Information about international travel and the coronavirus

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues official travel advice whenever there is reason to advise people against travelling to a specific country, area or region, or to advise them to leave. Official travel advice is issued and rescinded on the basis of an overall assessment of the safety and security situation in a particular country or area. It is important to note that the Ministry’s travel advice is advisory; there is no ban on travel. The Ministry can never guarantee that it is safe to travel or to stay somewhere. It is up to each individual to decide whether or not to travel.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued travel advice for roughly 50 countries and regions based, among other things, on security risks in countries or areas affected by conflict or where a natural disaster has occurred. Problems relating to the Covid-19 pandemic may also be a factor when we are determining whether to issue travel advice for a country or region. See here for an overview of countries for which the Ministry has issued travel advice (Norwegian only).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs rescinded its global travel advice from 1 October 2021 following a comprehensive, overall assessment of input provided by Norwegian diplomatic and consular missions and the advice and guidance of the Norwegian health authorities. When necessary, the Ministry may consider issuing travel advice for individual countries or regions based on an overall assessment of the situation, including:

• high infection levels;
• the emergence of virus mutations in the country or region that give cause for concern;
• pressure on or the collapse of the relevant health services;
• comprehensive restrictions or infection control measures.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs first issued global travel advice against non-essential travel to all countries on 14 March 2020.

Starting on 15 June 2020, exceptions to the travel advice have been made for Nordic countries and areas that meet the criteria for infection levels set by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

From 15 July 2020, exceptions have been made for countries and regions in the EU/EEA/Schengen area/UK that meet the criteria for infection levels set by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

From 5 July 2021, the travel advice was rescinded for the EU/EEA/Schengen area/UK, and for certain countries and regions on the EU’s list of epidemiologically safe third countries.

The global travel advice was rescinded on 1 October 2021.

Since 1 October 2021, the Ministry has issued pandemic-related travel advice for specific countries or regions based on an ongoing overall assessment.

On 26 November 2021, the Ministry issued travel advice against all non-essential travel to eight countries in southern Africa. This travel advice was rescinded on 22 December 2021.

The situation in many countries has not yet normalised. Strict entry restrictions and infection control measures are still in effect in many places. Individuals are responsible for their own safety when travelling, and must check the entry restrictions and Covid-19 status at the planned destination. You should also check whether your travel insurance is valid, and what coverage it provides.

Please note that the Ministry has issued travel advice for some 50 countries and regions based, among other things, on security risks in countries or areas affected by conflict or undergoing major political or social upheaval. See here for an overview of countries for which the Ministry has issued travel advice (Norwegian only).

Changes to the travel advice may affect your travel insurance coverage. You should contact your travel insurance company to check whether your travel insurance is still valid for the country you are in, and what coverage it provides.

If the infection situation deteriorates so much that the country no longer meets the criteria set by the Institute of Public Health, you will have to go into quarantine when you return to Norway. For more information, see the website of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Travel advice is advisory. It is not a ban. However, if you travel to a country against the Ministry’s advice, there may be implications for your travel insurance, among other things. You should also be aware that the Foreign Service’s capacity to provide consular assistance may be limited in countries for which travel advice has been issued. At worst, the Foreign Service will not be able to provide consular assistance if you have problems while you are travelling.

From 26 November 2021, all foreigners who have the right to enter Norway under the provisions of the Immigration Act may enter Norway. The rules relating to entry registration, travel quarantine, testing and Covid-19 certificates may still apply. See here for more information on travel to Norway.

Updated information on questions regarding quarantine and entry to Norway can be found on these web pages: Regjeringen.no, Folkehelseinstituttet, Helsenorge.no and UDI. These webpages also provide useful information about travelling and infection control here.

As from 12 February, there are no longer any requirements relating to testing, quarantine or registration of entry into Norway.

For more information about entry registration and other rules in connection with travelling to Norway, please see here (Ministry of Justice and Public Security and Ministry of Health and Care Services).

We encourage all Norwegian citizens travelling abroad to register their trips on reiseregistrering.no or on the Ministry’s app, Reiseklar, which you can download from the App Store and Google Play (Norwegian only). This will make it possible for the Ministry to get important information to you.

We recommend that all Norwegian citizens planning a trip abroad consult the travel advice issued by the Ministry and review all travel information published by the authorities on the government website (only in Norwegian).  Individuals are responsible for their own safety when travelling, and must check the entry restrictions and Covid-19 status at the planned destination.  

You should check to make sure that you have valid travel insurance and be familiar with the coverage it provides. You should also follow any advice and instructions issued by the authorities in the country where you are staying. In addition, you should register your trip using the travel information portal www.reiseregistrering.no or on the Ministry’s app, Reiseklar, which you can download from the App Store and Google Play (Norwegian only). This will enable the Ministry to reach you with updates and information. 

If you are a permanent resident of another country, you should keep abreast of the situation in the country concerned and follow the advice and instructions of the country’s authorities. You should also make sure that you have the necessary health insurance, and register your information on reiseregistrering.no or on the Ministry’s app, Reiseklar, which you can download from the App Store and Google Play.

Everyone should make sure they have valid travel insurance. For Norwegian citizens living abroad, various rules apply. More information about health rights abroad is available on helsenorge.no. Tourists and people intending to make short visits to EEA countries or Switzerland should obtain a European Health Insurance Card, which entitles holders to healthcare services on the same conditions as residents of the country they are visiting. More information about the right of pensioners who have moved to another country to hold a European Health Insurance Card can be found on  Pensjonister og Europeisk helsetrygdkort (in Norwegian only).

Any questions about travel insurance should be directed to your travel insurance company.

Some Norwegian embassies and consulates have had to reduce staff as part of their infection control measures. They may therefore temporarily have reduced opening hours for members of the public. Some matters, for example passport applications, require you to visit the mission in person. This is unfortunately not possible when they are closed to the public. As soon as it is possible to reopen their services to the public, the embassies and consulates will publish information about this on their websites.

Norwegian embassies and consulates will do what they can to assist you. In areas where Norway does not have a mission, we cooperate with the other Nordic countries in order to be able to provide consular assistance to Nordic citizens. This means that you can contact another Nordic embassy if you are in a country where Norway has no representation. You can also contact the Foreign Service Response Centre by phone on +47 23 95 00 00 or by e-mail: 247@mfa.no.

You can find travel information for specific countries on the Ministry’s travel information pages and on the Ministry’s app, Reiseklar, which you can download from the App Store and Google Play. (in Norwegian only).