Moving to Norway from US
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Introduction
Ranked as the “ideal” country to reside in around the globe, Norway is home to precious natural beauty. Offering an exceptionally high standard of living, phenomenal health care, life expectancy, and progressive education, Norway is a perfect destination for expats to maintain an accurate work-life balance. Regardless of the city life you prefer to reside in, Norway is endowed with both a remote lifestyle and a vibrant city style.
Excelling in all the fields of being the ‘perfect country’, Norway welcomes numerous expats under its shade. On that note, if you are emigrating to Norway from the US, here is what you need to know! Organizing for international relocation is a daunting task and involves extreme pressure. Being top packers and international US to Norway movers that provides an exceptional set of relocation services, we present you with a detailed country profile and guide about Norway. Without further ado, let’s get straight into the discussion!
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Relocation To Norway From US
While relocating to Norway from US, you can either opt for sea, road, or air transport to move your items and belongings. Regardless of what route you opt for, the cost of immigrating to Norway from US entirely depends on the number of items and the distance from the origin. On that note, here is a quick chart of the cost of shipping to Norway from US. Let’s have a look.
Cost of Shipping to Norway From US
Origin | Destination | 20 FT Container Cost | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
New York City, USA | Oslo, Norway | $2,006.87 | 26 Days |
New York City, USA | Bergen, Norway | $2,006.87 | 26 Days |
Los Angeles, USA | Oslo, Norway | $2,449.47 | 33 Days |
Los Angeles, USA | Bergen, Norway | $2,139.29 | 33 Days |
However, if you wish to opt for flying your goods to Norway from US, you must know that it might cost you a bit more. Here is a table that states the cost of flying items from US to Norway.
Cost of Flying Items to Norway From US
Origin | Destination | Cost | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
New York City, USA | Oslo, Norway | $4,090.49 | 3-8 Days |
Los Angeles, USA | Oslo, Norway | $4,090.49 | 3-8 Days |
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Expats Destination
Some excellent expat destinations in Norway include Oslo(the capital city), Bergen, and Fredrikstad. All these cities are home to most of the expats with vibrant, calm, and peaceful cultures and atmospheres.
Visa Requirement For US To Norway Movers
Anyone who wishes to travel to Norway from any or all EU/EEA countries can do the same with the need of a visitor visa provided that they have a valid passport. Visitors cannot extend their stay more than 90 days. However, if you are emigrating to Norway from US for other reasons, there are several visas including working permits, family visas, study permits, citizenship, or permanent residence permit.
- Working permits: If you wish to work in Norway, you need to opt for a residence permit provided that you find a job before the application. In fact, expats who fall in the age group 18-55 years need to complete the approved Norwegian language tuition for certain hours. Knowing the Norwegian language is a necessity.
- Citizenship: Applying for Norwegian Citizenship is quite straightforward. However, if you do not hold a Norwegian passport, you are required to secure a work visa. Although it involves a bit of hassle, you need to secure a job first before relocating to Norway from US. In case you don’t, you need to prove that you are knowledgeable and skilled enough to attain a job within a short span after immigrating to Norway from US. All and all, once you get a job, getting citizenship is not a problem.
Housing in Norway
Norwegians hold extreme pride in homes. Hence, you will find excellent well-built apartments and houses in Norway. However, the cost of living is high. As Norway is expensive, you can either opt for renting in Norway or you can even buy a home in Norway.
- Renting in Norway: If you are looking for rent, most rental properties are available in a furnished manner. For instance, renting a two-bed apartment in Oslo can cost you around NOK 16,000pcm. However, suburbs or cities like Bergen, Stavanger charge lower rental costs and are quite affordable. For expats, short-term rentals are a good option at the initial stage.
- Buying a home in Norway: First and foremost, you are required to apply for a mortgage to buy a property provided that it gets approved by the bank. Expats can reside in several types of homes including apartments, row houses, etc. However, apartments and houses in Norway are available in furnished, unfurnished, or semi-furnished conditions. There are no such restrictions for expats who wish to purchase property in Norway except for the mortgage approval for first-time buyers.
Important tip: The average rent in Norway is 8,740 NOK (952 USD). However, while renting, you are required to pay a huge security deposit. This can include rent of up to 6 months. Many expats come to shock as you might need a budget at the initial stage of relocating from US to Norway.
Banking & Taxes System in Norway
A vital part of immigrating from US to Norway involves figuring out the tax system and bank system. On opening a bank account, you receive a PIN and debit card immediately. However, for a credit card, you need to wait for at least a year after moving. Student accounts and savings accounts are the two types of available accounts. Having a stable and strong banking system, Norway has over 100 banks.
Several well-known banks include:
- DNB ASA
- Nordea Norway
- Sparfebanken Vest
- Vekselbanken and Danske Bank Norway
International banks:
- BNP Paribas Norway
- Swedbank Norway
- Handelsbanken Norway
Online banks:
- Skandia Bank
- Bank Norwegian
- DinBank
Coming to the tax system, taxes in Norway include property, income, VAT, health, etc. Expats relocating from US to Norway achieve a 10% deduction on gross income for the initial 2 assessments. If you reside in Norway for over 183 days, you are considered eligible to pay a tax. Being a tax resident, you will be taxed on your income worldwide. The best part is Norway owns double taxation treaties with various countries. Hence, you are not accountable to pay tax twice.
Several Type of taxes in norway include
Services | Tax |
|---|---|
Income Tax | 22% (Direct Tax) |
Wealth | 0.86% (Direct Tax) |
Property | 2-7% |
VAT | 25% (Indirect Tax) |
Train | 12% |
Airplane | 12% |
Taxi | 12% |
Rental Car | 25% |
Hotel, Rent, Boarding House | 12% |
Purchasing Food In Grocery Store | 15% |
Purchasing Food in Restaurant | 25% |
Income tax in Norway is extremely high with a record rate of 55.3%. Currently, it stands at 38.2%. Tax is figured on the usual income and the amount that you pay depending on your income. The more you earn, the higher tax you are required to pay.
Tax On Salary in Norway
Tax Bracket (NOK) | USD | Avg. Tax % |
|---|---|---|
From 174,500 | 19,091 | 1.9% |
From 245,650 | 26,876 | 4.2% |
From 617,500 | 67,587 | 13.2% |
Above 964,800 | 105,602 | 16.2% |
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Healthcare System in Norway
Healthcare in Norway is exceptional. Although many European countries offer free healthcare, Norway does not fall into that category. Undoubtedly, tons of government funding goes into the healthcare system of Norway but these funds do not cover each cost needed by the citizens.
Expats who reside legally need to pay taxes that will add up to the healthcare system. This denotes they obtain primary care in all the state clinics and hospitals. Expats, legal Norwegian residents, and nationals have complete access to public healthcare funded by the countries by national insurance schemes and tax revenues.
However, not all treatments will be free and come under the insurance. Hence, expats can opt for voluntary contributions to the national insurance scheme for boosting their insurance cover. For non-residents, healthcare in Norway is accessible universally but is not free. If you are over 16 years of age, you need to pay a yearly deductible equal to an average of 2,040 NOK (220 USD) for getting access to the government healthcare system.
Both public and private healthcare sectors are available for expats. However, the private sector has a limited market. Usually, the maximum of the population enjoys public healthcare systems. To cover up time, many opt for private ones. However, the quality of care offered in both systems is equal.
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Education in Norway
Norway offers compulsory education from ages 6-16. Barnehager(daycare, preschool, kindergartens) in Norway are optional and parents need to pay a fee. The Norwegian school system is divided into primary school (Barneskole), Lower secondary school ( Ungdomsskole), and Upper secondary school (Videregående Skole).
The primary school teaches core subjects like English, social studies, maths, and Norwegian language from 1st grade to 7th grade. During the three years of lower secondary, students need to select a foreign language. This is important to jump to upper secondary school for achieving the highest diploma.
After this, Norway provides a 3-year optional study course for students to polish up with their abilities to grab a job. Classes are conducted in Norwegian. The whole education system in Norway is supported by the state including Higher education as well. Several private and international schools in Norway welcome a huge amount of expats thereby offering International Baccalaureates as well equating to the British GCSE.
The public education system in Norway is one such education system that ranks as the best in the world. Norway owns a higher level of a common education as compared to the European average. As it is public education, local municipalities regulate it. Being absolutely free, the lessons are taught in the Norwegian language as long as no foreign language class appears.
The main distinction between private and public schools includes the number of students attending the number of schools. Expat families usually prefer private schools in Norway as compared to the local Norwegians.
Universities in Norway
Norway provides free Higher education. It provides free attendance for international as well as Norwegian students. However, it should not be for a specialist or private course at any public institution, state university, or college in the country. All and all, Norway is an ideal destination to settle as it gives top priority to education and allows equal opportunities and access to all.
Category | Information |
|---|---|
Official Languages | Norwegian and Sami (spoken in 9 municipalities) |
Capital City | Oslo |
Currency | Norwegian Krone |
Timezone | UTC+1 |
International Dialing Code | +47 |
Emergency Number | Police: 112, Ambulance:113, Fire: 110 |
Population | 5,165,800 |
Electricity | 220V |
Internet TLD | .no |
Drives On The | Right |
Tipping | No tipping is needed as taxes are included in restaurant and bar bills themselves. Still, Norwegians leave an extra tip of 10-15% even if they are content with the hotel service. |
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Job Market in Norway For Americans
The job market of Norway is quite healthy. 70% of the Norwegian population is involved in the labor force. Norway’s working days involve 40 hours work in one week and 9 hours of work a day.
If you achieve a good job in Norway, you need to be familiar with the average salary as well. The average annual salary in Norway is 636,690 NOK (69,150 USD). In fact, it can be difficult to work in Norway if you don’t have a good knowledge of the Norwegian language. However, if you are highly skilled, you can easily secure prominent jobs in the Healthcare sector, IT sector, or any other in-demand jobs in the country.
The entire job market is quite prospering and flourishing. The average wage rate is quite higher than the rest of Europe. The average salary for beginners is quite attractive as well. As Norway flourishes in oil and gas manufacturing, many expats move to these industries along with the offshore coastlines. Keeping the high cost of living in mind, the salary provided in Norway for every job is quite reasonable and genuine.
Speaking of other sectors, employment for expats can be a bit tricky as employers usually look for efficiency in Norwegian no matter if half the country speaks English. However, every city offers language courses in the form of tuition, so expats can easily learn the Norwegian language. Several other sectors where foreigners can apply are fisheries, tourism, services, teaching, etc.
Food in Norway is quite expensive. One reason for this is because tons of food is imported to Norway. Let us look into the food and alcohol price breakdown of Norway.
Living in Norway - Places
Although the average wages are higher and reasonable, so are the costs of living, tax rates, etc. Speaking about some areas, Norway can be more expensive than the US. Still, the cost of living in Norway is relatively much higher than US. Hence, ensure keeping this in mind while moving to Norway from US.
Ideally, expats can expect to have an expense between 20,000 to 40,000 NOK (2,176–4,352 USD) each month to reside in this country. On that note, let us look into the cost of living in Norway by cities
Cost Of living by cities (without rent)
Although the most expensive cities include Bergen, Trondheim, Oslo, and Stavanger, below are the monthly costs of living in these cities.
Cities | Single | Family Of Four |
|---|---|---|
Oslo | 10,545 NOK (1,150 USD) | 38,140 NOK (4,150 USD) |
Bergen | 10,360 NOK (1,130 USD) | 37,600 NOK (4,100 USD) |
Trondhiem | 10,310 NOK (1,120 USD) | 37,450 NOK (4,080 USD) |
Stavanger | 10,550 NOK (1,150 USD) | 38,460 NOK (4,190 USD) |
A few accessible and affordable cities in Norway include Telemark, Hedmark, Oppland, and rural Østfold.
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Living Expenses in Norway
Food in Norway is quite expensive. One reason for this is because tons of food is imported to Norway. Let us look into the food and alcohol price breakdown of Norway.
Grocery Item | NOK | USD |
|---|---|---|
1 Liter of Milk | 18 | 2 |
One dozen eggs | 37 | 4 |
1 Loaf of Bread | 27 | 3 |
1 Kg Beef | 250 | 30 |
One Kg Potatoes | 20 | 2 |
1 Bottle of Wine | 150 | 16 |
Restaurant Meal | NOK | USD |
|---|---|---|
Inexpensive Restaurant Meal For Two | 180 | 20 |
Three-Course Meal For Two (Mid-Range) | 800 | 90 |
Fast Food Meal For One | 110 | 12 |
Cappuccino | 40 | 4 |
Travel Cost | NOK | USD |
|---|---|---|
One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) | 36 | 4 |
Monthly Pass (Local Transport) | 750 | 80 |
Taxi Start Tariff | 95 | 10 |
Taxi Per KM | 14 | 2 |
Liter of Gasoline | 16 | 2 |
Utility Costs
- The basic utility costs in Norway comprise heating, water, electricity, cooling, and waste services for an average 85square meter apartment can cost up to 1,571 NOK (171 USD) per month.
- 60Mbps Internet or unlimited data usually costs around 473 NOK (51 USD).
- One minute of prepaid local tariff with zero plans or discounts costs around 1 NOK (approximately 1 USD).
Rent Prices | NOK | USD |
|---|---|---|
Oslo & Bærum | 11,240 | 1,230 |
Bergen | 8,880 | 970 |
Trondheim | 9,070 | 990 |
Stavanger | 10,550 | 1150 |
Conclusion
While there is no doubt why Norway is an excellent expat destination, moving to Norway from US is what it all takes. If you are wondering how to shift your belongings and goods to Norway, connect with none other than us. Our moving company in US provides packing, unpacking, shipping, and an array of relocation services along with analyzing custom processes. Being reputed and professional US to Norway movers, our expert team of advisors is committed to providing you with the accurate advice needed to step ahead with your relocation dream. If you expect your items to move across country on time, call us today to kickstart your exciting expat adventure to save your time, money, and load!
