Visit visa to Norway: how to invite family to visit

If family or friends from a country with visa requirements want to visit you in Norway, they need a visit visa. The visa covers stays of up to 90 days in the entire Schengen area, the fee is 90 euros, and the embassy normally responds within 15 days. Here is the whole process step by step.

What is a visit visa?

A visit visa is a permission to visit Norway and the rest of the Schengen area for up to 90 days within a period of 180 days. The period is rolling: no matter which day you count from, your guest can never have been in Schengen for more than 90 of the last 180 days.

A visit visa is suitable for vacation, family visits, weddings and other short stays. If your family wants to move to you permanently, completely different rules apply. Then you should read about the requirements for family reunification and SamfunnPrep's topic page on family immigration.

Who needs a visa – and who is visa-free?

Whether your guest needs a visa depends on their citizenship. Citizens of EU/EEA countries can travel freely to Norway. Citizens of many other countries – including the USA, the United Kingdom and Ukraine (with biometric passport) – are visa-free and can visit Norway without applying. The rule of maximum 90 days per 180-day period also applies to them.

Everyone else must apply for a visit visa before their trip. UDI (the Directorate of Immigration) has a list on udi.no of which countries have visa requirements. If your guest has a valid residence permit in another Schengen country, they do not need a separate visa to visit Norway. Also be aware that Schengen countries in 2026 register visitors from non-EU/EEA countries in the new Entry/Exit System (EES), with fingerprints and facial photos taken at the border.

If you yourself have a residence permit in Norway and are wondering how much you can travel, special rules apply – see the guide on how long you can be abroad with a residence permit.

How the visitor applies: step by step

The application is submitted in the country where the visitor lives – not in Norway. The process is as follows:

1. Fill out the application in the UDI online application portal.
2. Pay the fee. As of July 2026, the visa costs 90 euros for adults and children over 12 years old, 45 euros for children between 6 and 12 years old, and is free for children under 6 years old.
3. Book an appointment at the embassy or a visa application center (VFS). Documents can be submitted earliest six months before the trip.
4. Submit documents and biometrics (fingerprints and photo).
5. Wait for a response. The embassy decides most cases within 15 days. If the embassy is uncertain, the case is sent to UDI, which normally takes up to 45 days.

Apply with plenty of time in advance, but remember that the visa must be used within the dates you specify. Plan the trip first, and apply afterwards.

What documents and how much money is required?

The visitor must document the purpose of the trip and that they have enough money for the stay and return travel. The requirements as of July 2026:

In addition, the embassy assesses whether the visitor has reasons to return – that is, a job, family, studies or other ties to their home country that make it likely they will return home after the visit. This is the single most important factor in the assessment.

Sponsor form: how to help as someone living in Norway

If the visitor does not have enough money themselves, you can provide an economic guarantee as someone living in Norway. Then you fill out the UDI sponsor form and attach documentation of your income. Since 1 February 2022, you no longer need to have the form stamped by the police – it is sufficient to send the completed form to the visitor along with the invitation.

Write a clear invitation. It should contain who you are, your relationship to the visitor, where the visitor will stay, and how long the visit will last. A concrete and honest invitation makes the application easier to evaluate.

What happens if the application is rejected?

A rejection can be appealed within three weeks from when the visitor received the decision. The appeal is submitted to the embassy, which either reverses the decision itself or sends the case further to UDI. The most common reasons for rejection are doubt about return and missing documentation – both can often be corrected in a new and better documented application. SamfunnPrep has a separate guide on appealing a rejection from UDI.

Common mistakes that delay the application

• The travel insurance does not cover the entire stay or the entire Schengen area.
• The invitation is missing, or it does not explain the relationship between you.
• The bank statements do not show enough money, and the sponsor form is not filled out.
• The appointment at the application center is booked too late in the high season (May–August).
• The visitor applies for a longer stay than the documents cover.

Parents can visit you for up to nine months

Do your parents want to stay longer than 90 days? Parents with children in Norway can apply for a separate residence permit for a visit of up to nine months under the Immigration Act § 47. Important restrictions as of July 2026:

• You who live in Norway must normally have an income of at least 436 957 kroner per year before tax (the requirement applies to applications from 1 February 2025).
• The parents cannot work during the stay.
• The permit cannot be extended or renewed from Norway.
• After the visit, at least one year must pass before they can get a new such permit.
• The scheme does not apply if the child in Norway has residence under EU/EEA rules.

This permit does not provide grounds for permanent residence, but it is the simplest legal way to have parents on an extended visit.

Is your family planning a longer future in Norway? Many of the rules about immigration, family and rights are curriculum for the civic knowledge exam. Practice free on SamfunnPrep.