Relocation intelligence

🇳🇴 Moving to Norway: tax, residency and cost of living

Progressive system plus formueskatt (wealth tax)

Thinking of moving to Norway? Here is the tax, residency, property and quality-of-life picture in plain numbers, with sources.

Key facts

Top income tax
39.7%
Corporate tax
22%
Capital gains
37.84%
Wealth tax
Yes
Inheritance tax
No
Cost of living index
100
Safety
7/10
Internet quality
7/10
Visa-free destinations
192
Foreigners can own property
Yes
Residency in
0 months
Citizenship in
0 years

Taxes

Norway combines progressive income tax (top trinnskatt 17.7% + alminnelig inntekt 22%, totalling up to 39.7%) with a wealth tax (formueskatt) of 1.1% above NOK 1.76 million per person. Dividend tax is effectively 37.84% from 2024. The wealth tax triggered a major exodus of billionaires to Switzerland between 2021 and 2024.

Residency and visas

EU/EEA citizens may settle freely. Non-EU nationals require a work or study permit via UDI (Norwegian Directorate of Immigration). Permanent residence after 3 years for workers. Naturalisation requires 7 years of residence and strict language testing.

Property ownership

No general restrictions on foreign property ownership. Non-residents may freely purchase residential and commercial real estate, except agricultural land (which requires konsesjon). Transfer tax (dokumentavgift) is 2.5%.

Cost of living and quality of life

Norway offers excellent quality of life (global top 5), very high safety (8.7/10), universal healthcare and spectacular nature. Cost of living is very high (index 95). English is spoken by 90% of the population.

Passport and mobility

Norway is not an EU member but is part of the EEA and Schengen. The Norwegian passport provides visa-free access to 192 countries (Henley 2025). Full freedom of movement within EU/EEA.

Why people move to Norway

  • Wealth tax (formueskatt) of 1.1%

    Norway is one of the few Western European countries with an annual wealth tax of 1.1% above NOK 1.76 million. The 2022 increase (from 0.85% to 1.1%) accelerated the exodus of wealthy individuals to Switzerland.

  • Increased dividend tax (37.84%)

    The effective dividend tax (gross-up factor 1.72 multiplied by the 22% base rate) makes holding structures within Norway unattractive and encourages business owners with wealth to relocate their tax residency.

  • Strong passport and EEA access

    Norway provides visa-free access to 192 countries and is fully part of Schengen and the EEA, granting nearly identical advantages to EU membership for free movement and settlement.

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Sources

Other destinations

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