Os cidadãos portugueses podem ficar na Noruega até 6 meses depois de terem feito o seu registo num dos centros de emprego locais.
02-08-2007 :: Assim que tiver uma oferta de trabalho, terá que se registar na Polícia onde reside para entregar o pedido de residência. Se o contrato de trabalho for para menos de um ano, irá obter a autorização de residência conforme o contrato. Se o contrato for válido por um tempo indefinido, a autorização irá durar cinco anos, sujeito a renovação.
Quando tiver um emprego, terá que fazer o seu registo no Registo Civil (Folkeregisteret), que lhe fornecerá um número de identidade pessoal.
Subsídios de desemprego enquanto procura emprego na Noruega: se é desempregado e entitulado a subsídio de desemprego em Portugal por um período de mais de 4 semanas, pode pedir a transferência do subsídio para a Noruega.
Os serviços da Administração Nacional do Emprego da Noruega podem ser utilizados no estrangeiro. Os Centros Nacionais de Emprego de todos os países do Espaço Económico Europeu (EEE) têm uma cooperação a nível de informação sobre oportunidades de trabalho através da rede europeia EURES.
Segue o guia completo, em inglês, sobre os direitos e benefícios dos cidadãos do Espaço Económico Europeu que procuram trabalho na Noruega.
Norway
A guide to living and working in Norway
HOW TO FIND A JOB IN NORWAY
CHECKLIST – MOVING TO NORWAY
UNEMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL INSURANCE
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR EMPLOYMENT
EDUCATION
HOUSING IN NORWAY
USEFUL READING ABOUT NORWAY
CV/APPLICATION LETTER
How to find a job in Norway
The EEA-agreement (the agreement on the European Economic Area) enables job-seekers, students and self employed persons from other EEA member states to take up residence, work and study in Norway.
Applying for jobs from outside of Norway
Certain facilities of the Norwegiam Employment Service can be used from abroad. The employment services in all of the EEA member states exchange information in a pan-European network called EURES (European Employment Services) concerning working and living conditions in the respective countries. This network also maintains a database of job vacancies within the EEA. The website for this database is http://europa.eu.int/eures. Your local employment office will be able to refer you to the nearest EURES adviser in your country for information about vacancies in Norway.
THE INTERNET
The majority of vacancies in Norway are listed on the Internet. The biggest jobs database is maintained by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organisation: www.nav.no. Vacancies in Norway are also listed at http://europa.eu.int/eures. For information on living and working conditions in Norway, see www.eures.no. Most Norwegian companies have their own websites, and these sometimes advertise vacancies not featured anywhere else. Use the Norwegian on-line “Yellow Pages” to find addresses: www.gulesider.no.
JOBLINE
Job-seekers can also call the Jobline on tel.: +47 800 33 166 (Monday-Friday, 8 am to 6 pm) to enquire about vacancies. This service, provided by the Norwegian Employment Service, includes mailings of any job descriptions (in Norwegian only) for positions of interest. It is an advantage to have thought about what kind of job you are looking for and where in Norway you want to live, before contacting the Jobline.
GENERAL JOB APPLICATIONS
Norway also has a large “grey market” for job vacancies, i.e. vacancies that are not registered with any organisation or otherwise advertised. To pick up on these vacancies one way is to send out general job applications to any company of interest. The main thing here is to make a follow-up call to the
company after you have sent your application. If you want to send a general job application to selected companies, you can search for addresses on the Norwegian on-line “Yellow Pages” at www.gulesider.no. In Norway it is not unusual to turn up in person at companies to ask for a job. Remember to bring your CV with references and diplomas, etc. Make sure that you talk to the staff at the personnel office or someone from management.
MEDIA
Most newspapers carry job listings. The largest national newspaper for job listings, is Aftenposten. The Sunday issue usually consolidates listings from the preceding weekdays. The listings are also available on-line at: www.finn.no/jobb. All the positions advertised in Norwegian newspapers are also registered on the Employment Services Jobline (+47 800 33 166) and published on the Internet: www.nav.no. All Norwegian newspapers are available on-line at www.houses-europe.com/norske-aviser. (National, regional and local newspapers and dedicated on-line media).
TRADE UNIONS
Trade Unions are good sources of information. Unions in your own country may have links with counterparts in Norway and hence provide a useful source of information for job-seekers. In Norway, membership of a trade union is not obligatory, but is still common. The main Norwegian confederation of trade unions is Landsorganisasjonen i Norge (LO). This organisation can provide an overview of the various trade unions in Norway. The address is: LO
Youngsgt.11, N-0181 Oslo
Tel: +47 23 06 10 50, Fax: +47 23 06 17 43
www.lo.no, lo@lo.no
Some trade associations (fagforbund) publish trade journals, and these may also list specialised positions for your particular trade.
Job search in Norway
LOCAL EMPLOYMENT OFFICES
(AETAT LOKAL)
At the job centres at the local employment offices job-seekers can obtain information regarding:
-Job vacancies
-Transferring unemployment benefit to
Norway
-Education opportunities in Norway
-How to apply for jobs
-How to register as a job-seeker
-The labour market situation
-Rights and obligations of unemployed
persons in Norway
-At most job centres you can also use the telephone to call potential employers, use a computer to write your CV/job application, search for vacancies on the Internet and photocopy diplomas and references. These services are free of charge.
PRIVATE RECRUITMENT AGENCIES
Foreign job-seekers also have the option of signing up with private recruitment agencies. The recruitment agencies
often specialise in particular industries and professions. The agencies are listed in the “Yellow Pages” on the Internet: www.gulesider.no (search for “Vikarbyrå”).
NETWORKING
Using personal contacts and networking are vital for anyone looking for work. This improves your chances of getting a job because people know you already and know that you are looking for work. If you don’t have a network of contacts in Norway, you should try to develop one. This is also a way of picking up on vacancies on the “grey market”.
SUMMER JOBS
In Norway summer jobs are listed on the Internet. See www.nav.no (use the search word “sommer” in the free text field) and http://europa.eu.int/eures. Many summer jobs are advertised as early as in February, so don’t delay!
STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS
For those wishing to start their own business in Norway, a lot of useful information is available from the Company Information Service, see: www.bedin.no They also have a freephone service, called “Narvikstelefonene”: +47 800 33 840. You can also contact the local office of the Ministry of Trade and Industry in the municipality you will be residing in. They will give you information on how to proceed.
Norwegian EURES Advisers
EURES and EURES Advisers in Norway can also assist in providing information on working and living conditions. For further information, please contact the EURES office in the region where you are looking for work:
EURES OSLO
Øvre Slottsgt. 11
P.O. Box 360 Sentrum
N-0101 Oslo
Tel: +47 22 86 22 60
Fax: +47 22 86 23 01
Checklist – moving to Norway
Citizens of EEA member states may travel to Norway to look for work for maximum six months as a job-seeker.
Here is a checklist of things to consider and necessary preparations before moving to Norway.
- It is important that you bring your passport, diplomas and reference certificates (preferably translated into Norwegian or English). Even if you are in Norway only to look for work, you may be asked to prove that you have adequate financial means – both for the duration of your stay and for your return travel.
- Contact EURES in your home country. EURES advisers have information regarding working and living conditions in Norway and will also be able to extract information on vacancies in Norway from a common European job vacancies database: www.europa.eu.int/eures
- Find out if special accreditation is required in order to practise your profession or trade in Norway. (For more information see the section on education below).
- Make arrangements with former employers or colleagues in your country who can provide references. Norwegian employers will normally wish to contact them. It is an advantage to cite referees who can speak English. - Norwegian employers often require a reasonable proficiency in the Norwegian language. You should consider whether your Norwegian is adequate. (For more information see the section on language above).
- Contact your local social security service and tax office to find out how going to Norway will affect your status as regards taxes and benefits, and be sure to obtain the appropriate forms.
- You may also wish to contact the Norwegian embassy in your home country for further advice before leaving for Norway. For addresses see www.norway.info/europe.htm
RESIDENCE PERMITS
If you intend to work in Norway for more than three months, you will require a residence permit. You will need to visit the local police station in Norway to hand in your application as soon as you have a job offer and within three months at the latest. Bring your passport or valid ID card, your employment contract plus two passport photos and apply for a residence permit. If your employment contract is valid for less than one year, you will be granted a residence permit corresponding to the duration of the contract. If your contract is valid for an indefinite period of time, the permit will usually be granted for a five-year period, and will be renewable.
Information about residence permits
is available in Norwegian, English,
German and French, as well as in
Polish, Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian,
Czech, Slovakian, Slovenian and
Hungarian (May 2004), from The
Directorate of Immigration (UDI) at the
following addresses:
Utlendingsdirektoratet:
P.O. Box 8108 Dep., N-0032 Oslo
Tel: +47 23 35 15 00, www.udi.no
Information service for applicants:
Tel.: +47 23 35 16, 9 am – 2.30 pm
Visiting address: Hausmannsgate 21, Oslo
ots@udi.no
The immigration office
Utlendingsavdelingen
Storgata 33, Postboks 8101 Dep., N-0032 Oslo
Tel: + 47 22 66 90 50 / 22 70 55 55
For addresses for police stations in Norway, see www.politi.no.
For Norwegian embassies/consulates, see www.norway.info/europe.htm.
NATIONAL REGISTRY (FOLKEREGISTERET)
You will need to register with the nearest National Registry after having found
work. Depending on the length of you stay, the National Registry will provide you with either a provisional ‘D’ number or a personal ‘ID’ number. The National Registry is located in the same building/office as the tax office. For further information and addresses, see www.skatteetaten.no.
TAX OFFICE (LIKNINGSKONTORET)
When you work for a Norwegian employer you are required to pay tax in Norway. Bring your employment contract and passport along to the nearest tax office to your Norwegian place of residence and apply for a tax deduction card (skattekort). Once you have been issued with a standard personal ID number or a D number you will then be issued with a tax deduction card to hand in to your employer. For more information and addresses, see www.skatteetaten.no.
THE NATIONAL INSURANCE OFFICE
(TRYGDEKONTOR)
Your employer will see to it that you are registered with the National Insurance Service. However, the National Insurance Office publishes many useful brochures about statutory sick pay, child benefit, pensions, etc. If you are entitled to child benefit you will need to apply for this directly from your local National Insurance Office. You can contact your local National Insurance Office to apply for a European Health Insurance Card which you will need in case of illness during travel to other EU/EEA countries. If you are resident in Norway you can also order your Health Insurance Card from www.trygdeetaten.no.
CUSTOMS
The brochure entitled “Customs Regulations for Travellers Leaving and Entering Norway” provides a summary of the most important information that you need to know. This brochure, as well as information regarding the importation of motor vehicles and registration tax on these, are available at all Customs offices and on the Internet. If you are intending to import a car to Norway you will be required to pay import tax. There are also rules concerning temporary use of a vehicle registered outside Norway. For rules concerning importation of cars, household effects, quotas, food, animals, etc. see the Norwegian customs authority’s website: www.toll.no or contact one of the customs authority’s information centres. In Oslo call or mail: +47 22 86 08 50, oslo@toll.no.
BANK
To open a bank account, you should contact a bank for information and advice. Note that most banks require an ID number or a D number. It is a good idea to make inquiries at several banks so you get the best terms.
Unemployment and Social Insurance
During your employment in Norway you are covered by the Norwegian Social Insurance Scheme (Folketrygden). All persons working and paying taxes in Norway are automatically insured. Premiums are paid as part of tax deductions and amount to 7.8% of tax deducted. The employer deducts your premium from you. Persons who are not working in Norway, but who hold a residence permit for a year or more are also automatically covered by the social insurance scheme. The benefits of social insurance include retirement pension, disability pension, rehabilitation, occupational injury compensation, single parent benefit, child benefit and paid maternity leave etc. All persons resident in Norway are required to pay social insurance premiums except salaried employees of foreign states or inter-governmental organisations.
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT WHILE LOOKING
FOR A JOB IN NORWAY (E-303)
Unemployed persons who are entitled to unemployment benefit in their home country for at least four weeks before departure can have their benefit transferred and paid out in Norway. Contact the local employment office in your home country and explain your intention to look for work in Norway. You will be required to fill in a standard form,
which will be forwarded to the employment services in due time before departure. If you qualify for benefits to be paid out in another country for a period of three months, you will be issued with a form E-303 before departing for Norway. On arrival in Norway, you should bring this form to register at the nearest Norwegian employment office within 7 days of departure from your ordinary country of residence. Be sure to bring sufficient money to last you a while in Norway – it may take some time before the money is paid out. The legislation stipulates that if you register later than 7 days after leaving home, the benefit will be calculated from the date of registration. Be prepared to adapt to new rules and procedures. You will be obliged to comply with Norwegian legislation, reporting requirements and other procedures particular to the country. A job-seeker receiving unemployment benefit from another EEA member state and who fails to find work in Norway must return to his/her last country of residence at the end of three months in order to remain eligible for benefits.
TRANSFER OF UNEMPLOYMENT
BENEFIT (E-301)
If you become unemployed in Norway and do not fulfil the requirements for unemployment benefit here, you may request that any rights you have earned in another EEA country be transferred to Norway. In this case you will need form E-301 from the country you have been working in for the last 3 years. Your application for unemployment benefit should be made via your local employment office in Norway. If you are planning to leave Norway and require form E-301 from Norway, contact your nearest employment office (NAV lokal) for an application form. You can retrieve the application-form here: http://www.nav.no/binary?id=805344335&download=true. Information about form E-301 is also available from:
NAV Indre Skandinavia
EEA Administration, N-2242 Morokulien
Tel: +47 62 83 78 55
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT IN NORWAY
If made redundant, you should immediately report to your local employment office. If you remain unemployed, you will be entitled to unemployment benefit (dagpenger) provided you have earned the right to such benefit (or have your rights transferred from another country). Further information is available from your local employment office. You can also register as a job-seeker over the Internet at www.nav.no. Note that this service is available in Norwegian only, and that you require a Norwegian ID number or a D number. If you are temporary laid-off, contact your nearest employment office for information about your right to receive unemployment benefit.
SOCIAL INSURANCE
EEA regulations coordinate the law regulating rights to social insurance in the various member states in order to ensure continuous cover. The main object of the regulations is to ensure that you are not deprived of any benefits to which you are entitled. Being employed in Norway entitles you (and, as a rule, your immediate family) to the same rights as Norwegian citizens. You may be entitled to social insurance in connection with illness, maternity, disability, and old age retirement pension. In Norway we have a system whereby all persons resident in Norway have the right to a general practitioner as their assigned doctor for all consultations (Fastlegeordning). For information about this system, and about how to register with a doctor, see www.trygdeetaten.no or call the county medical coordination office (fastlegekontor) on telephone:
+47 810 59 500.
Contact your local social insurance office (trygdekontor) for further information about social insurance or see www.trygdeetaten.no.
You can also call The National Insurance Service’s helpline: The National Insurance Service
Tel: +47 810 33 810
PENSIONS
Persons who have worked in two or more EEA countries may accumulate rights to a state pension in each country. Contact your local social insurance office for further information or the National Office for Social Insurance Abroad: Trygdekontoret for utenlandssaker
P.O. Box 8138 Dep, N-0033 Oslo
Visiting address: Langkaia 1
Tel: +47 23 31 13 00, Fax: +47 23 31 13 01
www.trygdeetaten.no, ffu@trygdeetaten.no
OCCUPATIONAL INJURY
As an employee in Norway you will be covered by the legislation on compulsory insurance against occupational injury. This means that you will be insured through your employer in the event of any accident at work. In the event of a work-related accident you (or your employer) should contact the authorities through The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority at the following address:
Direktoratet for Arbeidstilsynet
P.O. Box 8103 Dep., N-0032 Oslo
Tel: +47 22 95 70 00, Fax: +47 22 17 63 73
Information service: +47 815 48 222
www.arbeidstilsynet.no
svartjenesten@arbeidstilsynet.no
Terms and conditions for employment
When a Norwegian company employs you, you are entitled to the same pay and working terms as Norwegians.
EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT
You are entitled to an employment contract whether your position is permanent or temporary. Make sure you understand all the terms and conditions applying to the job and the stipulations of the contract. Find out how and how often you will be paid, study the terms for giving notice and other points relevant to your employment.
See www.arbeidstilsynet.no for a sample employment contract. Regular positions normally start with a probationary period, as confirmed in a written contract. The length of the probationary period must be agreed in advance, the maximum duration being six months. Normally you or your employer can terminate the contracts on notice of 14 days. Working hours in Norway are up to 40 hours per week, i.e. an average of eight hours a day for five days a week.
Shift workers have slightly fewer weekly hours. Most offices have working hours from 8 am to 4 pm. Working hours may vary depending on the type of business/ industry, with some starting at 7 am and others at 9 am. Work in excess of 40 hours a week is considered overtime and is payable by at least an additional 40% when imposed on the employee. However, there is no legal requirement for overtime pay for staff in senior positions.
PAY
Essentially, it is up to you and your employer to agree on your pay, since there is no statute on minimum pay in Norway. In many cases, however, there are collective agreements on pay between trade unions and employer organisations. This means that through membership of a trade union your pay will be determined by a pay-scale agreement. Pay/wage statistics for different occupations are available from www.ssb.no.
THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT ACT
Norway has a “working environment act” governing the rights and obligations of employees and employers. The purpose of the act is to protect employees against physical or mental injury, and to ensure proper, safe and healthy working conditions for all. The act has been translated into English and is on sale in bookstores throughout Norway. The article “The Working Environment Act and the Annual Holidays Act – also for non-Norwegians” is available in several languages at www.arbeidstilsynet.no/publikasjoner/brosjyrer/bros347.html. If you have any health and safety concerns about your workplace, you should always raise these with your supervisors first. If this does not produce results, contact the safety delegate (verneombud), the staff representative (tillitsvalgt) or the union. If no solution is found, you can contact The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet) for assistance.
HOLIDAYS
According to the “Annual Holiday Act”, employees are entitled to 21 working days holiday each year. Most employees though, are entitled to 25 days holiday. This is not yet a statutory entitlement, but is an agreement between the social partners as a result of the pay settlement. Persons over the age of 60 are entitled to one week extra.
HOLIDAY PAY
Holiday pay must be earned the calendar year before the holiday is taken. Anyone who was unemployed in that preceding year is still entitled to holiday, but not to holiday pay (i.e. they can take holiday without pay).
Holiday pay is paid out when the holiday is taken. There is no entitlement to normal pay instead of the percentagebased holiday pay during holidays. The amount of holiday pay is based on remuneration for work (pay etc.) during the preceding year. Not all payments are included in the calculation. Your payslip tells you how much holiday pay you have earned. Holiday pay amounts to 10.2% of normal pay in the preceding year. For employees over the age of 60, the rate is 12.5%. If you are covered by the provisions of collective agreement which accords you a fifth week of holiday, the standard rate is 12% and for employees over the age of 60, is 14.3%.
In case of termination of employment, holiday pay entitlements owing are paid out together with the final pay disbursement. “The Working Environment Act and the Annual Holidays Act – also for non-Norwegians” is available in several languages on the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority’s website, see
www.arbeidstilsynet.no or directly at: www.arbeidstilsynet.no/publikasjoner/brosjyrer/bros347.html.
You can also contact the largest trade union, LO, for information.
TAXATION
In Norway, both direct and indirect taxes apply. Income tax and property tax are direct taxes. The most important indirect tax is value-added tax, VAT, (merverdiavgift) of 12 to 24 per cent on most goods and services. Norway complies with bilateral tax agreements with the other EEA member states to avoid double taxation. The tax system is comprehensive. When you work for a Norwegian employer you have to pay tax here. If you reside in Norway for less than six months, special tax rules apply. Your local tax office will provide further information. The employer is obliged to deduct tax from your salary before you are paid. Your local tax office in Norway will, on request, issue you with a tax deduction card, which you should present to your employer as soon as possible. The tax deduction card states what percentage of your income your employer must deduct in tax. If you start working without a tax
deduction card, your employer is obliged to deduct 50% tax. This is normally more than you would pay based on your tax deduction card and the excess will be refunded to you in the following year. Your payslip tells you how much tax you have paid each month. The amount of tax you have to pay depends on how much you earn and any tax allowances, but as a rule of thumb in Norway, tax amounts to around one third of your gross pay. Your contribution to the National Social Insurance Scheme is included in your tax. The Norwegian Tax Administration’s
website features a ”tax-calculation program” (in Norwegian only).
Taxpayers are divided into two categories:
Class 1, for single persons and for most married couples where both have an income
Class 2, for single parents and for married couples where only one person has an income.
Persons temporarily resident in Norway may be granted a standard tax-free allowance of 15 per cent. This means that 15% is deducted from your gross earnings before the tax rate is applied. To be eligible for this allowance, your residence in Norway must not exceed four years. If this applies to you, ask about this at your tax assessment office when you apply for your tax deduction card. In Norway, tax is paid on income for the current year, i.e. deductions from your salary are based on an estimate of how much tax you will be owing. By April 30th each year you are required to submit a tax return. This is normally filled in in advance by the tax authorities and mailed to you in April. You should check all the details in the tax return before returning it to the tax authorities. For this you will need a pay and deductions statement from your employer and other relevant documents from your bank, etc. With the tax return form you also receive a booklet in Norwegian with instructions on how to complete the tax return form. The local tax office may also offer assistance on completing the form. For updated tax and allowance rates
and more information about taxation, contact a tax office or see www.skatteetaten.no.
Education
KINDERGARTENS
Children under the age of six can be placed in a kindergarten. Norway has both public and private kindergartens. However, to have a child in a kindergarten is relatively expensive, and since there is also a shortage of institutions, it may be difficult to secure a place. As from May 1st, 2004, a maximum price of NOK 2.750 per month has been introduced for a full-day place in a kindergarten. As from August 2005 the maximum price will be reduced further.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
All compulsory education in Norway is free. Children start school when they are six years old (1st form) and finish their compulsory education after 10 years (10th form). All young people between the ages of 16 and 19 then have the right to attend upper secondary school. This leads to either a vocational profession or qualifications for pursuing higher education. All foreign children have the right and duty to attend school. Contact your local authority for more information.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
There are few private, fee-paying schools in Norway. In 2003 there were 106 private compulsory schools, which figure represents approximately 3% of all compulsory schools in Norway. About 2% of all pupils attend private schools. Most private schools are based on religious beliefs or alternative education methods.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Higher education comprises Universities and Colleges, and admission is normally based on a diploma after attending
three years of Upper Secondary School. Norway has six Universities: in Oslo (www.uio.no), Bergen (www.uib.no), Trondheim (www.ntnu.no), Tromsø (www.uit.no), Stavanger ( www.uis.no) and Ås (www.umb.no).
Studies in Aquaculture and fisheries:
Both Bergen, Tromsø and Bodø have several options of studies and research programs in aquaculture and fisheries.
Additionally, there are five technical colleges specialising in various sciences:
Norges Handelshøyskole (Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration)
Norges Musikkhøyskole ( Norwegian State Academy of Music)
Norges Idrettshøyskole (Norwegian College of Physical Education and Sport)
Norges Veterinærhøyskole (Norwegian School of Veterinary Medicine)
Arkitekthøyskolen (Oslo School of Architecture)
Each county in Norway also has its own college offering various types of education or training, as well as private colleges. For more information about education in Norway, see www.skole.no.
FOREIGN DIPLOMAS
Information about recognition of higher education from abroad is available from “Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education” (NOKUT). An application for recognition of a foreign degree/ diploma should be sent to NOKUT. NOKUT liaises with a network of similar centres in the other EU/EEA member states. More information and application forms are available at www.nokut.no or by contacting:
NOKUT
P.O. Box 1708 Vika, 0121 Oslo
Adresse visiteurs: Kronprinsensgt. 9
Tel: +47 21 02 18 00, Fax:+47 21 02 18 01
www.nokut.no, postmottak@nokut.no
Questions regarding recognition of a particular higher education from another EU/EEA member state can also be addressed directly to the appropriate college/university in Norway. General information on recognition
of foreign secondary/upper secondary education is available from the National Education Board (Statens utdanningskontor) in each county. Information on vocational training is provided by the “county board”/ “Office for vocational training” in the county administration (Yrkesopplæringsnemda/ fagopplæringskontoret).
Addresses and telephone numbers for the county administrations are available from www.norge.no. As a rule, any accreditation obtained in one EU/EEA country will be recognised by the other member states with no additional assessment required. Application for accreditation/authorisation to work in the health sector, must be submitted to Statens Autorisasjonskontor For Helsepersonell (SAFH) (the national authorisation office for healthsector personnel):
SAFH
Calmeyersgt.1, 0031 Oslo
Tel: +47 21 52 97 00, Fax: +47 21 52 97 03
www.safh.no, postmottak@safh.stat.no
STUDYING IN NORWAY
Students from other EU/EEA countries are allowed to study in Norway. Admission to a university or a college
automatically qualifies the student for a residence permit for the duration of the studies/training programme. Residence is granted for one year at a time. The student must be able to document adequate financial means. Maintenance costs during studies in an EU/EEA country must be covered by the student or by a grant/loan. Information regarding studying in Norway is available from EURES advisers in your home country. Through the
EEA agreement, Norway has joined the EU member states in a number of programmes related to education and research. The most comprehensive programmes are LEONARDO DA VINCI and SOCRATES. For more information about these programmes, contact a EURES adviser in your home country or visit the European Commission’s website:
www.europa.eu.int.
The Norwegian Government’s official website (Odin) contains further details and documentation about the Norwegian educational system as well as useful information on many other topics in English: www.odin.dep.no.
Housing in Norway
The cost of housing varies a great deal in Norway and has risen sharply in recent years. The highest prices are in Oslo and other cities, and this trend is expected to continue. In rural areas the prices are generally lower than in the cities and Greater Oslo. The cost of housing in Norway is generally high for several reasons: houses are well built and fully insulated, with heating in all rooms because of the cold climate. In addition, quality requirements are high, which means that there is little simple and inexpensive housing available. In Norway it is normal to buy a flat or house rather than rent accommodation. Houses and flats for rent are usually advertised in local newspapers and in the national newspaper, Aftenposten. Some newspapers publish their housing advertisements on the Internet, see: www.finn.no. You can also advertise for housing yourself. If you want to rent a house or a flat, it is recommended to sign a tenancy agreement with the owner of the house/ flat. A standard agreement is available over the Internet. These agreements are usually valid for an initial year and for subsequent periods of five years with a mutual right to terminate. Termination notice is normally three months and tenants are usually required to pay a deposit of two or three months rent. If you wish to buy a house/flat, this can be arranged through an estate agent in Norway, a bank or a solicitor. Norwegian banks provide mortgages, holding the house/flat as collateral. You will find houses for sale on the Internet, www.finn.no, as well. Estate agents deal in both rental and sales properties. All estate agents are
listed in the “Yellow Pages” (www.gulesider.no); look for “Eiendomsmegling”.
Useful reading about Norway
The following websites provide various sources of useful information:
PUBLIC SERVICES
www.norge.no
Portal for public sector information and services
www.trygdeetaten.no
National Office for Social Insurance
www.skatteetaten.no
Norwegian Tax Administration
www.toll.no
Norwegian Customs and Excise
www.odin.dep.no
Information published by the Government
www.ssb.no
Statistics on Norway
www.udi.no
Norwegian Directorate of Immigration
www.arbeidstilsynet.no
Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority
www.invanor.no
Innovation Norway
www.nortrade.com
The official Norwegian trade portal
www.norway.info/europe.htm
Portal for Norwegian Embassies
CULTURE
www.visitnorway.com
Official tourist information
www.kongehuset.no
Official website for the Norwegian Royal Family
JOB-SEARCH
www.nav.no
Job-search facilities and other information from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organisation
www.eures.no
Information regarding job searching, living and working in Norway.
www.europa.eu.int/eures
The EURES website, job-search facility, CV database and other information
www.stillinger.no
Portal for web pages informing of vacancies
www.norsk.lysningsblad.no
National job listings
NEWSPAPERS
www.norske-aviser.com
Portal for all the Norwegian newspaper.
CV (Curriculum Vitae)
RESUME/CV
In Norway the usual practice is to enclose a resume/CV (Curriculum Vitae) with your job application. The CV should preferably fill just a single page and it is not customary to attach a photo. The detail provided in resumes/ CVs varies a great deal, ranging from basic to indepth CVs. However, the most important aspect of your CV is for it to state accurate information and be clearly laid out and typed. Your CV should contain the following sections: Personal details: name, address, telephone numbers, e-mail address, date of birth and marital status. Education: this section contains your formal qualifications. If possible, indicate the equivalent Norwegian degree or examination. It is always helpful to describe the general content of your education. Work experience: this is a very important part of your resume. Include a brief description of each job/position. Other qualifications: here you should mention your language skills; spoken and written. You can also describe your IT skills and other relevant qualifications. Positions of trust/ personal Interests: describe in a few lines non-professional interests and leisure activities. Particular knowledge of foreign countries should be mentioned. If you have lived or spent time in Norway, do not hesitate to say so.
Referees: it is very important to name at least two referees from a current or previous working situation. State names, job title and telephone numbers for these individuals, only after having agreed this with the individuals concerned. It is preferable if your referees speak English or a Scandinavian language.
Application letter
The application should be typed and not exceed two standard A4-size pages, one page is often sufficient as well as preferable.
YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:
Read the advertisement carefully, and make sure you respond to what it asks for. Your letter should explain why you want this particular job, or why you are sending in a general application. Make it clear to the recipient that you are familiar with the company, the required qualifications and furthermore, how you satisfy these. Briefly describe your motivation for applying for this job, and why you want to move to Norway. Your CV with referees is always
expected; some employers require you to enclose certificates as well. Send your application by mail, e-mail or fax. Observe the closing date for applications (søknadsfrist). It is advisable to follow up the application by phone after
the closing date for applications.
CV
Name: John Jobseeker
Address: Application Road 12
0300 Oslo
Date and
Place of birth: 10.10.74 in Hamar, Norway
Tel.: (+47) 22 33 44 55 (p) / (+47) 99 88 77 66 (m)
E-mail: john@jobseeker.no
Key qualifications
Sales, marketing management, fluency in English and international experience.
Education
1996 - 1999 Bachelor degree in business administration, Norw. School of Management, Thesis on marketing
1994 – 1996 Computer technology, Østfold College
1990 – 1993 Halden Upper Secondary, general subjects
Work experience
2001 - Key Account Manager, Cisco Systems, Houston U.S.A.
Responsibilities: sales, marketing and development
1999 – 2001 Salesman, PC- Computing AS
Responsibilities: Sales and consulting in PC/software for business customers
1996 – 1999 Waiter, Bryggen Restaurant, part-time job
1994 – 1996 Interviewer, Norsk Gallup, part-time job alongside studies
1990 – 1993 Newspaper boy, Halden Arbeiderblad
Other qualifications
1997 – 1998 Chief Editor of Studentus, a student union paper
1993 – 1994 Military service
Language skills
English: Excellent skills, both written and spoken
German: Elementary level
Personal interests
Sport, music, literature and travel
Referees
Kari Nordmann, Director, Cisco Systems AS, Tel.: +47 22 24 50 00
Ola Olsen, avdelingsleder, PC-Computing, Tel.: +47 22 85 50 50
Note that it is customary in Norway to present the most recent education and working experience fi rst. When sending a CV from abroad, you should state your nationality under the personal details section and remember to add the country code to your telephone number.
Production: EURES/Sjo & Lund AS Design: King Design AS Photo: Samfoto, James Hudson, Hydro, Skanska Norg
e AS, Seafood Norge, Scanpix, Turid Kjersem og Lokalavisa Hitra Frøya
Aetat
P.O. Box 8127 Dep.
N-0032 Oslo
Tel. +47 23 35 24 00
www.aetat.no PB-0157E June 2004