Norway, the Land of the Midnight Sun, is a traveller’s envy and a paradise for the nature admirers. Situated in the northwestern part of Europe, the picturesque country with its lush greenery and snow-clad mountains allures tourists from all over the world. Indian travellers too, yearn to explore the splendid country and immerse into its natural beauty. The first step for it is to apply for the Norway Visa. This article will provide you a comprehensive guide on the procedures and the documents required for Norway Visa.
Content:
- Types of Noway visa
- Documents required for Norway visa application
- Photograph specifications
- How to fill Norway visa application form
- Where to submit visa application? & Norway Embassy in India
- Noway visa fees
- Visa processing time
- Norway visa extension
- Visa application process
- FAQ
What are the different types of Norway Visa?
Depending on the purpose of the visit, there are different types of Norway visa for Indians:
- Norway tourist visa – for tourism or visiting friends and family, medical purposes, sports, religious, film events, academic learning, spouse of a Norwegian citizen.
- Norway business visa – for business meeting and discussions with any company or firm in Norway.
- Norway work visa – for a stay in Norway due to work for more than 90 days. It is also known as the residence permit wherein a person can stay in Norway for a longer duration.
Tip: Apply for your Norway visa at least 15 days in advance of your date of travel.
It is advisable not to book travel tickets unless you get the final result of your visa approval. And if booked you must ensure the tickets are refundable.Hotel bookings must be done under refundable option or booked at cheap rates to avoid monetary loss in case of visa rejection or unusual delays.
What are the documents required for applying for a Norway Visa?
Norway visa for Indians mandates the documents mentioned below, to be submitted at the authorized Norway visa application centers:
- Your passport must be valid for 6 months from the date of application of your visa
- Photocopies of the first and last pages of your passport
- Passport must contain at least 2 blank pages for the visa stamping
- Two photographs as per the specifications (Mentioned below)
- Duly filled and signed Norway visa application form. (Learn how to fill the application form below)
- A confirmation on the return date and reservation details of the tickets
- Residential proof in India eg. Voter’s card, passport address
- Proof of the accommodation for the stay duration in Norway. For example a hotel reservation or the residence proof of the friend or relative whom you will be visiting.
- Evidence of adequate funds available during the entire stay duration in Norway
- Travel health insurance of a minimum amount of 30,000 Euro
- For Norway business visa, you need to provide last 6 months bank statement, employment proof, invitation letter from the employer and Income Tax return acknowledgement forms
- In case you are self-employed then you need to provide the company bank statement for 6 months, a proof of the company’s registration and the Income Tax returns
- For a student, it is mandatory to submit the enrollment proof and letter from the school or the university for the Norway Schengen visa
- For a Norway tourist visa, it is essential to provide an invitation letter from your family or friend. If you are travelling through any travel agency, then you need to submit a letter from the agency office situated in Norway
- Indian nationals visiting Norway for medical treatments need to provide medical proof of their health condition. They also need to submit the appointment and payment details in a hospital or a doctor in Norway
- Spouses of Norwegian citizens need to provide the marriage certificate and the evidence of citizenship
Norway visa application for under-aged children requires submission of income evidence of parents or guardian and consent from parents or guardian for their travel to Norway
Read: How to write a convincing Invitation letter for visa
Please Note: Under-aged children need to be occupied by their parents or guardians while attending the interview at the Norway visa application centers.
What are the photograph specifications for a Norway Visa?
While applying for a Norway Schengen visa, it is advisable to strictly follow the specifications to avoid visa delay or rejection. The rules are enlisted below:
- The photograph must not be older than 6 months from the date of Norway visa application
- It should be coloured on a white or light background
- The face should be directly looking at the camera and should not be tilted
- Your head should occupy almost 70 – 80% of the total photo area
- The size of the photo must be 35mm X 45mm
- The facial expression must be normal
- The face must be clearly visible
Read More: Guide To Visa Photo Size Requirements
Tip: Wear a dress with contrasting colour to the background. Try to click the photo in studios which specialize in Visa photography.
How to fill up the application form for a Norway Visa?
The Norway visa for Indians mandates to fill up an application form.You can also login to the portal with your email id. An account needs to be first created for logging into the portal.
The particulars to be filled in the Visa application form are:
- Name, date, place, and country of birth
- Marital status
- Passport details including the passport number, issue, and expiry dates, address and contact numbers
- Current occupation details
- Purpose of the visit
- Past Schengen visas
- Details of the family or friend whom you will be visiting in Norway. In case it is a business visa, details of the employer need to be filled up
- The details of the expenses
Once the form is filled up, it must be signed and submitted. After submission, you will receive an email with a cover letter. A print out of the cover letter must be obtained and submitted along with the required documents. The cover letter must be signed before submission.
Also read: A quick guide to your Austria Visa
A reference number is generated after submitting the form. Norway visa tracking can be done from the online portal by using the reference number.
Tip: It is recommended to refer a sample application form while filling up the details. Please ensure saving the form at each step to avoid losing data in case of a connectivity issue. Before submitting the form, it is advisable to take a print out of the form and check for any incorrect data or mistakes.
Did you know?
The Embassy of Norway has the discretion to correct any mistakes in the application form. Thus, eliminating the need of the applicant to submit another form in case of any error.
Where to submit the Visa application form and the required documents for a Norway Visa?
All applicants for Norway visa must take a prior appointment at the authorized visa application centers. They need to appear in person for the interview and the biometric along with the passport, print out of the application form and the mandatory documents.
The embassy and the visa application centers for Norway visa in India are:
- Norway embassy in New Delhi
- Visa Application Center in Chandigarh
- Visa Application Center in Mumbai
- Visa Application Center in Ahmedabad
- Visa Application Center in Pune
- Visa Application Center in Kolkata
- Visa Application Center in Chennai
- Visa Application Center in Bangalore
- Visa Application Center in Hyderabad
- Visa Application Center in Goa
- Visa Application Center in Kochi
Suggested read: Visa Interview – Questions, Answers, Tips
The addresses of each of the centers can be found here. The opening and closing hours are also mentioned in the link. The centers have a fixed time for passport collection. Please ensure to follow the timing to avoid any unnecessary delays.
Did you know?
The Embassy and the Visa application centers are closed during official holidays in India.
What are the fees for a Norway Visa?
The Norway visa fee needs to be paid while applying for a visa in the online portal. You can use your credit or debit card or net banking to pay the Norway visa fee. In case you are unable to access the payment gateway of the online portal, then you need to submit the fee at the embassy or the visa application centers.
For adults, the Norway visa fee is 60 EURO and for children between ages 6 to 12 it is 35 EURO. Details of the fees are mentioned in here. Since you would be submitting the application, passport, and documents at the Visa application centers which are external agencies, you will be charged a service fee. The service fee is 20 EURO per person. The service fee is not required if you submit the application at the Embassy in New Delhi.
Please note: You must take a print out of the Norway visa fee payment while attending the interview at the visa application centers
What is the processing time for Norway Visa?
The processing time for Norway visa is 15 working days from the date the application is received at the Embassy in New Delhi. The days are counted till the time the passport is couriered to the desired location. The exact days may vary depending on the preferred location of delivery. It is advisable not to follow up before the scheduled 15 days of visa processing time.
For Delhi, it is advisable to consider an additional of 2 days more and other locations an additional of 4 to 6 days more to receive the visa. In certain cases, the application is sent to UDI which is the Directorate of Immigration. The decision at UDI may take a longer time, which may extend up to 60 days.
Please note: For Norway visa tracking, you must first check the status online only when the application is received at the Embassy. In case of unusual delays, you can contact VFS Global Services Ltd. at +91 22 67866021 or email at info.norwayin@vfshelpline.com.
For how long can the Norway visa be extended?
Norway visa extension can be requested if the visitors want to extend the stay more than the permitted duration stamped by the Embassy. But for short term visas, the total stay with extension cannot exceed 90 days. In case you need to stay beyond 90 days, then you need to apply for a residence permit.
Also read: A guide to obtaining Italy visa from India
Extension of Norway visa can also be granted for special cases:
- Serious illness or encountered a natural disaster. You need to pay the application fee and your stay duration must not exceed the 90 days mandate.
- For a sudden journey to any country which is outside the Schengen boundary, you may apply for an extra entry into Norway. In this case, too, you need to pay the application fee and your stay duration must not exceed the 90 days mandate
Know-Hows for the Applicants
- You can collect your Norway visa stamped passport from the VFS application centers or you can opt to deliver at your residence or office address against an additional courier charge
- On receiving the visa, you must check the number of entries granted, the duration of the stay, validity period, passport number and your name and surname
- In case of any discrepancies, you must immediately contact the Norway Visa application centers
- If your visa is rejected then you will receive the reasons for the rejection. You can appeal against the rejection if you are not in agreement with the decision
- Visa fees or any service fees charged during the process of the application are not refunded back in case the visa is rejected by the Embassy. Even if you withdraw the application, the fees are not refunded back.
Must read: Covering Letter For Visa: What it is and how you can make one
The sequence of steps that need to be followed while applying for Norway visa are:
- Select the visa type that you need to apply depending on your purpose of visit
- Select the embassy or the authorized visa application centers for applying for a visa
- Collect the documents and the photographs required for applying for Norway visa
- Schedule an appointment at the embassy in New Delhi or the authorized visa application centers
- Attend the interview at the scheduled date with your passport, documents, photographs and the print out of the application form
- Pay the visa fee either while submitting the online application form or during the appointment
- Wait for 15 days for receiving your visa stamped passport
Please note: All Norway visas are processed at the Embassy in NewDelhi. It is the discretion of the embassy to decide on the duration granted for the visa.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much does it cost to get a visa to Norway?
The Norway visa fee is 60 EURO for Adults and 35 EURO for children aged between 6 and 12 years. The VFS, being an external agency, charges a service fee of 20 EURO for each person. Additionally, you can avail of SMS services with a fee of INR 85 and courier charges of INR 310.
2. What documents do I need to travel to Norway?
For Norway Visa, you would need your passport, two photographs, residential proof in India, filled up the online application form, confirmed hotel reservation or proof of stay at friends or relatives place, travel health insurance worth 30,000 EURO, evidence of funds to sponsor the stay. An invitation letter is required from the company in case of a Norway business visa and for Norway tourist visa, a letter is required from the friend or relative with whom you would be staying.
Students applying for Norway visa need to provide a letter from the school or college confirming their enrollment in the academic program. For applicants visiting Norway for medical treatment, they need to provide the health certificate and the appointment details in the hospital or with a doctor in Norway.
Read: UK Visa for Indians: Everything you need to know
4. How long does it take to get Norway visa?
It usually takes 15 working days to receive a Norway visa. However, depending on your location, the courier may take 1 or 2 days more to send your passport.
5. Where can I apply for a Norway visa?
You can apply for Norway Visa at the Embassy in New Delhi or authorized visa application centers at Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Chandigarh, Goa, Kochi, and Ahmedabad.
6. What are the documents you need to produce on arrival in Norway at the immigration counter?
- On arrival in Norway you need to present the following documents at the immigration counter:
- Your passport with the Norway visa sticker on it
- Purpose of the visit which is either the invitation letter from the company or friend or relative or the hotel reservation
- Return confirmed ticket
- Proof of adequate funds available to sponsor the trip
- The immigration officer will ask you to provide fingerprints for comparison with the fingerprints provided in the biometric collected at the visa application centers.
7. What are the rules for the travel health insurance policy required for Norway Visa?
The travel health insurance policy should meet the following criteria:
- You must be covered for an amount of 30,000 EURO which will include medical expenses, treatment, and hospitalization too
- It must be valid to be applicable in all Schengen countries
- It must cover the entire duration of your stay in Norway or Schengen countries
- It must be purchased from India
Enjoy your trip to Norway and be ready to witness the exotic Aurora Borealis cast a magical spell on you.
Further read: What is a Sponsorship Letter for Visa?
