Most of those from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) will need to be granted a residence permit, whether for workers, students or family members, to be a legal resident of Norway.

Once granted the right to live in Norway, you’ll receive a residence card or permit. The permit is your primary way of proving you are a legal resident of Norway and have a right to live in the country. 

However, there may be times when you will be left without a residence permit, such as if you’ve lost it, you’ve reapplied for residence and have yet to receive your card, or it expires. So what are the rules for travelling when you don’t have your card? 

Technically, you can leave Norway, but you will have a tough time travelling and may be refused entry to Norway and other countries while at the border. 

This is because the residence card is your only way of proving that you have the legal right to enter and proof that you haven’t overstayed in the EEA/EA as a third-country national. 

“Even if they have applied (for a new card) in time, they may have trouble travelling in and out of Norway while waiting for a new permit. This is because they don’t have a valid residence card. Without the residence card, they can be stopped at border control in other countries. They may also have trouble getting into Norway again when they return,” Per-Jan Brekke, a senior press adviser at the Norwegian Immigration Directorate (UDI), told The Local previously.

READ MORE: What are my rights while I wait for my Norwegian residence permit to be extended?

“If they are staying abroad when their residence permit expires, they risk not being allowed back into Norway,” Brekke added. 

Furthermore, if, for whatever reason, you don’t have your residence card and need to travel abroad, the UDI can’t provide you with any written confirmation or proof that you are a legal resident that can be used to enter Norway or other countries. 

“We can`t write confirmations that can be used for travel and which airlines and other countries’ authorities will accept. All travels without a residence card will therefore be at your own risk,” Brekke said. 

Additionally, the UDI writes on its website that you cannot have the process of getting a new residence card sped up if you are planning on travelling. 

For this reason, the UDI advises you not to leave Norway if you do not have a valid passport and residence card. 

READ MORE: How to replace a Norwegian residence card if you lose it