Seasonal work in Norway: rules and requirements 2026

Seasonal work in Norway: who can get a permit?

As of 6 July 2026, you can get a permit as a seasonal worker when the work can only be done during a limited part of the year. You can also get a permit if you will be a holiday temp for a permanent employee.

Typical examples are harvesting in agriculture, work in horticulture, work in forestry, fish processing, and extra work in restaurants, hotels, or tourism during high season. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) says as of 6 July 2026 that the restaurant, hotel, and tourism industries in particular may be seasonal in the period from May to September. This guide should be read together with workers' rights in Norway, because seasonal workers have normal labour rights.

As of 6 July 2026, you must have a job before you apply. You do not need vocational education for seasonal work. You still have to fit the requirements for the applicant, the job, and the employer.

What requirements apply to you and the job offer?

As of 6 July 2026, the job must be full-time for the entire period you will be in Norway. An offer of a little work, on-call work, or just a few shifts is not enough for a seasonal work permit.

UDI sets these requirements as of 6 July 2026:

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You must have a concrete offer of full-time work.
• You may have more than one employer, but you must have a concrete offer from each employer.
• The work must be seasonal work or a holiday replacement for a permanent employee.
• It must be likely that you can return to your home country when the work is finished.
• Pay and working conditions cannot be worse than what is normal in Norway.

As of 6 July 2026, the employer must in many cases confirm the job offer before you can submit the application from abroad. You then receive a code from the employer, and you enter the code in the application form. If you have several employers, UDI says as of 6 July 2026 that only one of them must send the confirmation form.

The application fee for a work residence permit for applicants over 18 is NOK 6,300 as of 6 July 2026. The fee can change, so always check UDI before you pay.

When is NAV confirmation needed?

As of 6 July 2026, the employer usually needs confirmation from NAV, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration. The confirmation must show that it is not possible to find enough workers from Norway or the European Economic Area (EEA) for the job.

The important exception is agriculture and forestry. As of 6 July 2026, UDI says the employer does not need NAV confirmation when the work is in agriculture or forestry. For seasonal work outside agriculture, such as hotels, restaurants, or tourism, NAV must assess the need for workers from outside the EU/EEA.

This is a point many people forget. Ask the employer to clarify the NAV confirmation early. On SamfunnPrep you can also use practical tools for newcomers in Norway to keep track of documents and deadlines.

What is not seasonal work?

As of 6 July 2026, not all temporary work counts as seasonal work. The work must be tied to a season, or you must replace a permanent employee who is on normal holiday.

UDI says as of 6 July 2026 that the following do not count as seasonal work:

• carpentry
• painting
• other crafts
• ordinary maintenance or restoration
• stable care of animals and general farm work that must be done all year

This means a job can be short but still not be seasonal work. If a hotel needs extra staff in July, that can be seasonal. If a construction site needs painters for three months, that is normally not seasonal work. You should therefore check the actual tasks, not just the length of the contract.

Pay, minimum pay, and the contract

As of 6 July 2026, you must be guaranteed an hourly wage, and the pay conditions cannot be worse than normal in Norway. Norway does not have a statutory minimum wage in all industries, but as of 6 July 2026, the Labour Inspection Authority has statutory minimum pay rates in ten industries.

For seasonal work, these rates are often important. The rates below applied from 15 June 2025 and were listed as current as of 6 July 2026:

As of 6 July 2026, the Labour Inspection Authority also says overtime supplements in agriculture and horticulture must be at least 40 percent of the hourly rate unless better terms have been agreed. Check pay against minimum wage in Norway before you sign.

You should have a written employment contract with working hours, pay, workplace, period, housing deductions if any, and the employer's name. Also read the guide to employment contracts in Norway before you travel.

How long can you stay in Norway as a seasonal worker?

As of 6 July 2026, you cannot stay in Norway as a seasonal worker for more than six months within a 12-month period. If you have had a seasonal work permit for six months, you must be outside Norway for six months before you can get a new seasonal work permit.

UDI counts the quarantine period as of 6 July 2026 from the expiry date of the previous permit. If you can document with a passport stamp that you left earlier, UDI can calculate the quarantine period from the day you left Norway.

Time on a seasonal work permit does not count as of 6 July 2026 when you later apply for permanent residence. Your family also does not have its own right to residence so they can live with you in Norway on the basis of this permit.

If you have already applied, you usually must wait to start working until you have received an answer as of 6 July 2026. So plan the start date with the employer, and do not travel or start work without checking what UDI says for your situation.

Checklist before you apply

As of 6 July 2026, you should check these points before you submit the application:

• The job is full-time for the whole period.
• The job is seasonal work or a holiday replacement for a permanent employee.
• You have a concrete offer from each employer.
• The employer has arranged NAV confirmation if it is needed.
• The hourly wage is clearly stated and is not lower than the relevant minimum pay or normal wage.
• The employment contract shows working hours, workplace, period, and any deductions.
• You can afford the application fee and know that the fee can change.

Seasonal work in Norway can be a good opportunity, but the rules are strict. Use the date 6 July 2026 when comparing the information in this article with UDI, NAV, and the Labour Inspection Authority.

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