Norway Skilled Worker Visa for Welders

Build Your Welding Career in Norway

Norway’s shipyards, oil and gas industry, factories and construction sites need skilled welders, and the pay and working conditions are among the best in Europe. Welders from outside the EU and EEA can work there with a skilled worker permit from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), based on vocational training and a real job offer. Welding is not a regulated profession in Norway, so you don’t need a special licence: your employer decides whether your skills are right for the job. The permit is tied to one employer and one job, so finding that employer is your first goal.

What You Need to Qualify

You need completed vocational training of at least three years at upper secondary level, similar to a Norwegian trade programme. Without formal training, you can apply based on long experience, usually at least six years of work, but UDI says many of these applications are refused. So formal training certificates make your application much stronger. The job must be full-time or at least 80 percent, with pay and conditions at Norwegian standards. The UDI fee is NOK 6,300 for applicants over 18, and a vocational-level permit is usually granted for up to one year at a time.

How to Find a Job and Apply, Step by Step

First, gather your trade certificate, training records and proof of work experience, and prepare a clear CV. Next, search for welding jobs on Arbeidsplassen and FINN Jobb with terms like “Sveiser”, “Sveiser verksted”, “Sveiser Rogaland” or “Welder Norway”, and filter by region or industry. When an employer offers you a job, they submit a job offer confirmation and send you a code to use in your UDI application. Finally, complete the online application, pay the fee and wait for your permit before you start work. Emig can also help you improve your CV and prepare stronger job applications.

Check if you qualify →