Driving in Norway

Is it easy to drive in Norway?

For most visitors, yes, but it takes longer than you expect. Many main roads are two-lane, with bends, tunnels and ferry crossings, and outside built-up areas the limit is 80 km/h unless a sign says otherwise. Distances that look short on the map can take a full day.

Oslo to Bergen is 477 km, just under seven hours without breaks. Oslo to Trondheim is 486 km, about six and a half hours, and Oslo to Stavanger 456 km, also about six and a half hours. Bergen to Ålesund is 402 km and just under seven hours, with ferries at Oppedal and Festøya. Going north, Trondheim to Tromsø is 1,137 km, about 16 hours with the ferry from Bognes. From Sweden, Stockholm to Oslo is 526 km, about six hours. We calculated all of these drives with Roadme on 30 September 2026, for a petrol car leaving at 09:00 on Tuesday 6 October 2026.

The calculator above prices any of these drives with fuel, tolls and ferries included. For the classic routes, from the Atlantic Road to Oslo–Bergen, see our Norway road trip guides.

Can I drive in Norway with a foreign licence?

A driving licence from an EU or EEA country is valid in Norway, and licences from the UK and Switzerland are treated the same way. With a UK photocard licence you do not need an International Driving Permit; with an old paper licence you may.

Other licences, for example from the USA, Canada or Australia, can normally be used for three months from the day you arrive in Norway. If your country has signed the 1949 Geneva or the 1968 Vienna road traffic convention, a licence that follows the convention model is enough; if yours does not, bring a certified translation, such as an International Driving Permit. If your country has signed neither convention, the licence must follow one of these models or the EEA model and be written in English, French or German; in any other language you also need an International Driving Permit. If you do not live in Norway and drive a foreign-registered car that is only temporarily in Norway, the licence is valid for up to a year.

You also need an International Driving Permit if, for example, your licence has no photo, is not written in the Latin alphabet, or has categories that differ from the international ones under the Geneva or Vienna convention. The permit is only valid together with your national licence. Whatever licence you have, you must meet the Norwegian minimum age, which is 18 for a car.

Documents to carry

Always carry your driving licence when you drive, and show your documents if the police or Statens vegvesen stop you. In your own foreign-registered car you also need the registration document and proof that the car is insured. For a UK car, the UK government lists the log book (V5C), or a VE103 certificate if the car is hired or leased in the UK, and your insurance certificate. You do not need a green card in Norway. If your number plate does not show the UK identifier with the Union flag, put a UK sticker on the back of the car.

Sources: Statens vegvesen: non-EU/EEA licence, Statens vegvesen: EU/EEA licence, Driving licence regulations § 8-2, § 8-4, Statens vegvesen: category B, Road Traffic Act §§ 10 and 24, Regulation on foreign motor vehicles, GOV.UK: International Driving Permit, GOV.UK: driving abroad, GOV.UK: driving in the EU, GOV.UK: insurance abroad. Updated: 30 September 2026.

Border, passport and customs

Norway is in the Schengen area, so there are usually no passport checks when you drive in from Sweden or Finland. Sweden, however, has temporary border control on all its internal borders, including the one with Norway, until 11 November 2026, so carry your passport or ID card on the way back too. Norway is not in the EU or the EU customs union, so Norwegian Customs can stop you and check what you bring. Until 11 November 2026, Norway has temporary border control at ports with ferries from other Schengen countries, so have your passport or national ID card ready when you drive off a ferry from Denmark or Germany.

If you are not an EU citizen and come for a short stay (if you are British or American, for example), you are registered in the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) when you cross the external Schengen border, for example when you land at an airport. The first time you enter, border officers photograph your face and/or scan your fingerprints, and your passport is no longer stamped. The EES has been fully in operation since 10 April 2026. The ETIAS travel authorisation is not in use yet: the EU last said, in April 2026, that it is scheduled for the last quarter of 2026 and that it will announce the start date in advance.

Each person may bring in duty-free 1 litre of spirits (over 22% and up to 60% alcohol), 1.5 litres of wine and 2 litres of beer. You can swap the spirits for 1.5 litres of wine or beer, and the wine for the same amount of beer. The age limit is 18 for beer and wine and 20 for spirits, and drinks over 60% alcohol may not be brought in at all. If you live outside Norway, tobacco is limited to 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of other tobacco, including snus, plus 200 cigarette papers, from the age of 18. Nicotine pouches without tobacco may not be brought into Norway at all.

If you come from an EEA country, for example by car from Sweden, each person over 12 may bring up to 10 kg in total of meat, meat products, cheese and animal feed. The 10 kg limit does not cover dog and cat food. From the UK (except Northern Ireland), the USA or any other country outside the EEA, you may not bring meat, meat products, milk or dairy products in your luggage, even vacuum-packed and even if they were made in the EU. For food, Switzerland, Andorra and San Marino count as EEA countries. The only exceptions are infant formula, baby food and special foods needed for medical reasons, up to 2 kg in total. Other animal foods, such as honey or eggs, are limited to 1 kg. Wherever you come from, you may bring up to 10 kg of fresh fruit, berries and vegetables, but no potatoes.

Other goods are duty-free up to NOK 6,000 if you have been abroad for more than 24 hours (NOK 3,000 on shorter trips). Cash worth more than NOK 25,000 must be declared to Norwegian Customs, both on the way in and on the way out. In Kvoteappen, the free customs app, you can check your goods against the allowances and pay any duty by card before you cross the border, including at unstaffed crossings.

Sources: Politiet: passport and ID card, European Commission: border control, Norwegian Customs: allowances, Norwegian Customs: value limit, Norwegian Customs: cash, Kvoteappen. Updated: 30 September 2026.

More sources: EU: how the EES works, EU: EES questions, EU: ETIAS, European Commission: EES and ETIAS, Norwegian Customs: food, Mattilsynet: bringing food to Norway, Norwegian Customs: fruit and vegetables. Updated: 30 September 2026.

Speed limits and speed cameras in Norway

The speed limit is 50 km/h in built-up areas and 80 km/h elsewhere, unless a sign says otherwise. Higher limits of 90, 100 or 110 km/h apply only where they are signed, and 110 km/h is the highest you will see, even on a motorway.

With a trailer or caravan, or in a vehicle over 3.5 t, the limit is usually 80 km/h, even where signs show a higher one. A car and trailer that meet special requirements in the Norwegian vehicle-use regulations may do up to 100 km/h. Motorhomes up to 7.5 t without a trailer may drive at the signed limit if their tyres are rated for it.

Besides fixed speed cameras, Norway uses average speed checks (streknings-ATK): two cameras measure your average speed over a stretch that is often several kilometres long, so slowing down just for the camera does not help. In Norway the fine goes to the driver, not the owner of the car.

Sources: Road Traffic Act § 6, Traffic rules § 13, Statens vegvesen: speed limits, Statens vegvesen: average speed control, Politiet: speed cameras. Updated: 30 September 2026.

Speeding fines in Norway

How much a speeding ticket costs in Norway depends on how far over the limit you were and whether the limit was 60 km/h or less, or 70 km/h or more. These are on-the-spot fines (forenklet forelegg) in Norwegian kroner, in force since 15 February 2026:

* No on-the-spot fine: the case goes to the prosecuting authority, and as a rule you lose the right to drive in Norway, normally for at least 3 months.

Using a hand-held phone, running a red light and failing to give way cost NOK 10,750 each. Driving without lights costs NOK 4,100, and a child under 15 without a seat belt or child seat NOK 3,600. If one on-the-spot fine covers several offences, the total is capped at NOK 29,100.

If you accept an on-the-spot fine, the case is settled there and then, and the Norwegian Tax Administration sends you an invoice; paying by card may cost less than a transfer from a foreign bank. The police, Statens vegvesen or Customs can hold the car until the fine is paid or security is given, if that is needed to secure payment.

Sources: Regulation on simplified fines, Road Traffic Act § 36 b. Updated: 30 September 2026.

More sources: Politiet: fines and penalties, Tax Administration: paying fines. Updated: 30 September 2026.

Drink-drive limit in Norway: 0.2‰

The drink-drive limit in Norway is 0.2‰ in the blood, or 0.1 mg/l in the breath. Between 0.2‰ and 0.5‰ you are fined. Above 0.5‰ the penalty is a fine and a suspended or immediate prison sentence, and above 1.2‰ a fine and prison. Above 0.5‰ you will as a rule lose the right to drive, normally for 12–18 months at 0.5–0.8‰ and longer at higher levels.

The police can breath-test any driver at a roadside check, even without suspicion, and after an accident. If you refuse, they can require a blood test or a medical examination instead.

Sources: Road Traffic Act § 22, § 22 a, § 31, Regulation on loss of driving licence. Updated: 30 September 2026.

Driving in Norway in winter

For cars up to 3.5 t there is no date from which winter tyres become compulsory. Instead, your tyres must always grip well enough for the conditions: on snow and ice that means winter tyres, with or without studs, or chains, whatever the month. Summer tyres are not enough on winter roads. From 1 November to the first Sunday after Easter Monday the tread must be at least 3 mm; in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, from 16 October to 30 April. The same applies to motorhomes up to 7.5 t.

Studded tyres are allowed from 1 November to the first Sunday after Easter Monday; in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, from 16 October to 30 April. Outside that period you may only use them when the conditions call for it. If you have studded tyres, they must be on all wheels. Non-studded winter tyres can be used all year.

If you drive with studded tyres in or through Oslo, Bergen or Trondheim, you have to pay a studded-tyre fee (piggdekkgebyr). In Oslo you buy a permit for a day, a month or the whole season online, in the Bil i Oslo app or at ticket machines. The 2026/27 season runs from 1 November 2026 to 4 April 2027. A fee paid in Trondheim also covers Oslo and Bergen.

Snow chains and mountain passes

In a car up to 3.5 t, chains are an alternative to winter tyres on snow and ice. Vehicles over 3.5 t must carry suitable chains whenever snow or ice can be expected, and always from 1 November to the first Sunday after Easter Monday (Nordland, Troms and Finnmark: 16 October – 30 April); motorhomes up to 7.5 t are exempt.

In bad winter weather, Statens vegvesen runs convoys over some roads and mountain passes, with a snowplough or escort vehicle at the front and back. Fill up or charge beforehand: there are often no petrol stations or chargers on convoy stretches, and vehicles without proper equipment can be turned away. You can check current conditions at vegvesen.no/trafikk, in the Vegvesen trafikk app or by calling 175 (+47 22 175 175 from abroad).

Sources: Statens vegvesen: tyre requirements, Vehicle-use regulations § 1-4, Oslo: studded-tyre fee, Bergen: studded tyres, Trondheim: studded tyres, Statens vegvesen: convoy driving, Statens vegvesen: traffic information. Updated: 30 September 2026.

Other rules that catch visitors out

Your lights must be on whenever you drive, day and night. The car must carry at least one warning triangle and at least one reflective vest, kept where the driver can reach it, not packed away in the boot. Anyone who gets out of the car after an emergency stop by the road must wear a vest.

Unless signs or traffic lights say otherwise, you give way to traffic coming from the right. This right-hand rule applies wherever the traffic rules apply, including in car parks. On roads with a limit of 60 km/h or less, you must give way to a bus signalling to pull out from a stop. You may only use your phone hands-free or in a fixed holder.

Sources: Traffic rules § 15, Vehicle-use regulations § 1-6, Traffic rules § 7, Regulation on mobile phones, Statens vegvesen: giving way. Updated: 30 September 2026.

For more advice for visitors, see Statens vegvesen: safety for car tourists.

Tolls and ferries in Norway

Every car pays tolls in Norway, wherever it is registered. There are no booths: cameras read the number plate and the bill follows.

You do not need a toll tag. For a Norwegian-registered car, such as one hired in Norway, a camera photographs the number plate at each toll point, and the toll is billed to the owner or to the holder of the car's tag agreement. Without a tag agreement, the toll is invoiced at the normal rate, with no penalty charge.

If you drive your own foreign-registered car, you can register it with Epass24 and pay by card. You get no discounts, but in cities with environmental tolls you pay the right rate for your car, and you avoid the lookup fee you may otherwise be charged for finding the owner in your country's vehicle register. An AutoPASS tag is optional, and you cannot get one at the border for a car up to 3.5 t.

Ferries are part of the road network in Norway, with about 130 ferry connections. With an AutoPASS tag and a prepaid ferry agreement (AutoPASS for ferje) as a private customer you get 50% off the fare on ferries in the scheme (40% for business customers). For what tolls cost and when a tag is worth it, see our guide to tolls in Norway; ferry crossings and prices are in the Norway ferry guide.

Sources: AutoPASS: foreign vehicles, AutoPASS for ferry. Updated: 30 September 2026.

More sources: AutoPASS: payment, Regulation on toll payment §§ 2 and 4. Updated: 30 September 2026.

Oslo and Bergen: diesel bans and odd–even days

When air pollution is high, Oslo can ban diesel cars on the city's own roads, including Ring 2 and parts of Ring 1, but not on national roads such as Ring 3, the E6 and the E18. The ban applies from 06:00 to 22:00 and is announced at least a day ahead on oslo.kommune.no, in the Bil i Oslo app and on road signs. Breaking it costs NOK 1,500.

Bergen can instead introduce odd–even driving inside the outer toll ring on weekdays from 06:00 to 22:00: cars whose number plate ends in an even digit may drive on even dates, and those ending in an odd digit on odd dates. Electric, gas and hybrid cars and cars with at least three people on board are exempt.

Sources: Oslo: temporary diesel ban, Bergen: odd–even driving. Updated: 30 September 2026.

Taking your dog to Norway

A dog coming from an EU country needs a microchip, an EU pet passport and a valid rabies vaccination; a dog that travels only between Sweden and Norway does not need the rabies vaccination. The chip must go in before the vaccine, the dog must be at least 12 weeks old when vaccinated, and the vaccination only becomes valid 21 days after the primary course.

From the UK or the USA, the dog also needs a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination, but instead of a pet passport it travels with an EU animal health certificate from an official vet, which must be used to enter the EU or EEA within 10 days of being issued. If you live in Great Britain, you cannot use a pet passport, even one issued in the EU. No rabies antibody test is needed from the UK or the USA. A dog from outside the EEA must enter Norway through Oslo Airport or Storskog near Kirkenes, unless it was checked at a travellers' point of entry when it first came into the EU or EEA; after that check, you can use any border crossing.

What people most often forget is the tapeworm treatment. Every dog, puppies included, must be treated against Echinococcus by a vet 24–120 hours before it enters Norway, with a product containing praziquantel or epsiprantel, and the treatment must be recorded in the passport or health certificate. That means between one and five days before you arrive: if you cross the border on a Saturday at 12:00, the vet can treat the dog no earlier than 12:00 on Monday and no later than 12:00 on Friday. Only dogs coming directly from Finland, Malta, Ireland or Northern Ireland are exempt. Cats need no treatment.

With a dog you normally go through the red channel at customs and show the dog and its papers. The green channel is only for dogs coming from Sweden that have not been in any other country, and only if all import requirements are met.

The Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa Inu and Dogo Argentino are banned in Norway, as are crosses with them and wolf hybrids such as the Czechoslovakian wolfdog. From 1 April to 20 August dogs must be kept on a lead or fenced in everywhere in Norway, and municipalities can have their own lead rules, for example on hiking trails and at rest areas.

Sources: Mattilsynet: dogs and cats from the EU, Mattilsynet: tapeworm treatment, Dog Act, Mattilsynet: banned dogs. Updated: 30 September 2026.

For dogs from the UK or the USA: Mattilsynet: travelling with pets to Norway, Mattilsynet: pets from outside the EEA, GOV.UK: taking your pet abroad. Updated: 30 September 2026.

Accidents, wildlife and emergency numbers in Norway

In Norway you call 112 for the police, 110 for the fire service and 113 for an ambulance.

For medical help that cannot wait but is not life-threatening, call the out-of-hours doctor (legevakt) on 116 117, free and around the clock. If you call from abroad or on a satellite phone, use the local legevakt's eight-digit number instead; you will find it on the municipality's website.

Hitting an animal is not an offence, but failing to report it is. Stop, secure the scene with the warning triangle, hazard lights and a reflective vest, and call the police on 02800. That number only works from Norwegian phones; otherwise call +47 22 66 90 50. If anyone is hurt or the situation is dangerous, call 112. Do not go after an injured animal.

Sources: Politiet: emergency numbers, Statens vegvesen: hitting an animal, Politiet: contact, Helsenorge: legevakt. Updated: 30 September 2026.

Frequently asked questions