The Norwegian government has made an announcement that it will begin re-opening the country in three phases.
Phase 1 – September 25, 2021:
- All EEA citizens, including persons who are resident in the EEA, can enter Norway.The same applies for citizens and those who are living in the UK and Switzerland. The citizens of countries considered as purple (low infection rates) can also enter Norway.
- Purple countries at this stage are: New Zealand; Saudi Arabia; Singapore and Taiwan
Phase 2 – planned to start in the second half of October:
- It is planned that the restrictions on who is allowed to enter the country will also be lifted for all countries on the EU's third country list.The quarantine obligation will be removed, first for countries within the EEA / Schengen and Purple countries, and then for all countries on the EU's third country list. Corresponding lifting of restrictions will be made for the test requirement at the border and the requirement for entry registration.
Phase 3
- It will be considered in more detail on what restrictions there will be on entry into Norway and associated quarantine rules.Requirements for testing on arrival and PCR testing will be removed in phase 3 but may be reintroduced if necessary.There will be preparedness for border control in the inner Schengen area.
Quarantine and testing:
- The entry quarantine is removed for travelers from orange areas. This means, that the entry quarantine only applies to travelers from red, dark red, purple and gray countries (other third countries)
- The entry quarantine is removed for children under 18 years of age. The obligation to test at the border is maintained for children who come from an area with a quarantine obligation. In addition, testing after three days is recommended.
- Adult travelers from quarantine areas can terminate the entry quarantine by negative PCR test taken no earlier than three days after arrival. The obligation to PCR test seven days after arrival is removed.
- Quarantine hotels are removed as a requirement though are maintained as an offer for those who do not have another suitable quarantine location. Those who are already in quarantine hotels when the new rules are introduced, can complete their quarantine there if they wish.
- Requirement for a completed corona test before arrival in Norway is removed
- The requirement for a test at border crossing / arrival is removed for travelers from green and orange countries/areas. The test requirement is retained for travelers who come from areas with a quarantine obligation (red, dark red, purple and gray countries)
- All fully vaccinated persons with valid documentation are released from quarantine and testing. This is only applicable for vaccination certificates which are verifiable in Norway. These are EU/NHS/third countries which have linked to EU corona certificate. The list of third countries can be found here: https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/coronavirus-response/safe-covid-19-vaccines-europeans/eu-digital-covid-certificate_en
- Link to the mapfrom FHI (Norwegian Health institute) where the color of the countries is stated: https://www.fhi.no/nettpub/coronavirus/fakta/reiserad-knyttet-til-nytt-koronavirus-coronavirus/#table-pagination-21197820
Please contact an immigration specialist if you require assistance.
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