Do you have a driving licence from an EU/EEA country, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland? You can convert it to a Norwegian driving licence without taking a new theory or practical driving test. You must complete an application, hand in the foreign licence to Statens vegvesen (the Norwegian Public Roads Administration), and pay a fee.
The process requires you to have a permanent residence in Norway and to be registered in folkeregisteret (the National Registry). Heavy categories have stricter requirements, including a health certificate from a doctor. Below you will find who can exchange a driving licence, which documents are needed, what it costs, how long it takes, and which deadlines you must watch in 2026. The same rules also apply to driving licences from Japan and Greenland, which are treated the same as EEA driving licences by the Norwegian authorities.
When must you exchange the foreign driving licence?
A valid EU/EEA driving licence can be used throughout Norway without time limitation. The same applies to driving licences from the United Kingdom and Switzerland — these are treated on equal footing with EEA driving licences by Statens vegvesen. You can therefore continue to use the foreign licence for as long as it is valid, and you drive in categories that correspond to a Norwegian driving entitlement.
Many people still choose to exchange for a Norwegian driving licence. A Norwegian card is easier to renew, gives better integration with Norwegian systems, and removes the risk of losing your driving entitlement if the foreign licence expires. If you plan to live in Norway over a longer period, it is worthwhile to exchange early.
To be eligible to exchange, you must be registered as permanently resident in folkeregisteret (the National Registry). Students from an EEA country can also exchange if they have studied in Norway for at least 185 days. You must also meet the Norwegian health requirements — this applies regardless of where the driving licence is issued. If your doctor considers that you do not meet the health requirements, he or she has a duty to notify Statsforvalteren (the County Governor). Also read our guide on fødselsnummer and d-number if you have recently moved to Norway and are still working on ID registration.
Practical tip: Start the process in good time if the foreign driving licence is about to expire. If it expires before you have applied, you may lose the right to a direct exchange and must take the full Norwegian driving test.
Exchanging an EU/EEA driving licence step by step
Statens vegvesen processes all applications for exchange. You must book an appointment at a trafikkstasjon (traffic station / driver licensing office) and submit the papers in person. The application itself is on paper, and you fill it in either at the station or in advance. A self-declaration of health must not be filled in for an ordinary exchange of light categories.
The process follows five main steps:
- Book an appointment at a trafikkstasjon at vegvesen.no
- Complete the application form for an exchange of driving licence
- Attend with the original foreign driving licence, valid identification, and a passport photo
- Pay the fee for issuing the Norwegian driving licence
- Receive a temporary driving permit while you wait for the new card
The foreign driving licence is handed in and returned to the issuing country. You will not get the old card back. If you later move out of Norway, you may need to apply for a new driving licence in the country you move to.
You do not need to take a new theory or practical driving test for an ordinary EU/EEA driving licence. The Norwegian licence is issued in the same category as the foreign one, as long as the categories correspond to each other under Norwegian regulations. Processing time is normally two to four weeks. With a temporary driving permit, you can continue to drive lawfully in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland while you wait.
Practical tip: Book an appointment at least three weeks before the foreign driving licence expires, so that you avoid being left without a valid driving entitlement.
British and Swiss driving licences follow the same rules
The United Kingdom left the EU in 2020, but Norway has its own agreements that mean British driving licences are still treated the same as EEA driving licences. The same applies to driving licences from Switzerland, which has never been a member of the EU or the EEA, but which has a reciprocal agreement with Norway.
In practice this means:
- You can use the British or Swiss licence without a time limit, as long as it is valid
- You can exchange it for a Norwegian driving licence without a theory or practical driving test
- The application process follows the same steps as for EU/EEA driving licences
It does not matter whether the British licence was issued before or after Brexit. Statens vegvesen still processes it under the EEA rules. Swiss driving licences follow the same practice as long as the card is a more recent plastic card model.
If your EEA, British, or Swiss driving licence was originally exchanged from a third country (for example Russia, Morocco, or the Philippines), you may lose the right to a direct exchange. An exception applies if you have held a valid EU/EEA driving licence continuously for at least 10 years before moving to Norway.
The Norwegian authorities also offer exchange for driving licences from Japan and Greenland. These countries are listed alongside the UK and Switzerland by Statens vegvesen, but the documentation requirements may vary somewhat.
Practical tip: Check which model of driving licence you actually have. Paper format from before 1998 is generally not accepted. Ask the issuing country for a more recent plastic card before you move to Norway.
Documents and fees for exchanging a driving licence
Statens vegvesen requires several documents for the exchange of a driving licence. You must attend in person at a trafikkstasjon (traffic station / driver licensing office) and cannot complete the process entirely digitally. Remember to bring the originals — copies are not accepted, and you must attend again if anything is missing.
The documents you must bring:
- Original foreign driving licence (not a copy)
- Valid passport or national ID card with photo
- Documentation of your Norwegian D-nummer (temporary national ID for non-residents) or fødselsnummer (Norwegian national ID number)
- Completed application form for the exchange
- A passport photo that meets the requirements set by Statens vegvesen
The fee for issuing a Norwegian driving licence is the same as for other new driving licences in Norway. Statens vegvesen updates the rates annually. In 2026 the price is around 350 kroner for the card itself, plus any case processing. Check the exact rates at vegvesen.no before booking an appointment.
You book an appointment via the Statens vegvesen website. The trafikkstasjoner in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, and Stavanger often have long waiting times — often several weeks. In smaller municipalities the waiting time is shorter. You can choose to send the application by post, but in that case you do not receive a temporary driving permit while the application is being processed.
If you are planning a longer stay in Norway, it can also be wise to read our guide on requirements for a permanent residence permit. It covers other documents that you will most likely need to arrange in the same period.
Practical tip: Download and complete the application form at home before your appointment. The visit to the trafikkstasjon will then go much faster.
Health certificate and validity for the new driving licence
Light driving licence categories (AM, A, B, BE) receive the same validity as the foreign card, or a maximum of 15 years from issue in Norway. Heavy categories require more documentation. This applies to lorries (C, CE, C1, C1E), buses (D, DE), and minibuses (D1, D1E).
You must provide a health certificate from a doctor in these cases:
- The foreign driving entitlement in heavy categories has expired
- You have had permanent residence in Norway for more than five years
- You turn 60 or older and apply for heavy categories
The health certificate must not be older than three months when Statens vegvesen receives it. Ask your GP to send the certificate digitally to Statens vegvesen — this is the quickest way. If your doctor does not have digital access, you can submit a paper certificate yourself or send it by post to your local trafikkstasjon.
Heavy categories receive a validity of five years from the date the health certificate was issued, or from when you took up permanent residence in Norway — whichever is shorter. After this, the driving entitlement must be renewed with a new health certificate. Light categories are normally renewed every 15 years without a health certificate, but the requirement changes when you turn 80.
If you move to Norway and your driving licence is close to expiring, do not wait. You must start the application while the licence is still valid. Otherwise you risk losing the right to a direct exchange — in the worst case you must go through the full Norwegian driving test with theory and a practical driving test.
Practical tip: Book an appointment with your GP for a health certificate the same week as you book an appointment with Statens vegvesen to exchange your driving licence. That way you avoid unnecessary delays.