How do you convert a foreign driving licence in Norway in 2026?

You may drive in Norway on a valid EU/EEA licence, subject to Norwegian health and age rules for the categories you hold. You can also exchange that licence for a Norwegian one in the corresponding category without taking new theory or practical tests. Book an appointment at a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office (trafikkstasjon), submit the paper application and your original licence, and follow the office instructions. Once the Norwegian licence is issued, the foreign licence is returned to the issuing country.

Watch one trap: if your EU/EEA licence was itself obtained by exchanging a non-EU/EEA licence, Statens vegvesen usually applies the rules of the original issuing country. A Polish card that only swapped a licence from a country that Norway does not exchange will not become a free Norwegian exchange. UK and Swiss licences are treated with special pages; read those before you book.

For most non-EU/EEA licences, Statens vegvesen says you can normally drive for three months from arrival. If you have a residence permit and an employment contract lasting more than three months, temporary use can extend to six months while you carry both documents. After you have normal residence in Norway, the clock is three months from the date Folkeregisteret (the National Population Register) records that residence, even if you stayed temporarily first.

Exchange without full Norwegian testing is limited to licences from countries on Statens vegvesen’s approved list (for example Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the USA, and other named states on the exchange hub). You must hold a full, valid entitlement when you move and when you apply, and you submit the original licence plus residence documentation at a trafikkstasjon or by post. If your country is not listed, you cannot exchange: you must obtain a Norwegian licence as a first-time applicant with the ordinary training and tests.

Japan, Ukraine, the UK, and Switzerland have additional use rules on the non-EU/EEA pages. Do not copy a friend’s timeline if their passport country differs from yours.

Note the Folkeregisteret residence date that starts your non-EU/EEA use window. Book the trafikkstasjon early if you need an exchange or temporary driving permit. Bring passport, residence papers, the original licence, and any translation or international permit Statens vegvesen requires when the licence text is not in a Latin alphabet or lacks a photo.

In Oslo and other cities with strong transit, you may postpone car ownership, but the licence deadline still runs if you plan to drive later. See Living in Oslo and Where to live in Norway for commute context, not for licence law.