How Americans Can Move to Norway: US to Norway Relocation Guide

[@HansOleBenonisen]

Scandinavia is built on a foundation of mutual support, where citizens and businesses contribute to the common good through taxes and respect for shared values. For those considering moving here, it's important to recognize that our society isn’t a fit for extreme religious ideologies or a mindset focused solely on personal profit. We seek individuals who believe in contributing to the well-being of the community rather than prioritizing individual gains. 😉

[@AA-yc9dq]

That is beautiful 😭❤️

[@lifeinnorway1]

Thanks for your input!

[@curiouspenguin6887]

The antithesis of the US. Many Americans would have trouble fitting in there.😂

[@adhalbetancur9948]

@@curiouspenguin6887as an American that’s literally all I want 😭

[@pyromanglad1136]

That's true, I respect that with all my heart and all Scandinavians are better to keep it like that to not face the state of most other European countries nowadays. Unless Sweden is already spoiled with lots of migrants, crimes etc. We have to realise that not a lot of people from other countries are ready to live with such mindset and standards.

[@Audhluma]

Wow, this video popped into the algorithm at the perfect time. I'm currently aiming to study abroad in Bergen with the hope that I can eventually work on my masters at NTNU in Trondheim.

[@lifeinnorway1]

I wish you well in your studies, and welcome to Trondheim!

[@biankakoettlitz6979]

and don't be afraid of the dark in Trondheim! If you need a 'pep talk' drive to Røros and enjoy the color of the mountains or the sky 😀

[@paamodt7170]

My family immigrated to the US from Norway and Sweden in the early 1900's. In the late 1990's, I was lucky enough to spend time in the Trondheim and Stavanger areas. Spending time with family over the Christmas leave. During this time I was able to do family research and expand upon the family tree, at the immigration archives in Stavanger. Granted joining the US Marines and doing winter exercises above the Artic Circle isn't for everyone either. The Auroras were something else. Thank you for your weekly newsletter, I have enjoyed your travels

[@lifeinnorway1]

Thanks for your input!

[@IDriveAnAudi]

As an American who has worked and lived in Oslo Norway for a short period in the 90’s with a work permit, and who similarly worked in the Netherlands for nearly 5 years with both a work and residence permit, I understand this stuff pretty well. I also co-owned a startup in Amsterdam during that time. In short, a tiny fraction of Americans have a tiny fraction of a chance to live abroad in Norway or Scandinavia in general. And once you get there, however you might think you will love it, in my experience most Americans can only stand the cultural differences for a short period of time before wanting to go “home”. And frankly if you want to live and remain in Norway or most places in Europe, by far the easiest way is marrying someone. All my friends that were with me back then who remained are married. My best friend married a Dane and lives in Denmark now. Basically if you want to do this kind of move successfully all the planets have to align.

[@lifeinnorway1]

I agree totally that it isn't for everyone. Thanks for sharing your experiences! 🙌

[@RC-74]

Would love to emigrate to Norway! I was employed by an Oslo based exploration company for almost 10 years before I retired. I was able to spend time in Bergen, Oslo, Stavanger and Kristiansand. I absolutely loved Kristiansand and would love to live there. But as a retiree I can see almost no chance of being successful. Thanks for your video though , it brought back some wonderful memories.

[@lifeinnorway1]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching and sharing your experiences 🙌

[@thinkkarma2846]

Awesome video. Really informative!

[@lifeinnorway1]

Aw thanks, I hope it sparks some ideas! Thanks for watching 🙌

[@methos1999]

Hoping I'm not going to need this video. Part of me is tempted to give up and move, but I love my home state of Massachusetts, so I'm going to stay and fight.

[@lifeinnorway1]

Thank for watching!

[@Upstart051]

At this point, it seems like Norway is at less risk of a Russian takeover than America

[@JD-xo3xz]

Would love to live there. Just subscribed. Hope to be there someday when a pensioners visa becomes available.

[@lifeinnorway1]

Thank you for subscribing!

[@mayatheworm]

I recently visited Norway. It is a beautiful country, but I am absolutely, positively sure that I don't want to live there during the late fall and winter months when it is dark all of the time!!!

[@lifeinnorway1]

That's fair! It's definitely not for everyone :)

[@herbrawling2955]

Hello David: short of actually moving to Norway full-time, my understanding is that a US citizen can visit Schengen countries and stay 90 days for every 180 days. So, in theory, that means, I think, that you could live in Norway for 6 months of the year, consisting of two 90-day (3-month) periods without actually "moving" to Norway. Is that correct?

[@samuelarduino]

Nice video, Norway is a very very nice country! if taxes are your worry try Switzerland also a brilliant country where you can negotiate your taxes , provided your good for 10 milj plus USD........but anyway the taxlevel givesyou all you need healthcare education no poverty etc so reconsider!

[@lifeinnorway1]

Thanks for watching and for sharing your thoughts! 🇳🇴🇨🇭

[@carlrea]

Where would the best place to move to if weather was a major consideration? Great vid btw. Thank you 👍🏻

[@HomeWorkouts_LS]

If you mean warmer & more sunny - probably a little south of Oslo

[@carlrea]

@HomeWorkouts_LS Thank you.

[@lifeinnorway1]

The south coast has the "best" weather, but Norway is not a country to move to if you don't like cold weather or mild summers!

[@ShadowTani]

As someone who lives in Lofoten I can say that temperatures near the coast is relatively mild overall during winter, so if you avoid the inland areas you should be good - as long as the Gulf stream don't disappear that should remain true. Average temperatures near the coast isn't too far below zero C (32 F) at average even in the north, but if you want hot summers you need to go south as the average summer temperature up north is less than 20 C (68 F). However, if you prefer mild summers that don't give you heatstroke as long as the winters aren't too harsh then the northern coast climate isn't a bad deal.

[@youyouulf]

@@lifeinnorway1 Florida

[@NokiaDude]

What is the microphone you use at 0:50 called?

[@ExodiaSMASH]

How would one be able to learn Norway and its culture. I have always loved this land and snow and want to take my family.

[@lifeinnorway1]

You can start with my website at www.lifeinnorway.net :)

[@VidarLund-k5q]

There are classes in Norwegian for foreigners, and both languages are Germanic. The biggest problem for English speaking people is usually the pronounciation, really no prohibitive problem.

[@janhanchenmichelsen2627]

It is possible, but really not that easy immigrating from outside EU/EEA. A friend, sadly deceased, was married to a Canadian woman - and there was a LOT of hassle, very intricate paperwork and weird rules for her to move permanently. This also applied to him when they some years later moved to Canada. Among many other tasks, he had to prove this was not a marriage of convenience (not easy), document the validity of his seven year long "pre Bologna" Norwegian university education and pass a french language test to be able to work for public health service in Montreal. BTW: Learn some basic Norwegian. For English speakers it is not very hard, the formal languages are closely related - but the many Norwegian dialects can be harder to understand! Most Norwegian speak decent or even very good English, but the daily, working language will be Norwegian for 99 percent of the jobs.

[@lifeinnorway1]

Agree with all of this! Thanks for watching 🙌

[@SS-qo3nt]

There really should be more positive videos such as yours 🙂 All I ever run into are videos bemoaning how illegal immigration has destroyed all hope, or , Americans bemoaning what a tough run they had and how difficult evrything was and why they went back home.

[@lifeinnorway1]

Thanks for watching and for the kind comments! More videos like this coming.

[@AM-uk7jv]

As a dark Asian American man, would I stand out too much in Norway?

[@Mosern1977]

You'll be a minority for sure, but Norway has a substancial population from African and Asian countries. Specially in Oslo and the bigger cities you would not really stand out.

[@JoJo-vz5uy]

Very much so lol

[@Håkon-s5y]

Regarding English not being a benefit. It's a half-truth. Not many jobs require English skills, but it's very useful for comunicating until you learn Norwegian.

[@lifeinnorway1]

Your point is true but that's not the point I was making! Thanks for watching, anyway 🙌

[@ROBOTRIX_eu]

Thxs!

[@lifeinnorway1]

Thank you for watching! 🙌

[@mountain_goat1]

Love your channel and podcasts. Watching with interest from Australia too.👍🏼

[@MyVale13]

I am a US citizen and an Italian citizen. So I ama citizen of the EU. Would that help with a Shengen countey like Norway? My kids have dual citizenship too...I just hope that there are job openings for foreign nurses...

[@Mosern1977]

Yes. Massively. You are then an Italian and can just pack your bags and move to Norway. No questions asked. Just buy or rent a place, register with the police your new address (so that you will receive offical mail etc). That's it. (You do need to be able to sustain yourself though, aka not go on social welfare).

[@icarusandtherabbit]

Do you have one of these videos for an about-to-turn-50 years old Australian/UK citizen moving to Norway?

[@lifeinnorway1]

I don't, but it's basically the same rules.

[@JoJo-vz5uy]

What are the chances for a dual US and EU citizen to move there? Norway is my fav country because I’m outdoorsy.

[@lifeinnorway1]

It's much easier for an EU citizen to move. You can check the immigration guides on www.lifeinnorway.net for more.

[@peterz53]

Thanks. First Norway relocation video! Off the top of your head is there a route for a single retired American to move to Norway? Over 65. Annual retirement income (Social security and small work pension) of about $60,000 and net worth in high 6 figures in US dollars.

[@lifeinnorway1]

No, it’s very challenging for an American without family ties or a job offer in Norway to retire there, given the lack of a specific retirement visa or any kind of "self-sufficiency permit" for non-EU citizens. Some European countries offer residency by investment and/or wealth, but not Norway.

[@Mosern1977]

Consider if another EU country might be easier to get visa access to. Then when you have that, you can pretty much just move to Norway as Norway is part of the Schengen area.

[@peterz53]

@Mosern1977 thanks. Was born in Germany decades ago and then naturalized US. Recently started working on getting German citizenship.

[@herbrawling2955]

Peter...as per the video, could you start a business? Depending on your experience, maybe a small consulting job would work.

[@JEffinger]

Dont recommend it. Norway is great but it looks like the AMOC is shutting down and without the warm water from it Norway is going to freeze. Just compare the weather at the same latitude in Canada. That is going to be Norway's climate.

[@dlk6g]

What if you are retiring? What are the qualifications to move there in that case?

[@lifeinnorway1]

No, it’s very challenging for an American without family ties or a job offer in Norway to retire there, given the lack of a specific retirement visa or any kind of "self-sufficiency permit" for non-EU citizens. Some European countries offer residency by investment and/or wealth, but not Norway.

[@geddon436]

3:44 I stopped the video............".Europeans don't need work permit, to work in Norway, there is pool of 400 million people norweign companies can consider before they would ever need to consider U.S. person.

[@professordianaskole]

Yeah, I don’t think 400 million EU citizens have or are pursuing an PhD. And Fulbright has tons of K-10 English teacher positions. I was going to see about a PhD entirely in Norway but have decided to do only a year exchange there. And I wouldn’t expect any US companies to be able to stay open overseas much longer, with our economy heading into the toilet since none of the Dem programs that have reduced inflation and created millions of jobs are going to be expanded.

[@lifeinnorway1]

Thanks for watching, and enjoy your year in Norway! 🇳🇴

[@hikikomori69]

Thanks for the video. We are moving to Spain because my wife can get EU citizenship in 2 years there. That being said, Norway is a place I could see myself living at least part-time in the long-run once we have our EU passport. We will always be thankful and pay our taxes to Spain for giving us an out from the US, but I can say that I do plan on bringing my income and taxes to a country that is thankful for, and spends my taxes for the better of all. Im tired of spending $100k a year in taxes and seeing no benefits from my money. I LOVE the fact that in most of Europe (Norway included of course) you can see a benefit from your taxes. You can see a return from uour investment, and that is amazing. Im tired of my money not helping people through healthcare and infrastructure, rather going to bomb children in “3rd world” countries. Trump has hastened my exit, and for that I can say I’m thankful I guess? Lol

[@lifeinnorway1]

You're welcome! Getting "EU citizenship" from a third country is certainly a route that's open to some, albeit a complicated one. Thanks for watching 🙌

[@LisaFladager]

This is painting an overly positive picture about how easy it is to move to Norway. that's certainly not what I'm hearing from Americans who are trying to do it and those who have done it.

[@lifeinnorway1]

If what you took away was that it’s easy for Americans to move to Norway, I think you need to watch the video again! I said quite the opposite.

[@christobar]

DONT TEMPT ME FRODO

[@mr-vet]

🥶 ❄️🧊

[@lifeinnorway1]

Too cold for you? Well, thanks for watching anyway!

[@TararyzeMcg]

The women are so beautiful 😍

[@bakmeipanda8160]

Do you get many geordies coming across? Haway the toon, thats champion 😂

[@lifeinnorway1]

We get all kinds! Even a handful of mackems 🤫

[@nor-wayking6757]

We even have some 'Black Cats' coming here.

[@Steven-zh9mb]

Isn’t your government moving towards the far right? I have thought about moving to Norway, but if it’s just going to be one more domino that is going to fall in the realm of modern European right wing fascism, I’m not sure if it’s worth all of the time and investment. If you could be so kind to expand on this, I would truly appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

[@lifeinnorway1]

Well our current prime minister is from the Labour Party 🤷‍♀️

[@VidarLund-k5q]

Trump has inspired millions of US citizens to move abroad. Welcome to Norway. Free healthcare, free education, well developed public transport.

[@lifeinnorway1]

Yes but Norway is definitely not for everyone, that's for sure! Thanks for watching 🙌

[@IDriveAnAudi]

@@lifeinnorway1When I was there between March and August 1998, one of my many memories of living in an apartment in Oslo was the sun coming up around 3:30am with no blackout shades. 😂 Or going to the Vinmonopolet to buy wine or liqour only on the weekend with my ration stamps! It’s an amazingly beautiful country with a fundamentally different living experience than Americans are familiar with.

[@axllii]

@@IDriveAnAudi Ration cards? You must be joking! There hasn't been ration cards since WW2. Or maybe you meant queue ticket?

[@IDriveAnAudi]

@ Probably a queue ticket, and no offense meant. I just vividly recall having one place in the city to purchase liquor or wine and that you had a purchase limit. I bought beer at the grocery store. My memory could absolutely be wrong, but I know I couldn’t just go to a store on say a Tuesday night to buy a bottle.

[@axllii]

@@IDriveAnAudi Thanks for replying. My comment was meant to be funny. I clearly remember the queue tickets at the Wine Monopoly (they are still common at places like drug stores/pharmacies). The restrictive closing times and Wine Monopoly are related to the prohibition era in 1920s. Some trivia: Kevin Costners role in "The Untouchables" was a son of Norwegian immigrants named "Ness". You can say prohibition never really ended in Norway 🙂