A foreign-registered car in Norway must be re-registered immediately upon establishing permanent residence — or declared for private storage. The 30 days many have heard about apply to something entirely different, and this misunderstanding is expensive.
Foreign-registered car in Norway: the main rule is "immediately"
There is no waiting period measured in days. The Regulation on temporary use of foreign-registered motor vehicles in Norway (FOR-1991-06-20-381) states in § 2 third paragraph that "temporary use shall cease" if you establish permanent residence in Norway.
The Tax Directorate's guidance on special car tax for 2026 is even clearer: use "must cease immediately," and you must "without delay" have the car customs-cleared and registered. If you do not, you violate the disclosure obligation under the Tax Administration Act §§ 8-3 to 8-5.
The 30 days refer to something else: the Public Roads Administration counts them from customs clearance and only until individual approval, while the Customs Authority counts them from border crossing. Calculate conservatively.
It is Skatteetaten that issues driving permits and collects the special car tax; Tolletaten receives the declaration at the border. The rules apply to passenger cars, vans, camper vans, motorcycles, ATVs, trailers and caravans. Three groups can use the car tax-free:
- people with permanent residence in another country (§ 3)
- people with temporary residence in Norway (§ 4 and § 4a)
- people who live permanently in Norway, but only in the cases in § 5
Also see the topic overview on working immigration to Norway.
Two exceptions that actually work for working immigrants
Only two of the exceptions in § 3 suit people who work in Norway, and only one of them allows you to be registered in the National Registry. If you live here, the exceptions in § 5 apply — see the table.
Family ties (§ 3 first paragraph no. 2). You can drive on foreign plates even if you are registered as living in Norway and work here, provided your spouse and/or children under 18 years old live in the other country and you visit them "normally at least once each month." Cohabitants are not counted as spouses. With less frequent visits, 4–5 visits to your home country per year are indicative, and you must be able to document your trips.
The 185-day rule (§ 3 first paragraph no. 4). Here you must either commute daily across the border, or spend at least 185 days in the other country during a twelve-month period. The guidance confirms that a person with full-time employment in Norway (normally 230 working days per year) "must commute daily."
If you are registered in the National Registry, you cannot in any case have personal ties outside Norway; "registration as temporarily absent is not sufficient." You must report a move if your residence lasts six months or more.
What applies to your situation?
The decisive factor is where you have permanent residence.
| Your situation | What applies | What you must do |
|---|---|---|
| Live in Norway, work here | No tax-free use | Register the car, or declare storage (§ 9) |
| Spouse/child under 18 in home country | § 3 no. 2, allows registry registration | Visit them each month; document it |
| Border commuter, drives daily | § 3 no. 4 | Do not be registered as living in Norway |
| Stay under one year (student etc.) | § 4: first year without application | Document the length; year two: apply for RF-1330 |
| Company car from foreign employer | § 5 letter i: up to 12 months, one car | Apply for RF-1332; car must be necessary and not used "significantly and permanently" here (183 days/km) |
| Rental car from abroad | § 5 letter c: 42 days per 12 months | Report electronically before import |
| Borrowed car from private person | § 5 letter k: 25 days per 12 months | Report electronically; borrower only |
Skatteetaten does not charge a fee for RF-1330, RF-1332 or the electronic notifications. The applications have at least 14 days' processing time; report or apply before import. You must have the driving permit in the car.
If you have collective protection under the Immigration Regulation § 7-5a, your residence counts as temporary for up to four years from the date the permit was issued — without application.
Can you bring the car in tax-free as moving goods?
No. Tolletaten writes that "Cars and other motor vehicles are not exempt from taxes in connection with moving" (the page was updated 27 November 2025).
Many websites nonetheless repeat the old "moving car" scheme: five years' residence abroad, separate registration time on the car and two years' sales prohibition. That regulation (FOR-2001-03-19-267) was repealed from 1 January 2002 (the last rules in 2005).
Household goods are another matter. On SamfunnPrep you can find the guide to tax-free moving goods.
How to register the car in Norway
The order is fixed: declare the car to Tolletaten in the red zone and pay 25 percent VAT, have it individually approved by Statens vegvesen, pay the special car tax and scrap tax to Skatteetaten, and register the car. The transit document normally gives 1–3 days to drive to the customs station.
Fixed amounts as of 7 August 2026:
- individual approval: 1,750 kroner for a car with permitted total weight up to and including 3,500 kg (rate from 1 February 2026)
- scrap tax: 2,400 kroner for a passenger car
- plates: 140 kroner per set of two
For passenger cars and vans, the special car tax is calculated based on kerb weight and CO2 emissions. The NOx component was removed from 1 January 2026; engine size is still used for camper vans. A wear allowance reduces the tax based on the car's age — 50 percent at 5 years and 90 percent at 10 years. Calculate your own amount in the import calculator at Skatteetaten.
Bring the foreign vehicle registration document (both parts for EU model), identification and a signed registration notification. Insurance must be arranged in advance, and the foreign plates are surrendered. The customs form NA-0221 is out of use from 1 January 2026.
What does it cost to be caught?
Special car tax and VAT are calculated afterward, and the claim is directed against the person using the car — not necessarily the owner.
The additional tax is 20 percent of the tax benefit (Tax Administration Act § 14-5 first paragraph). In case of intent or gross negligence, increased additional tax of 20 or 40 percent is added (§ 14-6 third paragraph) — up to 60 percent total.
The guidance opens a narrow door: "illegal use for up to approximately six weeks can be considered brief." Then the tax office can decide that the car is driven out of the country without special car tax — but this requires "special circumstances" and a first-time violation, and additional tax may still be imposed. Not knowing the rules does not help: "The clear starting point is that legal mistake is not excusable."
In a joint inspection that Skatteetaten, Statens vegvesen and the police mentioned on 11 April 2025, around 400 vehicles were checked over two days — with no findings of breaches of the rules for foreign-registered vehicles.
After registration: insurance, tax, toll fees and tyres
Four things you must keep control of, some already before registration.
Insurance. The Traffic Insurance Association reports (26 September 2025) that border insurance and Green Card insurance for a Norwegian owner cover only 30 days after import, and that new border insurance does not extend this period. After that the car is deemed uninsured and illegal to use on Norwegian roads. The fee of 150 kroner per day applies first when the car is in the Norwegian vehicle register. See what you need in terms of Norwegian car insurance and traffic insurance charge — the charge is 6.52 kroner per day for cars under 7,500 kg (rate from 1 March 2026).
EU inspection. Imported used vehicles are not called in for EU inspection for the first 12 months after registration, the Public Roads Administration reports.
Toll fees. With foreign plates and without an agreement, the owner is invoiced, and you can receive a lookup fee for looking up in your home country's vehicle register — for Polish plates 47.4 zloty from 1 May 2025. With Norwegian plates an AutoPASS transponder gives 20 percent discount per passage, but a transponder for light vehicles cannot be obtained at the border. This is how toll fees and AutoPASS work.
Winter tyres. From 1 November until and including the first Sunday after Easter you must have at least 3 millimeters tread depth — in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark from 16 October to and including 30 April. See the guide on winter tyres and studded tyres in Norway.
Transport and everyday rules are among the topics you meet on the society test. On SamfunnPrep you can practise free while you sort out the papers.
