EXCHANGING YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE

Be sure to enter Norway with a valid driver's license that is not about to expire. Even if you don't intend to buy a car, your driver's license can come in handy if you ever need to rent a car while on holiday. There are different regulations for EU license holders and other expat driver’s licence holders. Up-to-date information on driver’s licenses can be found on the road authority’s, Vegvesenet, website.

Coming from the European Union

EU nationals can drive with their home country license in Norway. When the license expires you will go through a renewal process in Norway and receive a Norwegian license. This does not require any tests.

Coming from Outside the European Union

If you have a non-EU license, you can only drive in Norway using your home country license for three months from the day you were registered as a Norwegian resident. If you want to drive in Norway for longer than that, you will need to apply to the road authorities, Vegvesenet, to exchange your license for a Norwegian driver’s license. If you plan to drive while in Norway, you should start the process soon after you arrive. The deadlines for exchange are explained on Vegvesenet's website.

In order to get a Norwegian license check the exchange requirements. You must hand in the Vegvesen application form, your valid license, passport copy, work permit, residence certificate (bostedsattest) from Skatteetaten which should state your address and person number. You may also need paperwork proving how long you have lived abroad. This all should be turned in at the Vegvesen in Stavanger. Once the paperwork is processed, you will receive a letter in the mail stating “søknad om norsk førerkort innbytte godkjent” which indicates that your application has been accepted. At this point you can be issued a temporary Norwegian driver’s license that is valid for one year from your move to Norway. Before the temporary license expires you must register for and pass the Norwegian practical driving exam. The driving exam costs a little over NOK 1000.

You will need to contact a local driving school in order to get access to a vehicle for the exam. (Be aware that there are often one to three month waiting lists for driving school classes and practical exam dates.) Driving schools may require you to take a few classes, which are often wise to take and helpful if you are not familiar with specific rules for driving in Norway. Depending on the driving school, each session costs approximately NOK 700. When you feel ready to take the test, your driving school can instruct you on how to sign up for the practical test or you can sign up on vegvesen.no. You can ask for an English-speaking examiner.

If you are uncomfortable driving a manual (stick-shift/gear-stick) vehicle, you can take an automatic-only exam. However, this only allows you to drive automatic vehicles. A new test would have to be taken in order to switch your license to drive both automatic and manual cars.

You can estimate to use a minimum of NOK 6000 on exchanging your license. Expenses will include a few driving lessons, the practical test, a car for the practical test, license photo and the plastic card.

According to Vegvesenet, you must pass the practical driving test for a passenger car within the one-year deadline. If you fail your first attempt, you have to complete compulsory night driving instruction, first aid and a safety and skidpan driving course, in addition to passing the theory test and the practical driving test. This is also the case if you apply after the one-year deadline, or if you submit your application for exchange so late that it is not possible to make the exchange before the one-year deadline. In this case, the deadline for making the exchange will be two years from the date you took up normal residence or moved back to Norway. After this deadline, you lose the right to exchange your driving licence, and you will then have to obtain a new driving licence as a first-time licence applicant in Norway. The entire Norwegian driving instruction process is quite pricey and cumbersome.

It may be helpful for you to obtain a duplicate copy of your license at home before coming. This is not a license you should use when living in Norway but may make it easier for you if you choose to move home again.

IMPORTING VEHICLES

Occasionally families have shipped their cars to Norway. While this may be possible, there are very strict regulations. Please be aware that it can be quite pricey to import a vehicle to Norway. Some expats have experienced that the process is more expensive than the car is worth.

For information about importing see Skatteetaten, the tax authority webpage.

For information about registration see the New in Norway Guide.

Vehicles brought to Norway from other countries with a gross vehicle weight of 3,500 kg or less must be inspected during the course of the fourth calendar year after first-time registration. After that, the vehicle must be inspected every other year.

BUYING/LEASING CARS

Leasing and buying cars are both possible in the Stavanger area.

We do not recommend buying a car without seeing it or test-driving it. Stavanger is a town with many used cars for sale, most are listed on Finn.no.

When purchasing a vehicle, the change of ownership must be reported to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. Wait to purchase a car until you have your Norwegian personal identity number, you need this to register a change of ownership of a motor vehicle in Norway.

Fun fact: Older cars do not have DAB radio and most FM channels are not in use in Norway.

For more info about purchasing used vehicles, see the New in Norway Guide.

Information About Vehicle Purchase and Maintenance

It is important to familiarise oneself with regulations for vehicle maintenance. See the guide on Relocation.no.

PERIODIC VEHICLE INSPECTION
All vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 3,500 kg or less must be inspected every other year by an approved testing station to make sure that the car meets EU standards for emissions and other vehicle requirements. This is called EU-kontroll. Vehicle owners are responsible for booking a date for the inspection. On Vegvesen.no you can find out when your vehicle was last inspected and when the car is due for the next inspection. This can be smart to look at when buying a used car. For more information see the New in Norway Guide.

CAR INSURANCE

All drivers must have liability insurance that covers any damage or injury inflicted on other people or objects. Norwegian car insurance is set up using a "bonus" system. For every year of accident-free driving, 10% of the insurance premium is deducted, up to a maximum of 75%. Accident-free driving years in another country often count. If you are considering buying a car in Norway and have a clean driving record, you should have your insurance agent write a report stating that you have driven without accidents for however many years. Part of your insurance payment is an annual motor vehicle tax collected by the insurance companies.

There are several roadside assistance and rescue companies including NAF, Falck Redning, and Viking Redningstjeneste.