Living in Norway : What you need to know about Norway's lifestyle

– By EU helpers

What is so great and not so good about living in Norway? One recent arrival reveals all

based on his experiences so far.

Life in Norway gets tons of emails from people asking if they should move to Norway. That's

a decision we cannot make for you! However, we can, of course, guide you based on our

experiences. Generally, this involves weighing up the positives and negatives, and how they

will apply to you.

Norwegians take a lot of pride in their homes, and that means they tend to be well built,

clean and well cared for. Plus, they have that Scandinavian decor that’s so stylish right now.

Many rentals come furnished, and in Norway, homes look like they were pulled straight

from the pages of an IKEA catalogue.

The outdoors is where you’ll want to be

Norway is absolutely beautiful. From its rugged coastlines to its jagged mountain peaks, the

scenery will take your breath away over and over again. And when the surroundings look

that good, people tend to take advantage of them, so outdoor culture is huge in Norway.

You’ll find hiking, biking, fishing, boating and more — everything an outdoorsman needs can

be found in Norway.

It’s easy to start a business

Norway is a global leader in industries ranging from maritime, to energy, to technology and

communications. And the country has an administration that encourages and supports new

businesses, causing around 35,000 new businesses to be registered in the country each

year. If you want to register a business of your own, you’ll find the process to be

streamlined and straightforward.

Norway takes care of the environment

Recycling is a part of daily life in Norway, where people take care of the environment and

try to keep the country clean. After all, a country that beautiful needs to be preserved.

It’s a safe country

Generally, crime in Norway is very low. It’s safe to walk places by yourself, as violent crime is

quite rare. Of course there is a difference to living in Oslo, and living in a smaller town in the

countryside. You’ll even notice, in some towns, people may leave bicycles out and unlocked.

Education is top-notch

Norway has one of the world’s best education systems, with free, world class public

education for kids, as well as free college educations for anyone, even non-residents.

Norway really considers education to be important, and it shows in the quality of the

system.

Healthcare is universal

Norway’s universal healthcare system means residents don’t have to pay out of pocket for

visits to the doctor.

Opening a bank account can be tricky for foreigners

You’ll find it difficult to open a local bank account without a local address. You can’t open an

account from abroad, which means if you move to Norway, you won’t be able to set up your

finances until you actually arrive. No getting ahead of the game here.

The cost of living is extremely high

The high quality of life that Norwegians enjoy comes with a big price tag. Rents and home

prices in Norway are extremely expensive. The cost of food is also high, especially if you’re

dining out. If you don’t like to cook at home, you may need to take a good, long look at your

budget to see if you can afford to live in Norway.

The weather can be rough

Norway is really far north. That means it’s extremely cold there for most of the year. Even

summer temperatures aren’t that high, and months of winter wind and rain, especially in

coastal cities, can be hard to handle.

The healthcare system isn’t perfect

Like in so many countries, Norway’s healthcare system is a double edged sword. While its

universal healthcare plan makes medical care affordable for pretty much everyone, there are

a lot of procedures people have to follow. For example, you can’t see a specialist without a

referral from your general practitioner, which can mean (you guessed it!) wait times.

Religion

Norway has had its own state church (Den Norske statskirke) for about 500 years. This

followed a Lutheran protestant rite, with the Norwegian king as the formal head of the

church. However, in 2012 the Norwegian church lost its affiliation with the state and is now

a completely independent organization.

For many decades Norwegians have become less religious. Although about two-thirds of

Norwegians still are members of the church, they attend only about one church service peryear on average. Norway has seen full religious freedom only since 1964 (quite late,

compared to other European countries).

With immigration from all over the world, Norway now has a large variety of other religious

groups, mostly in the larger cities. There are still communities with strong and often

conservative Christian beliefs in the south (Agder region) and Southwest (Rogaland region),

the Norwegian Bible belt (bibelbelte).

Sports and recreation

Norwegians love being in nature! They go hiking, skiing, mountain climbing, fishing, hunting

… the level of fitness is surprising! Be prepared for a great number of 80-year-olds on the

track, smiling happily at you, while you are panting from exhaustion. If this sounds appealing

to you, consider joining the DNT. They organize trips, publish maps, offer courses, and run

cottages in the mountains where you can spend the night during longer trips.

Boating is another big thing in Norway – many young Norwegians own a boat before they

own a car.

Nightlife in Norway

Nightlife for those living in Norway is usually limited to Friday and Saturday nights. It has

some peculiarities concerning the Norwegian drinking culture: Norwegians tend to avoid

alcohol except for parties.

In other words, your colleagues will frown upon you if you order a glass of wine for lunch on

Friday. But if you get completely wasted with them a few hours later in a bar, then that’s

totally acceptable. This extremely odd attitude toward alcohol has its roots in puritanism

and the dangers of alcoholism on long winter nights. So, drinking a little bit regularly is

considered scary, but the occasional sin on a weekend is fine.

Although Norwegians are not as religious anymore, much of the traditional alcohol policy

remains in place. To this day you can only buy wine and stronger alcohol at state-owned

liquor stores (Vinmonopolet). And, alcohol is heavily taxed, and bars and restaurants can

serve alcohol at certain times.

Due to the high prices, Norwegians tend to pre-party at home to get up their alcohol level a

bit before heading to the bars. They call this vorspiel (for those of you who speak German:

the word has no sexual connotation). The party ends at home again with a nachspiel (unless

everybody is too drunk). If you are invited to a private party or a vorspiel you should bring

the amount of alcohol you plan to consume. (Your host will not offer alcohol to everyone

since that’s way too expensive).

We had been working since 2007 and can be of great help if you want to settle in any

foreign country.

Consult EU helpers today!!