After Applying for a Norway Work Permit: Steps for Indians

This guide picks up from the moment you leave the VFS centre. It relies on the Royal Norwegian Embassy in India, VFS Global and Norway's Immigration Regulations, as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For eligibility and the document list, start with our Norway visa and permit guide for Indians.

What happens to your file after the VFS appointment?

A residence permit for skilled workers moves through six stages. The first two you have already completed by the time you are waiting.

Your passport may be returned to you while the case is pending. If you later have to hand it in again, VFS charges a resubmission courier fee of EUR 5.60 at Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Chandigarh.

How long does UDI take to decide a work permit?

The Embassy does not publish a fixed time for residence permits. It says the decision is made by UDI and points applicants to UDI's waiting-time page on udi.no, with courier time between VFS and the Embassy added on top.

That waiting-time page sat behind a CAPTCHA when this record was compiled in October 2026, so no verified figure for work permits is given here. Check the page yourself for the permit type and the date you applied, and plan your notice period in India with a margin.

Do not confuse permit times with visitor visa times. A Schengen visitor visa is normally decided in 15 days, but that standard does not apply to a residence permit decided by UDI.

How do you check the status from India?

• Use the VFS website. Status becomes available once the Embassy has received the application.
• Expect no detail from the Embassy. It gives no status information, and as long as your passport has not been returned to VFS, no decision has been made.
• Wait 15 days before following up. The Embassy asks applicants not to follow up before 15 days from receipt have passed.
• Ask the right office. The Royal Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi handles visas and residence permits for all of India. The Consulate General in Mumbai covers Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa for consular matters only and does not handle visa applications; it refers visa queries to VFS on +91 22 67866021 or info.norwayin@vfshelpline.com.

When can you travel to Norway?

Only after UDI has granted the permit and your passport carries the entry visa. The Embassy is explicit that you cannot travel to Norway until UDI has granted the permit.

That makes early ticket purchases risky. The Embassy's visa checklists advise not to buy a ticket until the visa is granted, and the same logic applies to a permit that is still with UDI. If your employer or a relocation partner needs travel dates on paper, a verifiable flight reservation shows the plan without committing money.

Plan your exit from your Indian job around the decision, not the application date. Resigning, serving notice and travelling before the stamp is in your passport leaves you exposed if UDI asks for more documents.

What should you do after UDI approves the permit?

1. Watch for the decision to come back through VFS.
2. Book the passport submission for the visa stamp at a VFS centre. VFS lists "Visa Stamping after UDI approval" as its own service under residence permits.
3. Choose how to receive the passport. VFS sells optional courier return at EUR 9.9; other optional services include SMS updates at EUR 5.5.
4. Check the stamp and the dates carefully before you leave the centre or open the courier.
5. Book your flight once the stamped passport is in your hands.

The VFS service fee itself is published inconsistently. VFS India's pages state EUR 08, while the Embassy's residence-permit page states EUR 20 per applicant, paid at the VFS counter. Carry enough for the higher figure.

What if UDI refuses the work permit?

UDI guidance says rejected applicants receive a written explanation of why the application was rejected and can appeal the decision. The handling time for appeals is more than 3 months.

The appeal deadline is published on udi.no and is stated in the decision, so read the refusal letter on the day it arrives. Compare the reasons with the conditions in the Immigration Regulations: a concrete offer of work, as a rule full-time for one employer; pay and working conditions not poorer than the applicable collective agreement or normal for the occupation; relevant vocational training, a trade certificate, a degree or special qualifications; and authorisation where the profession is regulated. Note which of these conditions the refusal letter names, because that is what an appeal has to answer.

Which mistakes cause delays while you wait?

• Chasing the Embassy before 15 days have passed or asking it for status details it does not give.
• Sending visa queries to the Mumbai Consulate General instead of VFS.
• Missing a passport resubmission after VFS has returned the passport during processing.
• Booking non-refundable flights before the permit and stamp are in place.
• Relying on general Schengen timelines instead of UDI's own waiting-time page.

For visa file, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters, priced from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation up to INR 3,000 for all four together. You can reach us on WhatsApp at +91 95230 91018 or through the contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a fee to resubmit my passport at VFS for a Norway application?

Yes. If the passport is returned during processing and later resubmitted, VFS charges a courier fee of EUR 5.60 at Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Chandigarh.

Can my spouse and children apply to join me in Norway?

Family members apply for a residence permit for family immigration, with a general fee of NOK 11,900 under the Immigration Regulations. Children under 18 pay half. Reduced rates apply in some cases, so confirm the exact fee on the UDI portal when registering.

Can I contact the Norwegian Embassy directly about an urgent case?

The Embassy says business travellers and applicants who must travel on an emergency basis and cannot get a VFS appointment can contact its visa section at Visum.New.Delhi@mfa.no. Routine status questions go through the VFS website.

Where can Indians submit a Norway work permit application?

VFS Global centres for Norway operate in Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune. Biometrics are mandatory for residence-permit applicants.