Norway announced a swathe of changes to its Covid-19 entry rules and restrictions that open the border to many travellers from non-European Economic Area, or EEA, (EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) countries. 

In addition to this, new rules were announced for UK travellers using digital vaccine certificates.

Below we’ll break down all the major changes and what they mean for you. 

Family and partners from outside the EEA can soon visit Norway. 

Norway will soon allow close family and romantic partners from all countries outside of the entire EEA to enter the country. 

Apart from those travelling from a handful of “purple list” countries, family and partners had been barred from coming to Norway for more than seven months. 

READ MORE: Families separated by Norway’s strict Covid-19 border rules to sue the government

When do the rules come into effect? 

The Norwegian Ministry of Justice announced that the new rules would come into effect on September 12th. 

Which family members will be allowed to enter?

Norway has said that only close family will be allowed to enter the country. 

Adult children and stepchildren, parents and stepparents of adult children/stepchildren and grandparents, great-grandparents, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are classed as close family by the justice ministry. Therefore, any other family will not be permitted to enter. 

Family will also need proof of their relative’s residence in Norway to enter. This can be a copy of their residence permit or rental contract. Proof of relation, such as a birth certificate, may also be required. 

What are the rules for partners? 

Partners hoping to travel to Norway will need to submit a free application to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) and have this approved before coming to Norway.

Partners will also need to be over 18.

What are the quarantine and testing rules for family arriving from outside the EEA? 

The Norwegian Ministry of Justice has said that the rules for travellers from outside the EEA coming to Norway to visit their loved ones will be the same as the current rules for those entering Norway from these areas. 

Essentially this means that arrivals should currently expect to be put into a quarantine hotel for a minimum of three days. The hotel costs 500 kroner per night for adults and includes meals and testing. The price for children aged between 10 and 17 is 250 per night—kids under 10 stay for free. 

Arrivals will be released from quarantine after they return a negative coronavirus test taken on day three. This could mean travellers are in the hotel for longer than three days. 

Once released from the hotel, they can quarantine at home with loved ones before taking another test on day seven. Once this test comes back negative, you’re free to go.

What are the other entry requirements? 

Passengers will need to fill out the entry registration form, which you can look at here. 

Travellers will also need to take two tests to enter Norway too. One taken 24 hours before their departure and one at the border once they land. 

The test can be either a PCR or antigen test but must come with results printed in English, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, French or German.

What if we are vaccinated? 

Norway currently only accepts coronavirus certificates that are a part of the EU’s vaccine pass scheme or digital vaccine passes from the UK. 

This means that even if you have been vaccinated, unless you have an approved pass, you will still need to go into a quarantine hotel, test and register your journey.

All digital vaccine passes from the UK to be accepted

From 5pm September 3rd, Norway will accept the Scottish Covid-19 certificate as proof of vaccination, allowing fully jabbed arrivals to enter Norway and skip all entry and quarantine requirements.

They will need to have received a WHO-approved vaccine. This includes Indian-made AstraZeneca, or Covishield vaccine doses.

This means all digital UK Covid passes will be accepted after Norway began allowing the Northern Irish, English and Welsh vaccine certificates to be used for quarantine free travel last month. 

In addition to entering Norway freely, UK Covid pass holders will not have to undergo quarantine, provide proof of a negative test taken before travel, test at the border or register their entry.

Unvaccinated children under 18 travelling with parents who have a valid vaccine pass will not be exempt from the same rules as their parents and will need to register their entry, quarantine and if they are over 12 have proof of a negative test taken within 24 hours of their departure. 

It’s worth noting that in Norway, you aren’t considered fully vaccinated until a week after your final dose.

Covid passes from three new countries accepted

Four new vaccine countries have been added to the EU’s digital Covid certificate scheme. North Macedonia, Turkey and Ukraine will all be accepted. 

Travellers from these countries who are fully vaccinated with a World Health Organisation (WHO) approved jab will be able to skip all entry rules and requirements. 

The same will apply to people who have recovered from coronavirus in the past six months.