Hire in Norway
Kingdom of Norway — 5.5 million population, $82,830 GDP per capita. Everything you need to know about employment law, tax, compliance and hiring in Norway.
Capital
Oslo
Currency
Norwegian Krone (NOK)
Languages
Norwegian (Bokmal, Nynorsk), Sami
Time zones
UTC+1 (CET) / UTC+2 (CEST)
Hiring overview
- Typical time to hire
- 2-3 weeks for contractor, 3-6 weeks for full-time
- Entity requirement
- Norwegian AS (aksjeselskap). Registration at Bronnoysundregistrene.
- EOR available
- Yes — from $399/employee/month through a Corpshore entity
- Contractor of record
- Yes — from $39/worker/month
Employment law
- Standard workweek
- 37.5 hours (typical); statutory maximum 40 hours
- Maximum weekly hours
- 40 hours
- Minimum annual leave
- 25 working days (4 weeks + 1 day statutory; many agreements add 5 more)
- Public holidays
- 10 per year
- Maternity leave
- 49 weeks at 100% or 59 weeks at 80% (shared parental, with reserved quotas for each parent)
- Paternity leave
- 15 weeks reserved (fedrekvote) from the shared parental pot
- Notice period
- 1-6 months depending on tenure and age
- Severance
- No statutory severance, but negotiated termination packages are common.
- Probation
- 6 months
- Overtime rules
- 40% premium (weekdays), 100% (Sundays/holidays). Maximum 200 overtime hours per year.
Tax overview
- Income tax range
- 22% flat on ordinary income + bracket tax 1.7-17.4% on personal income
- Corporate tax
- 22%
- Social contributions
- Employer: 14.1%. Employee: 7.9%. Employer pays arbeidsgiveravgift to NAV.
- VAT / GST
- 25% (standard); 15% (food); 12% (transport, culture)
- Tax year
- Calendar year
- Treaty network
- Over 80 tax treaties
Compliance landscape
- Worker classification
- Arbeidsmiljoloven (Working Environment Act) defines employment broadly. Self-employment (enkeltpersonforetak) exists but is scrutinised.
- Data protection
- GDPR (incorporated via EEA agreement) + Personopplysningsloven. Datatilsynet enforces.
- Right to work
- EEA nationals: free movement. Non-EEA: skilled worker permit required. Registration at UDI.
- Non-compete
- Regulated since January 2016. Maximum 1 year. Employer must pay 100% of salary up to 8G, 70% above. Can be waived with 3 months notice.
- Collective bargaining
- Norwegian model: tripartite cooperation. Collective agreements cover ~70% of workers. Unions and employer organisations negotiate centrally.
Payment rails
NICS (Norwegian Interbank Clearing System) handles transfers. Vipps (mobile payments) is ubiquitous. Norway is nearly cashless.
Key considerations for hiring
- Norwegian salaries are among the highest globally, reflecting the high cost of living
- Strong employee protections make termination difficult and expensive
- Not an EU member but part of the EEA, giving near-full single-market access
- Government Pension Fund Global (world's largest sovereign wealth fund) shapes economic policy
Business and cultural context: Norway
Business culture
Egalitarian, consensus-driven, and low-hierarchy. Norwegian dugnad culture (voluntary communal work) extends to workplaces. Direct communication style. Work-life balance is paramount.
Key industries
Talent pool strengths
Historical context
Norway's Government Pension Fund Global (Oil Fund), valued at over $1.5 trillion, invests oil and gas revenues for future generations. The fund owns ~1.5% of all publicly listed shares globally. This sovereign wealth model, combined with the tripartite Norwegian labour model, creates one of the world's most stable and productive economies.
Ready to hire in Norway?
Use our EOR service from $399/month and we handle employment law, payroll, tax and compliance in Norway for you.