Driving licence in Norway – swapping your licence, importing a car, tolls and bus fares
Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →
Your foreign driving licence may carry you for three months, six months or longer in Norway, depending on where it was issued. Here is how the exchange works, what importing a car involves, the tyre rules, and what tolls and public transport cost in 2026.
What your driving licence allows in Norway depends above all on where it was issued. Statens vegvesen (the Norwegian Public Roads Administration) handles licences, exchanges and vehicle registration. Getting around without a car changed in price in 2026, too: Ruter in Oslo cut the adult 30-day ticket for Zone 1 from NOK 805 to NOK 655 on 3 May 2026, Skyss in Bergen has had a new price list since 1 May 2026, and since February 2026 a new national scheme lets the companion of someone with a companion certificate travel free.
Can I drive in Norway on my foreign driving licence?
For a while, usually yes – depending on the country that issued it. A licence from outside the EU/EEA must also be issued by a country that is party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, follow the Vienna Convention model, or include text in English, French or German.
| Licence issued in | What applies in Norway |
|---|---|
| An EU/EEA country | Can be exchanged for the corresponding Norwegian category, without new tests |
| An EU/EEA country, but itself swapped from a non-EU/EEA licence | Up to three months, unless you held a valid EU/EEA driving entitlement for at least ten continuous years before moving |
| The UK or Switzerland | The same rights as a licence from an EEA country |
| Japan | Three months for all categories, but one year for category B (car) |
| Ukraine | Valid for as long as Norway offers Ukrainians temporary collective protection |
| Any other country outside the EU/EEA | Three months from arrival; up to six months with a residence permit and an employment contract of more than three months, both carried when you drive |
Source: Statens vegvesen, read 23 September 2026.
How do I exchange my driving licence in Norway?
An EU/EEA licence is exchanged for a Norwegian one in the corresponding category, with no new tests. Your old licence goes back to the country that issued it, and the Norwegian licence is valid throughout the EU/EEA. Light categories – moped, car, motorcycle, snowmobile and tractor – are normally valid for 15 years. Heavy categories such as lorry and bus keep the validity of your old licence, or run for five years from when you took up normal residence, whichever is shorter.
For heavy categories you also need an original health certificate, no more than three months old, if your foreign entitlement has expired or you have lived in Norway for more than five years. Transitional rules apply if you settled here before 19 January 2013 with an EU/EEA licence issued before then.
From outside the EU/EEA, only a short list of countries qualifies. Statens vegvesen states plainly that there is no deadline to apply after you settle – contrary to the three-year rule you may see cited elsewhere. If you apply within your first three months, you may get a temporary driving permit, and once the exchange is granted you have two years to pass the required theory and practical tests.
| Licence from | Exchange possible? | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Australia, Canada, Israel, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, South Korea or the USA | Yes | Theory and practical tests within two years of approval; processing normally takes up to four weeks |
| The UK, Switzerland, Japan or Greenland | Yes, under separate rules | See Statens vegvesen's page for your country |
| Any other country outside the EU/EEA | No | It cannot be exchanged |
Source: Statens vegvesen, read 23 September 2026.
The category B theory test can be taken in Norwegian (Bokmål or Nynorsk), Sami, English, Sorani, Arabic (MSA) or Turkish. Book an appointment online before you visit a trafikkstasjon (driver and vehicle licensing office), because walk-ins are not accepted.
How do I import a car to Norway?
A car is never exempt from customs duty and other taxes when you move, even if your household goods are, according to Tolletaten (Norwegian Customs). As a private person you go through three steps.
| Step | What | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Declare the car and pay 25% VAT on its value plus freight and insurance, plus greenhouse gas tax | Tolletaten, at the border |
| 2 | Pay the engangsavgift (one-off registration tax) | Skatteetaten (the Norwegian Tax Administration) |
| 3 | Have the car approved and registered | Statens vegvesen |
Source: Tolletaten and Skatteetaten, read 23 September 2026.
On an electric car, VAT is charged only on the part of its value above NOK 300,000. The engangsavgift is based on the car's tax group, kerb weight, CO2 and NOx emissions and cylinder capacity, and for some vehicles engine power. You can also apply for an alternative calculation based on price and mileage instead of the car's age.
| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Driving on foreign plates | Up to 30 days after customs clearance, with valid plates, registration document and insurance |
| VAT not paid at the border | Pay at another designated customs office within a deadline, usually 1–3 days |
| Paying by credit card | Free up to NOK 100,000; private individuals cannot pay more than that by card |
| Alternative calculation of engangsavgift | Apply no more than 15 days after registration |
Source: Tolletaten and Skatteetaten, read 23 September 2026.
What are the tyre rules in Norway?
Tyre rules follow the season and the region. Piggdekk (studded tyres) are allowed only in the winter period, and outside it only if road conditions require them.
| Rule | Most of Norway | Nordland, Troms and Finnmark |
|---|---|---|
| Winter period | 1 November to the first Sunday after Easter Monday | 16 October to 30 April |
| Minimum tread depth in winter | 3 mm | 3 mm |
| Minimum tread depth in summer | 1.6 mm | 1.6 mm |
Source: Statens vegvesen, read 23 September 2026.
How do tolls and AutoPASS work in Norway?
AutoPASS, the toll system run under Statens vegvesen, rewards you for signing up. With a valid user agreement and a tag fitted, vehicles in charge group 1 – up to 3,500 kg, plus all M1 passenger cars regardless of weight – get 20% off tolls nationwide. Zero-emission vehicles with a valid tag get between 30% and 100% off, depending on the toll project.
What does public transport cost in Norway's big cities?
Each big city has its own operator, and prices differ.
| City | Operator | Adult 30-day ticket, one zone | Adult single ticket, one zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oslo | Ruter | NOK 655 (Zone 1), from 3 May 2026 | NOK 46 in the app or on a travel card |
| Bergen | Skyss | NOK 700, from 1 May 2026 | NOK 51 |
| Trondheim | AtB | NOK 649 | Ask AtB |
| Stavanger | Kolumbus | From NOK 550 | Ask Kolumbus |
Source: Ruter, Skyss, AtB and Kolumbus, read 23 September 2026.
| Who | Discount |
|---|---|
| Children, seniors (67 and over) and NAV concession card holders, Skyss | About half price |
| Students, Skyss | 40% off single, 24-hour, 7-day and 30-day tickets |
| Age 16 to 20, Skyss | 30-day youth ticket for all zones in Vestland: NOK 350 |
| Ten or more adults buying together, Skyss | 17% off |
| Companion of someone with a companion certificate | Free travel, national scheme since February 2026 |
| Asylum seekers living in Oslo, Ruter | Free travel in Zone 1 with valid asylum-seeker ID |
Source: Skyss and Ruter, read 23 September 2026.
Free travel for holders of a Ukrainian passport in Oslo and Akershus ended on 1 July 2025. All asylum seekers get free travel instead; those in reception centres in Akershus get tickets for local travel up to one zone.
What to do now
| Step | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Find your row in the licence table above | Before you arrive |
| 2 | Carry your residence permit and employment contract if you rely on the six-month rule | Every time you drive |
| 3 | Apply to exchange your licence, if your country is on the list | Within your first three months, to be able to get a temporary permit |
| 4 | Book an appointment before visiting a trafikkstasjon | Before you go – walk-ins are not accepted |
| 5 | Declare an imported car and pay the VAT | At the border |
| 6 | Check that your tyres have at least 3 mm of tread | From 1 November, or 16 October in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark |
| 7 | Questions: Statens vegvesen, +47 22 07 30 00 | Monday to Friday, 09:00–14:00 |
Source: Statens vegvesen and Tolletaten, read 23 September 2026.
Official sources
The official pages this guide is based on, read 23 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.
- Statens vegvesen – Exchanging a driving licence from an EU/EEA country · vegvesen.no
- Statens vegvesen – Using an EU/EEA driving licence in Norway · vegvesen.no
- Statens vegvesen – Using a driving licence from a non-EU/EEA country in Norway · vegvesen.no
- Statens vegvesen – Exchange of driving licences from countries outside the EU/EEA · vegvesen.no
- Statens vegvesen – Exchange of driving licences from Australia, Canada, Israel, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino,… · vegvesen.no
- Statens vegvesen – Krav til dekk (personbil/MC) · vegvesen.no
- Tolletaten – Import av bil og andre kjøretøy · toll.no
- Tolletaten – Betaling av merverdiavgift ved import av bil · toll.no
- Skatteetaten – How to import (importing cars) · skatteetaten.no
- AutoPASS (Statens vegvesen) – Takstar og rabattar · autopass.no
- Ruter – Priser (official price list PDF, "Prices from 1 August 2026") · ruter.no
- Ruter – news: "Who decides the ticket prices for public transportation?" · ruter.no
- Ruter – Season ticket page · ruter.no
- Skyss – Buses, Light Rail and some boat connections: prices · skyss.no
Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.