Regulations on part-time work

Are you planning on working part-time while studying in Norway? Check out the regulations on part-time work for international students and what rights you have as a part-time employee.

If you are granted a study permit in Norway, you are automatically also granted permission:

• To work part-time for up to 20 hours per week, including remote work.
• You can also work full-time during holidays. 
• EU/EEA/EFTA nationals have the right to take up to 50% employment.
• You can apply for a permit to work full-time for parts of the academic year if the work is relevant to your studies. 
• You have to request this in writing when you apply, or later. 
• Remember that you can lose your permit if you work more than your permit entitles you to.

The permit is not specified with respect to the type of employment and you are allowed to have several employers. You don´t need to document that you have a contract. When you apply for a renewal of your student permit, the part-time work permit is not automatically renewed. In order to get it renewed, you need to enclose a statement from your education provider stating whether work will inhibit the progress of your studies.

Any accompanying family member is granted a general permit for employment.

What you need to start working in Norway:

• If you are planning to stay in Norway for more than 6 months, you will be given a personal identification number (fødselsnummer in Norwegian) by the Norwegian Tax Administration. Show up in person at your local tax office (Skatteetaten) where they will register you as a resident in Norway.
• If your stay is shorter than 6 months, you will be given a D-number. 
• Once you have received your ID-number, you can open a bank account. Meanwhile you can apply for jobs.
• When you receive a job offer, the next step is to apply for a tax card (tax deduction card) from the Norwegian Tax Administration. When you receive it, your employer can electronically obtain your tax card or tax exemption card from the Tax Administration.
• Tax exemption card: apply for this card if you will not earn more than 100,000 NOK per year (information updated in 2025).

Follow these steps in the right order. Don’t start the process of opening a bank account and applying for a tax card at the same time. You will then end up with two ID-numbers.

What is the minimum wage in Norway?

Norway doesn’t have a universal minimum wage, but it doesn’t mean workers here are underpaid. In fact, wages are generally fair, thanks to strong trade unions that play a big role in the job market. 

There are minimum wage regulations in place for nine specific sectors, such as construction, cleaning, and agriculture. These are part of collective agreements that help ensure foreign workers receive the same fair pay and treatment as everyone else. 

If you want to check if your job is a part of one of these sectors, the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority’s website has an overview.

Holidays for part-time employees in Norway

In Norway, everyone who works – including part-time employees – is entitled to 25 paid working days of holiday per year (that's about four weeks off since Saturdays count in as well). You get the same amount of holiday time as full-time workers. 

But here’s the key thing to understand: vacation is usually counted in full weeks, not just the days you’re scheduled to work. That means if you usually work, say, only Mondays and Wednesdays, your holiday time will still include the full week – even the days you wouldn’t normally have shifts. 

This might feel a bit unfair, especially if you don’t work many days per week. However, the intention is to treat all employees equally, regardless of their work schedule.