed by the UDI
* A national visitor’s visa has been applied for
How long will it take to process my visa application?
If your application is processed by the foreign service mission, it will normally take around two to three weeks for you to get a decision. This depends on the workload at the foreign service mission. Please enquire about processing times where you submit your application.
If the application is forwarded to the UDI in Norway, the processing time will be longer. For an overview of average processing times for the various types of permit, visit www.udi.no/caseprocessingtime, or contact the Information Service for Applicants by e-mail or by calling (+ 47) 23 35 16 00.
Appealing against a decision
If your application for a visa is rejected, you may appeal against this decision. If the foreign service mission has rejected your visa application, an appeal may be submitted to the foreign service mission within three weeks. The foreign service mission can either reverse its decision or forward the appeal to the UDI. The UDI will then make the final decision as to whether or not a visa shall be granted.
In cases when the first-instance decision is made by the UDI, the appeal should be submitted to the foreign service mission. Unless the UDI reverses its decision and issues a visa, for instance because of new information or new documents, it is the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) that will make the final decision regarding the appeal.
The appeal must be submitted by the applicant in person, or by a person representing the applicant under a written power of attorney from the applicant. The processing of the appeal is free of charge.Overview of what is taken into account when assessing visa applications
How to apply for a visa extension?
In order to be granted an extension of the validity period for a visa, new circumstances must have arisen after the original visa was issued.
“New circumstances” may be that the applicant has suffered an illness, that an event which the applicant was to take part in has been postponed/extended, or any other external circumstance which means that the applicant must change his/her original plans. Under the current guidelines, an application for a visa extension cannot be granted unless force majeure, humanitarian grounds or substantial professional or personal grounds exist. An extension will also not be granted if the purpose of the visit to Norway has changed. Norway is bound by the guidelines for visa extensions as set out in the Schengen regulatory framework.
An application for a visa extension must be submitted to the police. The police will provide you with the appropriate application form. You must take your passport with you when submitting the application. Along with the application, you must explain in writing the grounds for your application, and any documentation of the new circumstances which have arisen. In certain cases, the police may issue a visa extension. However, where there is any doubt that the conditions have been met or where there is cause for rejection, the application is forwarded to the UDI for processing. It is a condition of a visa extension that the applicant has travel insurance valid for the entire period of the visa extension being applied for.
You may appeal against a rejection of an application for a visa extension. The appeal must be submitted to the police immediately after receiving the rejection. The appeal will be sent to the UDI for new consideration, and may be forwarded to the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) for processing if the UDI does not reverse its decision. You are also entitled to apply for deferred implementation in order to be able to stay in Norway while your appeal is being processed. |
|
Register
Log in
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
