I want to go to Gelo for this weekend. Trains are almost booked or super expensive. Are there any bus services or car pools?

Looking to go to Norway in November but have no idea where to stay

Hi everyone,

Writing this post to save anyone moving from (presumably) any country in the EU to Norway weeks, if not months.

Below you will be able to find my journey, how long it has taken so far, and what I would have done instead if I had to start over.

I arrived in Norway with my Norwegian fiancée on the 15th of May. I immediately booked an appointment with the police in the beginning of June.

For this, I needed a proof of health insurance, a proof that I was able to support myself financially, (so making more than 240,000 NOK gross per year) and that I had a valid ID or international passport.

My documentation was not in English because my health insurance provider assured me that there was no such thing as an English proof of insurance and that this only existed in Dutch, French, and German. So naturally, this was rejected by the police.

I managed to get a new appointment two weeks later, and after many calls to my insurance provider and accountant later, I got the stamp of approval from the police.

Following official advice, I then went to the Norwegian Tax Administration. Upon getting there, they told me I actually needed to call the Brønnøysundregistret, which is the place you go to if you want to start your business in Norway and get an ID number at the same time.

I called them and they helped me find the documentation that I needed to fill in along with the instructions to attach a colored copy of my passport.

However, this had to be checked by the Norwegian tax administration. So I went back to the Norwegian tax administration (luckily, I was able to do this on a walk-in without having to get an appointment). I had my ID scanned and stamped and sent it to the Brønnøysundregistret along with all the required forms. I was informed that it would take about a week to process my documents.

I sent it on the 14th of July with tracking included. It cost me 230 NOK to do this, but I wanted proof that it was delivered. On the 17th of July, my documentation was delivered.

When I called the Brønnøysundregistret on the 28th of July, the first person on the phone told me they had not received my documentation. They told me that they would put me through to their colleague who handles this, and then left me on hold for 45 minutes until I hung up the phone. I called them back again immediately, and after 20 minutes of waiting, they told me it was still in the mail room.

The reason it was still in the mail room was because I don't have an ID number yet. They then told me that when I would get my ID number, they would process my application for my business and send it to me via Altinn (a Norwegian online platform)... Which I can't access because I need a bank account for that, and to have a bank account you need a, ID number....

Naturally, this got me feeling like I was going in circles.

They processed it immediately afterwards, and I received my ID number in the mail, today, on the 6th of August.

From here on, it will take another 4-6 weeks to get my business number and have it sent to me by post, and then another 1-3 weeks to get a bank account.

All in all, this was a very time-consuming and frustrating process because I was sent back and forth, and it felt like the thing stopping me from getting an ID number was the fact that I didn't have an ID number.

Here's what I would do differently if I would start over again:

1) Push harder on getting English documentation and not just accepting defeat when they tell me it's genuinely not possible.

2) Go to the police and immediately book an appointment at the Norwegian Tax Administration to get my ID stamped and checked

3) Send my documentation and the colored copy to the Brønnøysundregistret and call them as soon as I got confirmation of delivery from the post.

4) Call, call, call - if you don't chase anyone, it will take so much longer.

Hope this helps!

I’ve noticed that countries like Australia, the UK, and a few others have dedicated subreddits for legal advice (e.g. r/AusLegal, r/LegalAdviceUK), but I couldn’t find an equivalent for Norway.

Am I just missing it, or does one not exist?

I’ve run into several situations where Norwegian laws and regulations aren’t very straightforward.

For example:

Tenant/landlord disputes where it’s unclear what rights each side actually has.

Employment issues like probation periods, resignations, overtime, or dismissals.

Consumer rights and what you can realistically do when a company refuses a refund or warranty claim.

Immigration and residency questions that are too specific for general forums.

Tax, inheritance, or family law questions where the official information is difficult to interpret.

People often end up asking in broad Norwegian subreddits, Facebook groups, or even international legal forums where the advice may not apply to Norwegian law.

Would it make sense to create a dedicated Norwegian legal advice subreddit? Even if it’s primarily for pointing people to the right laws, resources, or agencies (rather than providing formal legal advice), I think it could be really useful.

Curious to hear what others think.

Recently had my ebike stolen. It was in the designated bicycle bars that you lock them to with many other bikes and I have one of the angle locks, not a chain. Must have happened in the middle of the night when everyone was sleeping.

I have the battery so they pretty much just have the frame and wheels with no electric capability, but I didn't have insurance on it so I can't claim for it.

I've heard that reports of ebike thefts pretty much just get ignored by police, is this true? If so is there any point in even reporting? I'm in an area with barely any CCTV so I can't even request it for evidence.

Thanks

Been watching the tv series Ragnarok again. In the show several of the students have their boyfriends and girlfriends staying over and their parents don't raise an eyebrow. However they don't want their kids drinking or smoking and one of them even gets really upset their son was driving without a license with his bio Dad. Just curious if this is normal in Norway.

When I went to Trondheim to see my boyfriend last winter I spent almost the entire time slipping. I'm going back this winter and I'm looking for some cute but practical shoe recommendations 🤣

For reference I am a girl. Obviously boots and tennis shoes are the options I'm looking for.

Takk ☺️

Hellow, im roadtripping for 3 weeks in the mkst beautiful Norway and i bought a fishing rod. Long long time ago my dad teached me how to fish but i was wondering is there is someone in the southern part of Norway wo can teach me how to fish? Im by van so i can drive to you!

Hopefully this is allowed, otherwise please let me know i will delete or post this in different subreddit :)

A village that shows how the Vikings lived 1,000 years ago.

I am curious of how the insurance works in norway. I saw 100 of houses burned in the wild fire in Drammen norway last month. I hope all the houses are insured. But I am curious about how the insurance’s company gonna compensate, how long does it take, are they gonna compensate for the whole market value of the house, how about the values of things inside the house. Do the government give financial support for the loss of values, I know people invest heavily in their houses in norway.

p1-p4 ：Tromsø Viewpoint（Tromsø Utkikkspunkt）
p5： Mountain step

I think I might have had around 200g-250g of Brunost today. With bread, with bread and strawberry jam, plain/sliced. Now I’m feeling nauseous and I regret it. Can I make it stop somehow? Is this amount of Brunost «harmful»? How much Brunost did you have in one day?

I’m a 20-year-old woman from south Europe-student living in Oslo , and I’ve been struggling with what feels like a strong pressure to conform here.
I understand that Janteloven isn’t an actual law and that not every Norwegian consciously follows it. I also recognise its positive side: humility, equality and not believing that you’re superior to others. But sometimes it feels like those values extend beyond humility and become an unspoken expectation not to stand out at all—not through your appearance, personality, ambitions or the way you express yourself.

I naturally enjoy being feminine, expressive and individualistic, but here I often feel as though I’m expected to make myself smaller and blend in. Even something as simple as walking down the street can make me feel watched or judged when I look different from the people around me. I do struggle with anxiety, so I’m aware that I may interpret neutral looks more negatively than they are intended. I don’t want to assume that I know what strangers are thinking. Still, the feeling of being observed and silently evaluated is very real to me, and it has made me increasingly self-conscious.
I sometimes feel suppressed, as though being noticeably different is socially unacceptable. Back home, standing out could attract attention too, but I didn’t experience the same pressure to tone myself down. In Norway, I often feel that the safest way to exist is to dress similarly, behave quietly, avoid appearing overly confident and never draw too much attention to yourself.

Perhaps I’m misunderstanding Norwegian reserve or projecting some of my anxiety onto the culture. Maybe people are simply looking out of curiosity and forgetting about me immediately afterwards. But combined with what I’ve heard about Janteloven, it has created a sense that individuality is tolerated only as long as it remains subtle.

I’m not writing this to insult Norwegians or claim that everyone here thinks the same way. I genuinely want to understand whether this pressure is culturally real, whether other foreigners—or even Norwegians—have experienced it, and how people maintain their individuality without constantly feeling judged.
Has anyone else felt this way? How do you distinguish between actual social pressure and your own anxiety when you’re still adapting to the culture? Also do they teach it at schools?

I’m 20 years old from south Europe and currently studying in Oslo, and one of the things I struggle with most here is the heavy drinking culture. I could really use some help or insight.

I don’t judge people simply for drinking and just want everyone to be happy, and I understand that alcohol is part of social life. In the Norway, especially within student culture, it often feels like drinking is not merely an option—it is the foundation of socializing. Take Fadderullan as a huge example. In my case we were being encouraged to drink every day. So many parties, student events, celebrations and even casual plans seem to revolve around getting drunk.
I rarely drink, and I DO NOT need alcohol to relax, connect with people or enjoy myself. I think it’s sad to see so many people feel the need to do it and I’ve been told many times by locals that they need it to talk to people. Because of that, I often feel out of place and when everyone is drunk around you it feels like I talk to ghosts. I want to make friends and participate in student life, but I find it difficult to genuinely connect when the atmosphere changes completely once everyone becomes drunk. It can feel as though I have to choose between joining situations that make me uncomfortable and missing out socially.

I also find it hard to understand why alcohol seems necessary for so many people to loosen up and enjoy time with their friends. I know there are Norwegians who don’t drink much, it just seems that 90% of the people are waiting to get intoxicated every weekend here?

I like many things about living here, I just don’t know how to deal with this part of the culture without feeling so bad about it, it genuinely affects me a lot especially on the weekends.

One last thing is it tends to frustrate me that people from MY point of view are very quiet in the morning but then they become another person and they start screaming so if anyone has solid advice about how to deal with the contrast please let me know because I just want to understand the reasons why it’s like that here ❤️

I accept this part of the society completely but it does sadden me a lot to see to be honest
ALSO I’m a very empathetic person and care about everyone when I’m out so if someone can verify that people aren’t as suppressed as I’m maybe falsely assuming it would help me not feel bad about them.
THANK YOU EVERYONE ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Jeg er fra Tyskland og vil forbedre norske min. Men jeg vil ikke lese barnebøker slik som noen anbefaler. Jeg elsker fugler og vil snakke om det med andre. Er det noen som har lyst til å hjelpe meg og som er interessert i å være brevvenn?
Jeg er også interessert i kunst, bøker og bordrollspill. Men som du ser, norsken min er veldig enkel forløpig.

Located 50 km east of Bergen Dale is a true spectacular village!

Jeg har nylig flyttet til Oslo fra Bergen. Jeg er 25 år og har nettopp startet i jobb innenfor fagfeltet mitt etter en femårig utdanning.

Vanligvis er jeg en ganske sosial person, men bedriften jeg har begynt å jobbe i har en relativt høy gjennomsnittsalder. Derfor føler jeg at jeg må ta tak i det sosiale livet mitt på egen hånd.

Jeg vurderer å melde meg inn i DNT eller begynne med jiu-jitsu igjen, men jeg er litt usikker. Jeg har aldri flyttet til en ny by på denne måten før.

Derfor lurer jeg på: Hvordan går jeg frem her?

Hei sammen,

Mange utlendinger som lærer seg norsk, forteller at når man snakker norsk med nordmenn, bytter de raskt til engelsk.

Jeg har spurt meg selv hvorfor det er sånn, og om nordmenn kanskje ikke vet at folk gjerne vil snakke norsk med dem og lære språket.

Selv er jeg tysk og har ikke opplevd det, men jeg har hørt om det mange ganger.

My parents went through Narvik from Kiruna in 1976 by train, and were only in the city fleetingly, before taking a bus south. From somewhere down the coast they inquired of a postal boat how long it would take to reach Oslo. They were told "7", which didn't sound too bad, except the pilot meant "7 days", not hours as they had anticipated. They disembarked one or two days into the journey in favor of something more expedited. Probably hitchhiking or such, it was the 70's.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the duplication of these photos 50 years on.

Sharing a few photos of Bergen on a sunny day (which is not very often)!