Embassy of the United States Oslo, Norway

Learn all about Doing Business in Norway in our Country Commercial Guide (CCG)!

This comprehensive document presents an overview of the local commercial environment, using economic, political, and market analysis. It is prepared annually through the combined efforts of several U.S. Government agencies at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo.

2012 Country Commercial Guide for Norway (PDF - 959kb)

For your convenience, we have also included a number of practical steps you as an exporter, potential investor or U.S. business person can follow to make best use of our services and succeed.

EXPORTING TO NORWAY

President Obama announced the National Export Initiative (NEI) two years ago, with the goal of doubling exports by 2014. U.S. embassies are committed to supporting U.S. companies to start exporting or grow their exports to Norway. In this section, you’ll find a quick description of Norway as an export market and some suggestions for getting started.

Getting Started

1. Browse the information on this website or visit the export.gov page on Norway to get an overview of economic conditions and opportunities.  
2. Access the U.S. Commercial Service Market Research Library containing more than 100,000 industry and country-specific market reports, authored by our specialists working in overseas posts.
   
   The Library Includes: 
   
   
   • Country Commercial Guides (read latest “Doing Business In” guides)
   • Industry Overviews* 
   • Market Updates*
   • Multilateral Development Bank Reports* 
   • Best Markets* 
   • Industry/Regional Reports*
3. Contact your local U.S. Export Assistance Center for advice and support on exporting to Norway. Contact a Trade Specialist near you.
4. Contact your local Small Business Development Center (SBDCs). Starting a business can be a challenge, but there is help for you in your area. Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are partnerships primarily between the government and colleges/universities administered by the Small Business Administration and aims at giving educational services for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. 
5. Contact in-country business support organizations such as the American Chamber of Commerce in Norway, or the Oslo Chamber of Commerce
6. Make use of our business matchmaking services (to come: hyperlink to Services for U.S. Companies tab)

 
INVESTING IN NORWAY

Potential investors: Getting Started.

If you are considering investment in Norway, here are some steps you may wish to consider as you get started:

• Register with the U.S. Embassy – If you are planning a visit to consider investment, let us know by sending an email to the contact addresses on this page.
• Visit host country resources, such as Norway’s Official Trade Portal - NORTRADE
• Contact in-country business support organizations such as the American Chamber of Commerce in Norway, or the Oslo Chamber of Commerce
• Subscribe to our Embassy Facebook page

Current investors: Staying Connected.

If you are a current U.S. investor in Norway, the U.S Embassy wants to stay in touch. Here are a few steps you can take to keep the channels of communication open:

• Register with the U.S. Embassy – If you are active in Norway, let us know by sending an email to the contact addresses on this page.
• Add us to your mailing lists – we are always happy to stay informed
• Set up a meeting with our economic or commercial team to discuss any issues that arise 
• Subscribe to our Embassy Facebook page

 
WORKING IN NORWAY

In this section you will find information on business visas, travel advisories, and anti-corruption tools.

Business Visas

Norway has a visa exemption agreement with the U.S., which means that U.S. citizens can stay in Norway for up to 90 days without a visa.

For information on obtaining a work visa, visit the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration website.

Travel Advisories

Make sure to check the current State Department travel advisory for Norway

FCPA

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is an important anti-corruption tool designed to discourage corrupt business practices in favor of free and fair markets.  The FCPA prohibits promising, offering, giving or authorizing giving anything of value to a foreign government official where the purpose is to obtain or retain business.  These prohibitions apply to U.S. persons, both individuals and companies, and companies that are listed on U.S. exchanges. The statute also requires companies publicly traded in the U.S. to keep accurate books and records and implement appropriate internal controls.   

More information on the FCPA can be found here.

A party to a transaction seeking to know whether a proposed course of conduct would violate the FCPA can take advantage of the opinion procedure established by the statue.  Within 30 days of receiving a description of a proposed course of conduct in writing, the Attorney General will provide the party with a written opinion on whether the proposed conduct would violate the FCPA.  Not only do opinions provide the requesting party with a rebuttable presumption that the conduct does not violate the FCPA, but DOJ publishes past opinions which can provide guidance for other companies facing similar situations.

More information on the DOJ opinion procedure can be found here. (PDF - 135kb)