Norway's seasonal work permit: up to six months of farm or summer work, then a break
Americans can pick berries or cover a Norwegian's vacation at Norwegian pay. Your family can't come with you, and the time never counts toward staying for good.
Here's who qualifies, how the six-month clock works, what a farm job pays and what Norway takes in tax. Kroner convert at 9.51 to the dollar, the rate in late September 2026.
A season by the numbers
NOK 6,300
Application fee
about $660
6 months
Longest stay per permit
then 6 months away
NOK 162.90
Farm pay floor per hour
about $17, first 12 weeks
25%
Flat tax on most short-stay wages
PAYE scheme, 2026
Who it's for
Work that only exists part of the year
The permit covers seasonal work, like planting and picking vegetables, fruit and berries, or standing in for a Norwegian employee on vacation. You need a concrete, full-time offer (normally 37.5 hours a week), and you must be at least 18. UDI also has to believe you'll go home when the job ends.
Skip it if you want a partner or kids with you, or you're hoping to settle. Carpentry, painting and other maintenance jobs don't count as seasonal, even in summer.
Seasonal Work Permit
For temporary employment in seasonal industries. Not renewable beyond the seasonal period. Application must be submitted in person.
- Government cost
- $650
- Processing time
- ~30 days
- Timeline
- Up to 6 months
- Difficulty
- Moderate
About that data card
Our data lists "Proof of qualifications," "Proof of accommodation" and "Sufficient funds." UDI's requirement list for seasonal workers includes none of them. It asks that you're 18 or older, likely to return home, and holding a full-time seasonal or vacation-cover offer with normal Norwegian pay and a guaranteed hourly minimum. Outside farming and forestry, your employer also needs NAV's confirmation. We couldn't confirm the 30-day processing time on UDI's site, so leave yourself extra room.
The rules
Six months in, six months out
A permit runs for up to six months. Use all six and you have to spend six months outside Norway before UDI will grant another. You can hold shorter permits back to back, but your total time in Norway can't pass six months in any 12-month stretch.
One job, one application
Want to switch farms after approval? That takes a new application. You can work for two employers at once if each gives you a job offer. As a rule, UDI won't accept a staffing agency as your employer.
Where it stops
Your spouse and children can't get residence permits through you, and none of your months count toward permanent residence.
From job offer to first shift
Employer goes first
Your employer confirms the offer with UDI before you can file. Outside farming and forestry, it also needs NAV to confirm it couldn't hire in Norway or the EEA.
File and pay online
Fill in UDI's online application and pay the fee, NOK 6,300 (about $660).
Visit VFS Global
Hand in your passport and papers at a VFS center in the U.S. The consulate says appointments usually open within three working days.
Wait for the yes
You can't start work before the permit is granted. UDI gets a wave of seasonal files at once, so apply well ahead of your start date.
Pay and tax
What a season pays, and what Norway keeps
Your pay can't be worse than normal Norwegian terms, with a guaranteed hourly minimum. On farms, the binding floor for seasonal help over 18 is NOK 162.90 an hour (about $17) for your first 12 weeks, then NOK 168.40 (about $18). A 37.5-hour week at the starting rate comes to about NOK 6,100, roughly $640, before tax. Piece rates are allowed only on top of that guarantee, and holiday pay adds at least 10.2%.
Norwegian tax
Most short-stay workers fall under the PAYE scheme: a flat 25% on 2026 wages under NOK 725,050 (about $76,300), with no Norwegian tax return to file.
Health care and the IRS
You join Norway's National Insurance Scheme on your first day of work, which gives you access to its health care. The foreign earned income exclusion won't help, though: it needs 330 full days abroad in 12 months.
Help before and after your season
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
Online U.S. tax filing built for Americans who earn money abroad, including wages already taxed in another country.
Moneycorp
Currency Exchange
Currency exchange and international payments, for sending kroner earnings back to a U.S. account.
Other routes
When one season isn't enough
Svalbard
Americans don't need a visa, residence permit or work permit from Norway to live and work in the Arctic archipelago. Here's the catch: the Governor can turn away anyone without the means to support themselves there.
Skilled work on the mainland
A job that needs a degree or trade qualification is the way to stay longer. In 2026 the pay floor with a bachelor's is NOK 545,400 a year (about $57,400), and your family can usually apply with you.
Norway seasonal work permit: common questions
Can I start working in Norway while my seasonal permit is being processed?
No. You can't begin working until the residence permit is granted. UDI receives many seasonal applications at the same time, so apply well before your planned start date.
How much tax do seasonal workers pay in Norway?
Most short-stay foreign workers are taxed under Norway's PAYE scheme: a flat 25% in 2026 on wages under NOK 725,050 (about $76,300), with no Norwegian tax return. On the U.S. side, the foreign earned income exclusion requires 330 full days abroad in a 12-month period, which a six-month season alone won't meet.
How much does the Norwegian seasonal work permit cost?
The application fee for a Norwegian work residence permit for adults is NOK 6,300 in 2026, about $660 at 9.51 kroner to the dollar. You pay it online when you register your application, before your appointment at a VFS Global center in the U.S.
Does Norway's seasonal work permit lead to permanent residence?
No. Time on a seasonal work permit doesn't count toward the residence period needed for permanent residence in Norway.
Can Americans get a seasonal work permit in Norway?
Yes. You need to be at least 18, hold a concrete full-time offer for seasonal work or for covering an employee's vacation, and be paid at least normal Norwegian rates with a guaranteed hourly minimum. UDI must also find it likely you'll return home afterward. For jobs outside farming and forestry, the employer needs NAV to confirm it couldn't hire in Norway or the EEA.
Can my spouse or children come with me on a seasonal work permit?
No. Family members aren't entitled to residence permits to live with a seasonal worker in Norway. A skilled worker permit is the usual route for bringing family, since skilled workers' families can usually apply with them.
Can I change employers on a Norwegian seasonal work permit?
Only with a new application. You can work for more than one employer if every employer gives you an offer of employment, but a staffing agency normally can't be accepted as your employer.
How long can I stay in Norway on a seasonal work permit?
Up to six months per permit. After a full six months, you must stay outside Norway for six months before you can get another seasonal permit. With shorter permits, your total time in Norway can't exceed six months in any 12-month period.
Is a Norwegian season the right first step?
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