Key facts
Norway is a country located in Northern Europe. There are 3 countries (Finland, Russian Federation, Sweden) that Norway shares its borders with. As for languages, the country’s residents speak Norwegian, Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk. Although English isn’t the official language, the majority of people in Norway are good English speakers.
EF EPI’s 2021 rankings placed Norway 5th among 100 nations out of non-native English-speaking countries.
The national currency in Norway is Norwegian krone (NOK). The krone (kr) is subdivided into 100 øre.
Norwegian
Banknotes
kr50kr100kr200kr500kr1000
Norwegian
Coins
kr1kr5kr10kr20
Check with your bank before your trip to find out if there are any fees for using your card abroad. Some banks do not charge fees when you use a foreign ATM or pay in foreign currency, but others may charge a fixed cost for each transaction or allow a limited number of free withdrawals. The travel card provided by Wise.com, Revolut or Monose might be an excellent option to cut down on transaction fees.
Ookla® Speedtest The average fixed internet speed in Norway is 213.99 Mbps and mobile is 197.47 Mbs.The global average is 197.25 Mbps and 127.73 Mbps respectively.
ATM Density It may be difficult to locate an ATM in Norway.27.15 ATMs per 100,000 people.The global average is 39.49.
SIM Registration In order to purchase a SIM card in Norway, a passport or ID is required as identification.
Socket types
There are 2 socket types used in Norway. Type C is a popular socket type throughout Europe (except the United Kingdom), Russia, and certain Asian countries.
The sockets’ shapes and voltage differ from country to country and a travel plug adapter may be required. Portable devices, such as phones, notebooks or tablets, usually handle the entire range of voltages used across the world (110-240V).
Public holidays
In the year 2024, Norway will celebrate 12 national public holidays. The next one Christmas Day will take place on December 25.
Date | Holiday name | |
---|---|---|
January 1, 2024Moving holiday | New Year’s DayFørste nyttårsdag | |
March 28, 2024Moving holiday | Maundy ThursdaySkjærtorsdag | |
March 29, 2024Moving holiday | Good FridayLangfredag | |
March 31, 2024Moving holiday | Easter SundayFørste påskedag | |
April 1, 2024Moving holiday | Easter MondayAndre påskedag | |
May 1, 2024Moving holiday | Labour DayFørste mai | |
May 9, 2024Moving holiday | Ascension DayKristi himmelfartsdag | |
May 17, 2024Moving holiday | Constitution DaySyttende mai | |
May 19, 2024Moving holiday | PentecostFørste pinsedag | |
May 20, 2024Moving holiday | Whit MondayAndre pinsedag | |
December 25, 2024Moving holiday | Christmas DayFørste juledag | |
December 26, 2024Moving holiday | St. Stephen’s DayAndre juledag |
Sources
- EF English Proficiency Index (EF Education First)
- Speedtest Global Index® (Ookla®)
- Automated teller machines (ATMs) (per 100,000 adults) (The World Bank Group)
- Registration Policies Per Country (Prepaid Data SIM Card Wiki)
Tourism
What hotel chains are present in Norway?
There are no Mariott hotels in Norway.
There are no Hilton hotels in Norway.
The IHG hotel chain operates in Norway.
The Best Western hotel chain operates in Norway.
There are Radisson hotels in 13 cities.
There are no Accor hotels in Norway.
What fast food chains are present in Norway?
The McDonald’s chain operates in Norway.
The KFC chain does not operate in Norway.
The Burger King chain operates in Norway.
The Subway chain operates in Norway.
The Domino’s Pizza chain operates in Norway.
The Starbucks chain operates in Norway.
Sources
- Country by National Dish (Samson Daniel)
Weather
What is the weather like in Oslo?
Weather data for Oslo (capital city) by Open-Meteo.com
Transport
Railways There are passenger trains operating between some cities.
Subway Systems The subway system is available in Oslo.
Sources
- List of high-speed railway lines (Wikipedia)
- List of metro systems (Wikipedia)
- Left- and right-hand traffic (Wikipedia)
- The Global Enabling Trade Report 2016: Road connectivity (World Economic Forum)
Safety
Emergency phones in Norway
Sources
- Norway Travel Advisory (United States: Department of State)
- Travel Advice for Norway (United Kingdom: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)
- Mortality caused by road traffic injury (The World Bank Group)
- Corruption & Economic Crime (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Smoking & Alcohol
Smoking ban Smoking is forbidden in all public indoor locations, with limited exceptions.
Cananbis legality Recreational usage is prohibited, but medical use is legal.
- 1.5 litres of wine or beer/alcopops/cider can be exchanged for the spirits quota.
- Equal amounts of beer/alcopops/cider can be exchanged for the wine quota.
- Stronger beverages cannot be exchanged for wine, beer, alcopops, or cider.
- Tobacco quotas can be replaced with 1.5 litres of wine, beer, alcopops, or cider.
- Only the whole tobacco quota can be exchanged for booze.
- Alcohol and tobacco are not interchangeable.
Alcohol allowance
- 1L of alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content by volume of over 22%
- 1.5L of alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content by volume of under 22%
- 2L of beer above 2.5%
Tobacco allowance
- 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of other tobacco products (snuff, cigars and cigarillos are counted in grams)
Sources
- Alcohol and tobacco quotas (Norwegian Customs)
- List of smoking bans (Wikipedia)
- Legality of cannabis (Wikipedia)