Marrying and Sponsoring a Norwegian Citizen
Listen to this articleMarriage to a Norwegian Citizen
Every country has its own laws that apply to its citizens marrying a person from a different country. Getting married to a Norwegian citizen with the goal of eventually bringing them to Canada to live is a process with many steps.
If you want to bring your Norwegian spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). For more information, please see our family sponsorship page and our eTA article.
Norwegian Marriage Basic Requirements
A foreigner must be staying in Norway legally in order to get married in the country, for example if you are in Norway on a visa visit, you are a foreign national who does not require a visa or because you have a valid residence permit.
If you are planning to get married in Norway, you can apply for a residence permit to enter into marriage (fiancé permit).
The content of the permit
The purpose of this permit is to enable a foreigner to get married in Norway. The permit is valid for six months. The foreigner must live with his/her fiancé in Norway during this period. If the foreigner failed to get married in the course of six months, he/she must leave Norway.
A foreigner can apply for a fiancé permit if the person he/she is going to marry is a Norwegian citizen or lives in Norway and holds a permanent residence permit (settlement permit) or a residence permit that forms the basis for a permanent residence permit.
Your children cannot apply for family reunification with you while you are in Norway on a fiancé permit, as this permit does not constitute grounds for family reunification.
Before you apply, you need to find out if you can apply while you are staying in Norway, or if you need to apply from your home country.
You also need to find out whether you must fill out the application form online, or if you need to hand in a paper form.
Where to apply a permit from
- If a foreigner is outside Norway he/she can hand in his/her application at a Norwegian embassy or consulate. In some countries a person can hand in the application at the Swedish or Danish embassy instead.
- If the foreigner is in Norway, he/she can apply from the country if he/she has held another type of permit for the past nine months. The foreigner can also apply from Norway if he/she has skilled worker qualifications.
The foreigner must register his/her application online if he/she apply from Norway or through a Norwegian embassy. A foreigner cannot register his/her application online if he/she hand in the application at a Swedish or Danish embassy.
Before you can get married in Norway, the population register (the Norwegian Tax Administration) will check whether the conditions for marriage are met and issue a certificate. If you as a foreign national are planning to get married in Norway, the population register will require you to provide documentation from your home country (certificate of non-impediment to marriage) that, among other things, proves you are unmarried. Contact the population register to find out what documentation from your home country is required for you to get married in Norway.
After you have married, you must apply for family immigration with your spouse to be able to stay in Norway. You must apply for family immigration prior to the expiry of your fiancé permit, and you can stay in Norway while your application is being processed.
You can travel into and out of Norway for as long as the fiancé permit is valid, and you can also work in the country.
Family Members
If your Norwegian spouse has dependent children, this does not affect the Norwegian Marriage document application.
If you have dependent children, they have no effect on the application to marry a Norwegian citizen.
List of Norwegian Consulates in Canada
Calling Norway from Canada
To make a direct call to Norway from Canada, you need to follow the international dialling format given below. The dialling format is the same when calling Norway mobile or land line from Canada.
011 – 47 – Area Code – local number
011 – Exit code for Canada, and is needed for making any international call from Canada
47 – ISD Code or Country Code of Norway
Area Codes (landlines only)
Norway’s area codes are not exactly tied to each region. Below is a general guide:
| Aust-Agder | 37 | Oppland | 6x | Southwest (including Bergen) | 5x | Vestfold | 33 |
| Buskerud | 32 | Oslo | 2x | Telemark | 35 | ||
| Norther and middle Norway (including More og Romsdal, Trondheim) | 7x | Southeast | 6x | Vest-Agder | 38 |
Cell Phones
Cell codes begin with 4, 58, 59 or 9.
Calling Canada from Norway
To make a direct call to Canada from Norway, you need to follow the international dialling format given below. The dialling format is the same when calling Canada mobile or land line from Norway.
00 – 1 – Area Code – local number
- 00 – Exit code for Norway, and is needed for making any international call from Norway
- 1 – ISD Code or Country Code of Canada
List of area codes in Canada
| Province | Code | Province | Code |
| Alberta | 403 / 587 (southern Alberta)
587 / 780 (central and northern Alberta) |
Nunavut | 867 |
| BC | 236 / 250 / 778 (majority of BC)
236 / 604 / 778 (Metro Vancouver) |
Ontario | 226 / 519 (southwestern Ontario)
249 / 705 (northeastern Ontario) 289 / 365 / 905 (Greater Toronto Area) 343 / 613 (eastern Ontario) 416 / 647 (Toronto) 807 (northwestern Ontario) |
| Manitoba | 204 / 431 | PEI | 782 / 902 |
| New Brunswick | 506 | Quebec | 418 / 581 (eastern Quebec)
438 / 514 (Montreal) 450 / 579 (Greater Montreal) 819 / 873 (remainder of Quebec) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 709 | Saskatchewan | 306 / 639 |
| Northwest Territories | 867 | Yukon | 867 |
| Nova Scotia | 782 / 902 |
Time Difference
Norway is on Central European Time (GMT+1). Norway observes Daylight Saving Time but remember that Europe changes their clocks on different days than Canada does, so there are two week-long periods each year when the time differences below are inaccurate. Saskatchewan does not observe DST and so the time difference is an hour greater in the summer.
| Canadian Time Zone | # of Hours Norway is Ahead |
| Pacific (BC, Yukon) | 9 hours |
| Mountain (Alberta, western Nunavut, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan) | 8 hours |
| Central (Manitoba, Northwest Territories, central Nunavut, northwestern Ontario, Saskatchewan*) | 7 hours |
| Eastern (most of Ontario, most of Quebec) | 6 hours |
| Atlantic (Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, eastern Quebec) | 5 hours |
| Newfoundland | 4.5 hours |
Emergency Information for Canadians in Norway
Embassy of Canada in OsloWergelandsveien 7 Telephone: 47 22-99-53-00 |
View Larger Map |
Consulate of Canada in BergenP.O. Box 2439, Solheimsviken, 5824 Bergen, Norway Telephone: 47 55-29-71-30 |
No address available |
Emergency Numbers
In the event of an emergency in Norway, please call:
- 110 – Fire
- 112 – Police
- 911 – Police (only from cellular phones)
- 113 – Ambulance
- 120 – Emergency at open sea
The Government of Canada’s Travel Alerts for Norway
Norwegian Money
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner. It is subdivided into 100 øre. It is abbreviated locally as kr. The name translates into English as “crown”. The Norwegian krone was the thirteenth most traded currency in the world by value in April of 2010, down three positions from 2007.
Coins
In 1963, 5 kroner coins were introduced. Production of 1 and 2 øre coins ceased in 1972. The following year, the size of the 5 øre coin was reduced; production of the denomination ceased in 1982, along with minting of the 25 øre. Ten-krone coins were introduced in 1983. In 1992, the last 10 øre coins were minted. Between 1994 and 1998, a new coinage was introduced, consisting of 50 øre, 1, 5, 10, and 20 kroner (this last, introduced in 1994).
The 10- and 20-kroner coins carry the effigy of the current monarch. Previously the 1- and 5-kroner coins also carried the royal effigy, but now these denominations are decorated only with stylistic royal or national symbols. The royal motto of the monarch (King Harald’s motto is Alt for Norge, meaning “Everything for Norway”) is also inscribed on the 10-kroner coin.
The coins and banknotes are distributed by the Central Bank of Norway.
Banknotes
In 1877, Norges Bank introduced notes for 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 kroner. In 1917, 1 krone notes were issued, with 2 kroner notes issued between 1918 and 1922. Because of metal shortages, 1 and 2 kroner notes were again issued between 1940 and 1950. In 1963, 5 kroner notes were replaced by coins, with the same happening to the 10 kroner notes in 1984. 200 kroner notes were introduced in 1994.
50 Krone Note
The 50 Krone Banknote depicts Peter Christen Asbjørnsen on the front who was a Norwegian writer and scholar. He and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe were collectors of Norwegian folklore. On the back it depicts Water Lillies
100 Krone Note
The 100 Krone Banknote depicts Kirsten Målfrid Flagstad on the front who was a Norwegian opera singer and a highly regarded Wagnerian (dramatic) soprano. She ranks among the greatest singers of the 20th century. On the back it depicts Folketeateret in Oslo’s concert hall.
200 Krone Note
The 200 Krone Banknote depicts Kristian Olaf Birkelan on the front who was a Norwegian scientist. He is best remembered as the person who first elucidated the nature of the Aurora Borealis. On the back it depicts Northern Polar Regions and Aurora.
500 Krone Note
The 500 Krone Banknote depicts Sigrid Undset on the front who was a Norwegian novelist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928. On the back it depicts A wreath from the trilogy of Kristin Lavransdatter.
1000 Krone Note
The 1000 Krone Banknote depicts Edvard Munch on the front who was a Norwegian painter and printmaker whose intensely evocative treatment of psychological themes built upon some of the main tenets of late 19th-century Symbolism and greatly influenced German Expressionism in the early 20th century. One of his most well-known works is The Scream of 1893. On the back it depicts Excerpt from Munch’s wall painting “The Sun”.
Norwegian Wedding Traditions
Norway is a very beautiful country of snow-capped mountains and beautiful long narrow lakes known as fjords. There are few places that are more beautiful to hold a wedding.
Norwegian weddings today look similar to those of the U.S. and other European countries. The typical bride wears a long white dress and her groom will have on a black tuxedo. Of course, there are still brides who wear their bundas! Weddings happen both in the church and in a civil ceremony at the city hall. The majority of weddings in Norway are much smaller in size compared to American weddings. The bride and groom will invite those family and friends that are closest to them. Children are generally not invited unless, of course, the children belong to the bride or groom.
Traditionally the groom wears a hand-made woollen suit known as a bundas. The bundas has a white silk shirt, short pants and stockings that come up to the calf, a vest and topcoat. The bundas is covered with intricate and colourful designs. Each design is unique to the district of Norway where the groom was born, or where the groom’s ancestors came from. Many people think the bundas makes a man look like a Norwegian prince.
Groomsmen and the best man traditionally wear their bundas as well. Bundas come in a variety of colours, giving the wedding a traditional as well as colourful look and feel.
The bride traditionally wears a white or silver wedding gown. The bride will also wear a silver or silver and gold crown. Dangling around the crown will be small spoon-shaped bangles. When the bride moves her head the bangles produce a melodic tinkling music. Norwegian tradition holds that the music from the bride’s bangles will ward off evil spirits. During the wedding reception after the wedding the bride will dance vigorously, the tinkling melody of the bangles will scare off the evil spirits which try to inhabit the happy bride.
Tradition also holds that the bridesmaids, dressed similarly (but not the same) as the bride will confuse any evil spirits and further help protect the bride from evil influences.
Traditional Norwegian Wedding Procession
The fiddle players led the way with the bride and groom close behind.
Everyone had to make sure they would be in the right place in the procession. After the bride and groom followed their parents, bridesmaids, ring bearer, flower girls and the eager guests came last. In some places the men always rode in front of the women. The bride would always have the best horse – usually a light colored horse.
Not everyone rode to church. The wedding party could also be on foot, be driven in a carriage or a ferried in a boat. No matter the form of transportation, everyone had to make sure he processed in the correct order. Instead of several bridesmaids and groomsmen as here in the U.S., there will only be one attendant standing on each side of the bride and groom and a flower girl and ring bearer if the couple chooses.
At the conclusion of the ceremony the bride and groom exchange gold or silver wedding rings and the traditional wedding kiss, which symbolically seals the relationship between the husband and his wife. The round ring, with no beginning and no end traditionally represents never-ending love and the kiss historically represents the exchange of a portion of each other’s souls.
Music is very important at a Norwegian wedding. Often Norwegian weddings will use the traditional Norwegian tune “Come to the Wedding” and often the happy couple will be escorted out of the church after the ceremony to the music of the accordion
Dinner & Toasts
After the ceremony, a sit-down dinner will follow. The courses can be served to each guest or it may be a smørgåsbord or koldtbord (cold table) where guests can help themselves. Dinners usually last several hours because of the addition of toasts and songs to the bride and groom. This is a wonderful and personal part of the wedding day that is full of both tears and laughter. The toastmaster will introduce each person who wants to speak.
Following dinner, the wedding cake may be cut and the guests can help themselves to the variety of cakes and coffee and an after-dinner drink. In Norway, the bride and groom can ask friends and family to supply supplemental cakes for the cake table. Bløtkake (cream cake), Kransekake, almond cake, cheesecake, and chocolate cakes are among the many and delicious.
Cake
The dance will be next on the list with the bride and groom kicking it off. There will be another chance to eat again later once everyone has danced away dinner. The nattmat (night food) menu is much simpler and could consist of sausages, soup with bread, or sandwiches. This way the guests won’t go away hungry in the wee hours of morning.
The gift would traditionally be a Solje Crown Brooch, but today the choices could be any kind of jewellery, a watch, a trip, or something for their new home. Today it is also common for the bride to give a morgengave to her groom.
Then at the end, two small fir trees are planted on either side of the door to the couple’s home as a symbol of the children to come.
Religion in Norway
The state church is the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway but all religious faiths have freedom to function.
In Norway, 82.7% of the populations are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as compared to 96% in the 1960s. Some 3 per cent on average attend church on Sunday and 10 per cent on average attend church every month.
Approximately 9–10% are probably not members of any religious or philosophical communities, while 8.6% of the populations are members of other religious or philosophical communities outside the Church of Norway.
Other religious groups operated freely and include Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs were present in very small numbers, together comprising less than 1 percent of the population.
In 2005, a survey conducted by Gallup International in sixty-five countries indicated that Norway was the least religious country in Western Europe, with 29% counting themselves as believing in a church or deity, 26% as being atheists, and 45% not being entirely certain.
Overall, Christian Orthodoxy is the fastest-growing religious tradition in Norway with a rate of 231.1% compared to Islam’s 64.3% from 2000 to 2009. However there are more Muslims in Norway than there are adherents of any specific Christian denomination outside of the Lutheran Church of Norway, with Muslims making up 2.1% of the population as compared to the 0.2% Orthodox Christians, 0.1% Seventh-day Adventists, 0.2% Baptists.
Nidaros Cathedral
This is the largest church in Norway
Stave Churche – Medieval Wooden Churches in Norway
Norwegian Baptist church in Bergen
Orthodox Church in Barentsburg, Svalbard
Orthodox Church in Oslo
Saint Paul Catholic Church, Bergen
St. Olav’s Cathedral in Oslo
Dolstad kirke (Dolstad Church)
Norse religion
Norse religion developed from the common mythology of the Germanic people. Scandinavian mythology developed slowly and the relative importance of gods and heroes. Thus, the cult of Odin in Norway probably spread from Western Germany not long before they were written down. Gods shown as minor gods such as Ullr, the fertility god Njord and Heimdall are likely to be older gods in Norway who lost popularity. Other gods (or aesir, as they were called) worth mentioning are the thunder-god Thor and the love-goddess Freya. These gods were most likely originally historical figures that lived during the first period of Germanic civilization in Scandinavia, and were later idolized as protectors of men and creators of the world by following generations.
Most information about Scandinavian mythology is contained in the old Norse literature including Norwegian literature, the Eddas and later sagas. Other information comes from the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus with fragments of legends preserved in old inscriptions. Unfortunately, relatively little about old religious practices in Norway is known or elsewhere as most of the knowledge was lost in the gradual Christianization.
Sámi religion
The Sámi followed a shamanistic religion based on nature worship. The Sámi pantheon consisted of four general gods the Mother, the Father, the Son and the Daughter (Radienacca, Radienacce, Radienkiedde and Radienneida). There was also a god of fertility, fire and thunder Horagalles, the sun goddess Beive and the moon goddess Manno as well as the goddess of death Jabemeahkka.
Like many pagan religions, the Sámi saw life as a circular process of life, death and rebirth. The shaman was called a Noaide and the traditions were passed on between families with an ageing Noaide training a relative to take his or her place after he or she dies. While training went on as long as the Noaide lived but the pupil had to prove his or her skills before a group of Noaidi before being eligible to become a fully-fledged shaman at the death of his or her mentor.
The Norwegian church undertook a campaign to Christianize the Sámi in the 16th and 17th century with most of the sources being missionaries. While the vast majority of the Sámi in Norway have been Christianized, some of them still follow their traditional faith and some Noaidi are still practising their ancient religion. Sami people are often more religious than Norwegians.
Islam
Islam is the largest minority religion in Norway with over 2% of the population. In 2007, government statistics registered 79,068 members of Islamic congregations in Norway, about 10% more than in 2006. 56% lived in the counties of Oslo and Akershus. Scholarly estimates from 2005 regarding the number of people of Islamic background in Norway vary between 120,000 and 150,000. In the end of the 1990s, Islam passed the Roman Catholic Church and Pentecostalism to become the largest minority religion in Norway, provided Islam is seen as one united grouping, as there are different denominations in existence, such as Sunni, Shia and Ahmadiyya. In 2004, the registered Muslims were members of 92 different congregations. Forty of these were based in Oslo or Akershus counties.
Noor mosque in Oslo
World Islamic Mission Mosque, Oslo, Norway
Judaism
There were never many Jews in Norway. Although there are no indications of active persecution, Jews were banned from entering and residing in the dual monarchy of Denmark-Norway for long periods of time. After the split with Denmark in 1814, the new Norwegian Constitution included a notorious paragraph that banned Jews and Jesuits from entering the realm. The paragraph, which was abolished with regard to Jews in 1851 after strong political debate, appears to have been primarily aimed at the Jewish Messianic revival movements in Eastern Europe at the time, since the Sephardi and Western European Jews in many cases seem to have been exempted.
Shechita, Jewish kosher slaughter, has been banned in Norway since 1929, 741 Norwegian Jews were murdered during the Nazi occupation of Norway during World War II, and in 1946 there were only 559 Jews registered living in Norway.
The synagogue in Oslo
Romantic, Scenic and Historic Places in Norway
El hotel Bjornafjord – Bergen
32 km outside Bergen, Bjornafjord boasts a spectacular waterside setting with mountain, fjord and distant glacier views. This romantic hotel was built in 1905 by the first prime minister of Norway.
Hotel Mundal – Fjærland
An architecturally interesting 19th century Victorian hotel.
Polar Hotel – Longyearbyen
Polar Hotel is considered to be the world’s most northernmost full-service hotel. The Hotel is less than 15 degrees from North Pole. Not the plushest of amenities, but with open views of Ice Fjord to the west and snow-bound mountains to the north, the romance is in the ends-of-the-world setting. People who venture outside of the settlement are advised to carry a gun (polar bears).
Juvet Landscape Hotel- Norddal
Situated between two mountain peaks, Juvet consists of sleek modern cabins with heated floors and floor to ceiling glass panes overlooking birch trees and the Valldola River. Hidden away is a secluded open air spa. This newly built romantic hotel sits on the grounds of a picturesque 16th century farm and you dine in the farm’s rustic antique-filled barn. Located an 8-9 hours drive northwest from Oslo.
Hotel Continental – Oslo
Hotel Continental has been a family enterprise for four generations. It is over 100 years old, and is situated in the heart of Oslo – the capital of Norway. Indeed, it is the heart of the city! The sights of this fascinating capital city are more accessible from the Hotel than from anywhere else.
Radisson Blu Hotel Nydalen – Oslo
The Hotel is located in the heart of the Nydalen business district, just steps from the train and metro station. It is also located five kilometres from Oslo city centre and 50 kilometres from the Oslo International Airport, Gardermoen. The Hotel is also situated along the banks of the Aker River in the fastest growing business district of Oslo, the Radisson Blu Hotel in Nydalen provides the ideal accommodation for business and leisure travellers. This Oslo hotel sits next to the train and metro station, providing easy access to the nearby Oslo city centre and Oslo International Airport, Gardermoen. 125 trendy rooms overlook the river, and the hotel boasts a blend of Norwegian and Mediterranean cuisines at Circo Bar and Restaurant. Unwind in the fitness centre, complete with a sauna and sun beds. The hotel also features 12 meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 200 guests.
Scenic Places
Bergen
Seven mountains and fjords surround Norway’s 2nd biggest city. It is known for its beauty and its music festivals; the 19th century composer Edvard Grieg lived here and his house is a living museum.
Fjaerland Valley
This dramatic and gorgeous fjord contains Norway’s largest mountain, the Jostedal glacier, and a charming farming village, Mundal. A favourite destination of mountain climbers, located 7 hours drive north of Oslo.
Beaches
The Hove beaches – Arendal
Fine family-friendly beaches, where smooth, coastal rocks are close by, for those who prefer this. There is a special beach for the disabled, and a playground, cafeteria, high rope course, toilets and a kiosk during summer. Great hiking area!
Bystranda – Kristiansand
Along the Strandpromenaden and near by the city center of Kristiansand is Bystranda. This is a nice sandy beach with swim pier, activities, sun deck and palm trees – ideal for children. In addition, there is a separate bathing ramp for the disabled.
Hamresanden – Kristiansand
Hamresanden is a 2-mile sandy beach teeming with bathers during the summer season. The beach is suitable for the small children as well, and the area is much used for windsurfing, swimming, diving and strolls along the water’s edge.
Sjøsanden – Mandal
Sjøsanden might be one of the most well-known landmarks in Mandal. The beach is located in walking distance from the town centre. The 800-metre long sandy beach is part of the recreational area Furulunden.
Helleviga – Søgne
Helleviga has walking trails, beaches, smooth coastal rock slopes, and a jetty. There are tables, benches, barbecues and a large lawn here as well. The area is an old coastal farm, and there’s a summer café in the main building during the school holiday.
Sponsoring Your Norwegian Spouse to Canada
The sponsorship application process is long and complicated. To learn more about it, click the button below:
Sponsorship Review
Immigroup will review your completed spousal sponsorship application.. Immigroup will make sure you have not made any mistakes on your application or in gathering the documentation of your relationship. We will assess your sponsorship letter and give you peace of mind that you are submitting an application with a very good chance of success. Don’t lose sleep at night worrying about whether you’ve done enough. Call us at 1-866-760-2623 for a review.
