Entry restrictions will be gradually lifted

From then, all EEA nationals, including people from other countries who reside in the EEA, may enter Norway. The same applies to people who live in the UK and Switzerland. We will also allow all foreign nationals who live in purple countries to enter Norway. These are countries outside the EEA/Schengen area which the Norwegian Institute of Public Health has determined can have slightly lighter restrictions.

‘We have had strict measures at the border for a long time. This has been important in order to prevent imported cases of COVID-19. As we move to normal everyday life, the Norwegian Government is planning gradual downscaling of the restrictions on entry into the country. We will monitor developments closely’, says Minister of Justice and Public Security Monica Mæland.

Phase 1 of the downscaling of entry restrictions will begin on Saturday 25 September at 4 pm. The plan is for the next phase to be considered in the second half of October.

Changes in Phase 1

The following changes will enter into effect on 25 September 2021 at 4 pm:

Entry

• Entry restrictions, i.e. the restrictions on who may enter the country, will be lifted for the EEA/Schengen area and purple countries. This means that EEA nationals, people from other countries who reside in the EEA and people who live in the UK and Switzerland will be able to enter Norway. Entry restrictions will also be lifted for people who live in purple countries, i.e. countries outside the EEA/Schengen area which the Norwegian Institute of Public Health has determined can have slightly lighter restrictions.
• Entry will provisionally be permitted from the 35 approved border crossing points for people who do not have special exemptions. Border crossing points that have been shut will be reopened once the municipality at the border has established testing, and good information has been devised for travellers.
• The police will prioritise border control of travellers from areas with a high infection rate. Controls of travellers from areas with a low infection rate will be given lower priority, while spot checks will be conducted.

Quarantine and testing

• Travel quarantine will no longer be required for travellers from orange areas. Travel quarantine will now only be required for travellers arriving from red, dark red, purple, and grey countries (other third countries).
• Travel quarantine will no longer be required for children under the age of 18. The duty to take a test at the border will be kept for children who arrive from an area that triggers a duty to quarantine. They are also advised to take a test after three days.
• Adult travellers from areas that trigger a duty to quarantine may leave travel quarantine if they can present a negative result from a PCR test taken no sooner than 3 days after arrival. The duty to take a PCR test 7 days after arrival will cease to apply.
• The duty to stay at a quarantine hotel will cease to apply, but travellers may stay at a quarantine hotel if they have no other suitable accommodation. People who are already staying at a quarantine hotel when the new rules enter into effect may complete the rest of their quarantine period at the hotel if they so wish.
• The requirement to take a COVID-19 test before arrival in Norway will be lifted.
• The requirement to take a test when crossing the border/upon arrival will be lifted for travellers from green and orange countries/areas. The test requirement will be kept for travellers arriving from areas that trigger a duty to quarantine.
• All people who are fully vaccinated and have valid documentation will be exempt from quarantine and testing.

Changes in Phase 2

In Phase 2, the Norwegian Government plans to also lift the restrictions on who may enter the country from a country on the EU's list of third countries. The duty to quarantine will cease to apply, first for countries in the EEA/Schengen area and purple countries, next for all countries on the EU's list of third countries. The requirement to take a test at the border and the requirement to complete entry registration will be lifted correspondingly.

Changes in Phase 3

In Phase 3, a detailed assessment will be made of what restrictions to keep for entry into Norway, as well as of the associated quarantine rules. The powers will be kept. The duty to take a test upon arrival and to take a PCR test will cease to apply in Phase 3, but may be reintroduced as needed. Preparedness will be maintained for border control along the interior Schengen border.

Gradual downscaling of test centres

The Norwegian Government is planning to gradually downscale test centres in three phases. In Phase 1, test centres will be kept at airports with international traffic, and at the border crossing points in Svinesund and Storskog. For other test centres, the municipalities will themselves decide whether the testing will be conducted at the border crossing point or in the municipality that has a border crossing point. In Phase 2, the test centres at Oslo Airport Gardermoen, Svinesund and Storskog will be kept, while other test centres are shut down, and travellers who arrive at other border crossing points must take a test in the municipality at their destination. In Phase 3, no testing will be offered at the border, but the municipalities will be prepared to start testing at the border within a matter of days.

Gradual downscaling of border control

The Norwegian Government is planning to gradually downscale border control in three phases. Entry will provisionally be permitted from the 35 approved border crossing points for people who do not have special exemptions. Border crossing points that have been shut will be reopened once testing has been established. The number of approved border crossing points will increase once municipal test facilities have been established. The police will prioritise border control of travellers from areas with a high infection rate. Controls of travellers from areas with a low infection rate will be given lower priority, while spot checks will be conducted. Regular assessments will be made regarding the reopening of shut border crossing points and removal of border control along the interior Schengen border, but this will depend on the municipal test capacity, among other factors. In Phase 2, the police will conduct knowledge-based spot checks along the interior Schengen border. Entry will be permitted from all border crossing points. Ordinary border control will be conducted along the external Schengen border, with guidance on current infection control rules. In Phase 3, the police will be prepared to re-establish border control along the interior Schengen border in a matter of days.

Gradual downscaling of the National Centre for Control of Travellers to Norway
The National Centre for Control of Travellers will gradually reduce its staffing, and end its control and report function on 31 October. After that date, it will have a staffing level that makes it possible to send information by text message to travellers with a duty to take a test and quarantine. Preparedness with a view to re-establishing the National Centre will be kept until the end of 2021. Extended preparedness will be assessed by the end of 2021.

Changes regarding Svalbard and cruises along the coast of Svalbard
The requirement for travel quarantine to be completed on the mainland before onward travel to Svalbard will be kept. The Norwegian Government will remove the requirement of a negative test result before departure to Svalbard. It will also lift the requirements that currently apply to travel operations and restrictions on maximum occupancy at hotels and accommodation in Svalbard. In principle, most of the requirements regarding cruises along the coast of Svalbard will be lifted, but there will still be restrictions on disembarkation in Svalbard and a requirement that ships return to their home port if COVID-19 is suspected or confirmed on board. The changes will enter into effect on 25 September at 4 pm. The temporary ban on international charter flights to Svalbard will be kept.

Changes regarding cruises along the Norwegian coast
The Norwegian Government will lift most of the requirements regarding cruises along the Norwegian coast. The restrictions regarding disembarkation will be kept. The exemption from the duty to quarantine for maritime personnel on coastal cruises will be kept, but with a few minor changes as a result of other changes to the general entry restriction rules. The changes will enter into effect on 25 September at 4 pm.

Accommodation must continue to be approved by the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority

Foreign employees and contractors who have been granted entry under the application-based programmes managed by the Norwegian Maritime Authority and the Norwegian Agricultural Agency must continue to complete their travel quarantine at suitable accommodation approved by the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority or at a quarantine hotel. The requirement that accommodation must continue to be approved by the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority will be kept in Phase 1 of the lifting of entry restrictions.

Gradual lifting of entry restrictions and measures in ‘A normal everyday life with increased emergency preparedness’
Restriction/advice/measure	Phase 1	Phase 2	Phase 3
Ministry of Foreign Affairs travel advice	Rescinded on 1 October. Replaced by travel advice for specific countries.
Entry restrictions (who may enter the country)	Lifted for the EEA/Schengen area and purple countries.	Lifted for all countries on the EU's list of third countries.	Will be assessed later.
Duty to quarantine	Travel quarantine will be lifted for travellers from orange countries. Travel quarantine will be lifted for children under the age of 18, but the duty to take a test at the border will be kept, with a recommendation to take a test after 3 days. Adult travellers from countries that trigger a duty to quarantine will be able to leave travel quarantine if they can present a negative result from a PCR test taken no sooner than 3 days after arrival.	Will be removed first for countries in the EEA/Schengen area and purple countries. After a new assessment: removed for all countries on the EU's list of third countries.   If they are not removed for all countries on the EU’s list of third countries, an assessment will be made to allow exemptions to quarantine for people who can present a non-verifiable vaccination certificate.   Travel quarantine may be reintroduced for certain countries that have a worrying infection rate.	Will be assessed later.
Quarantine hotel	Will be kept for now as a service for people who do not have suitable accommodation.		Will be downscaled.
Test prior to arrival	Will be lifted.
Test upon arrival	Will be lifted for travellers from green and orange countries. Will be kept for travellers arriving from countries that trigger a duty to quarantine.	Will be lifted gradually in accordance with the duty to quarantine. The duty to take a test may be reintroduced for certain countries that have a worrying infection rate.
PCR test after arrival	Voluntary PCR test after 3 days for travellers who are subject to a duty to quarantine. No mandatory PCR test 7 days after arrival.	Will be lifted gradually in accordance with the duty to quarantine. The duty to take a test may be reintroduced for certain countries that have a worrying infection rate
Entry registration	Linked to quarantine and the duty to take a test.	Will be lifted gradually in accordance with the duty to quarantine.	Preparedness for expansion
National Centre for Control of Travellers to Norway	Reduce staffing.	Hotline will shut down on 31 October. Continue sending information by text message to travellers under a duty to quarantine.	Preparedness for expansion
COVID-19 certificate for entry	In use.		May be required for individual countries until the programme is ended pursuant to an EU Regulation.
Border control	Border control along the interior Schengen border will focus on travellers from areas with a high infection rate. Spot checks of other travellers. Entry only permitted from the 35 approved border crossing points. Ordinary border control will be conducted along the external Schengen border, with guidance on current infection control rules.	The police will conduct knowledge-based spot checks along the interior Schengen border. Entry will be permitted from all border crossing points. Ordinary border control will be conducted along the external Schengen border, with guidance on current infection control rules	Preparedness to re-establish border control along the interior Schengen border.

The information regarding Phases 2 and 3 is provisional, and is subject to change.