A visa is not required for nationals of countries with which Norway has signed a visa waiver agreement. When a visa is granted it allows travel to all countries in the Schengen area: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland. Your stay in the Schengen area cannot exceed 90 days in a 180-day period.
Where to apply:
Standard processing time for a visa is 10 business days, but may at times be longer. We recommend that you apply one month before planned date of departure.
If applying to the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in San Francisco, please note the special Schengen Visa instructions listed at the bottom of this page.
Office hours for visa applications vary by location
General requirements:
- A completed Form 243/27 - Application form for Visa (typed or block letters) to be signed at the foreign mission.
- Flight itinerary/travel documents and proof of accommodation, or hotel reservation for the entire duration of the stay in the Schengen area. Please note that the travel itinerary should be a preliminary booking. We do not recommend applicants to purchase airline tickets before their visas have been approved.
- A national passport/travel document valid for at least three months after the intended departure from the Schengen area. The passport must contain at least two blank pages and be less than 10 years. If the passport was issued more than 10 years ago the applicant must get a new passport before applying for a visa, according to the European Union Visa Code, effective April 6th, 2010.
- A US Permanent Resident Card or valid US visa with validity of at least three (3) months beyond the stay in the Schengen area. If you are in the US on an F-1 or an M-1 visa, you have to have a current I-20 or DS-2019 signed by the school or IAP-66 or I-512L if applicable. You must be in possession of a valid visa – if required – to any other country of destination after your stay in the Schengen area. If your US visa has expired, please have it renewed before applying.
- One passport-size picture in color or black and white - not more than 3 months old, and meeting the photo requirements.
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Travel and Health Insurance is compulsory when travelling to Schengen. The insurance must cover all Schengen countries throughout the period of stay for a minimum of 30.000,- Euro, equivalent to 50.000,- USD. Deductibles are not accepted. Valid Travel and Health Insurance must be submitted with the application. If the visa application is rejected, the mission is not responsible for any related expenses. The travel insurance must be personal and cover expenses which may arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment.
- All copies must be dated and notarized.
Additional requirements for business:
- An original signed letter from your company verifying your employment, the purpose of the trip and the dates you will be traveling.
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An original signed letter of invitation from the business contact in Norway and/or the country you are visiting. Scanned copy of the original will be accepted if sent directly from the inviting company in Norway. The letter head must include the company’s registration number in Norway.
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If you are self-employed, please include your business registration, your tax return, and your personal bank statement for the last 3 months.
Additional requirements for tourism travel:
- If emplyed, an original letter from your employer verifying your employment and your vacation must be enclosed.
- Proof of sufficient funds (bank statements in your name for the last 3 months or copies of traveler checks in your name).
- Proof of hotel reservation(s).
- If the applicant is a minor (under the age of 18), the application must be signed by both parents or by the child's custodian/guardian with custody of the child (include a copy of the court order). Present the original birth certificate when submitting the application. Both parents must be present when application is signed. Parents must also show ID.
Additional requirements for visit to family or friends:
- Form GP 7018B/E (Guarantee Form for Visits/Garantiskjema for besøk) must be completed and signed by the person you are visiting, and notarized (stamped) by the local police in Norway. The form must also be signed by you and submitted in original with your application. We also need the name, address and a copy of the friend’s/relative’s passport. A copy of the residence permit is an additional requirement if your friend/relative is not a Norwegian national.
- An informal invitation letter from your friend/relative.
- If the applicant is a minor (under the age of 18), the application must be signed by both parents or by the child's custodian/guardian with custody of the child (include a copy of the court order). Present the original birth certificate when submitting the application. Both parents must be present when application is signed. Parents must also show ID.
Please note that in some cases, you may be asked to provide additional documents. Even with submission of all required documents, there is no guarantee that you will be granted a visa.
Special Schengen Visa instructions for the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in San Francisco:
The Royal Norwegian Consulate General in San Francisco accepts visa applications by mail, but only from residents living in any of the Consulate General’s states of jurisdiction: Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska and Hawaii.
If applying by mail, note that the applicant’s signature on the visa application form itself must be notarized by a Notary Public, and a notarized copy of your U.S. Permanent Resident card (if applicable) must also be submitted. All other documents must be original.
For the return of your passport, please include your own prepaid self-addressed return FedEx envelope.
The visa processing fee is $85 (non-refundable) payable by money order only, no personal check. The money order must be made payable to: Royal Norwegian Consulate General, 20 California Street, 6th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111.
We can only process the visa application if your main destination in Schengen is Norway, Sweden, Denmark or Iceland. For Swedish, Danish or Icelandic visa applications please check the webpage of the respective embassy for additional forms to be submitted with the application.
The appliccable fee is as stated on this page. For visits to family or friends, the Norwegian Form GP 7018B/E (Guarantee Form for Visits/Garantiskjema for besøk) will be substituted with the equivalent forms for Denmark, Sweden og Iceland.
Fees:
- Visa for maximum 90 days – one or multiple entries: $85
- Fees are payable in cash or money order only, and payable upon submitting the application (non refundable). Please provide the exact amount of change.
- For applicant married to a citizen of a Schengen country who also lives in the Schengen area: No charge.
- Children under the age of 6: No charge.
- For the foreign mission to return your passport by mail, you must provide a prepaid FedEx slip and the form ”Declaration of Waiver and Hold Harmless.”
Please note that possession of a visa is only one of the prerequisites for entry into the European territory of the Schengen states. Even if a visa has been granted it does not mean that you will be entitled to compensation if you fail to comply with the relevant provisions of Article 5.1 of the Schengen Implementing Convention and are refused entry. The prerequisites for entry will be checked again on your entry into the European territory of the Schengen states.