Fotball stadium in Lofoten

Practical Information

Why Norway?

Save money

Norwegian crews are renowned for high on-set efficiency and experience, and are well-accustomed to working on international sets.

Crews and the general populace alike speak fluent English.

Norwegian business culture is lean and this extends to film sets, and productions can plan for a smaller crew compared to international standards. Internationally Norwegian crew rates are highly competitive, and are significantly lower than the UK.

Rental houses offer state-of-the-art equipment and a wide selection of cameras, lights and cranes — a complete technical pipeline with rates on par with the rest of Europe.

Save time

Norway has invested long-term and heavily in infrastructure, as such the stunning nature is also extraordinarily accessible to productions.

Norway boasts over 50 airports, and all major national hubs offer daily flights to London.

The variation combined with this accessibility means that productions could film on a sandy beach and a glacier in the same day.

Mobile and internet coverage throughout the country is first-rate, even in remote areas.

Norway is also a very sustainable filming destination, with a high level of renewable energy combined with the world’s largest electric car park. With such close proximity to London, Norwegian nature is the shortest flight possible for major productions to access.

Go anywhere

Productions are met with a willingness and can-do attitude from local authorities in Norway. Commissions can provide advice and introductions, as well assist with government and communication relations on high-impact productions. Local service production companies can assist with applications to municipalities, port authorities, national parks and more.

Information about Norway

Geography

Mainland Norway comprises an extensive range of natural variation, given its moderate size, including both terrestrial, marine, limnic and snow and ice ecosystems. Norway has an elongated shape, one of the longest and most rugged coastlines in the world, and some 50,000 islands off its much-indented coastline. It is one of the world's northernmost countries, and it is one of Europe's most mountainous countries, with large areas dominated by the Scandinavian Mountains.

Nature

The geographic profile of Norway ensures a great variety of climate, vegetation and scenery, ranging from the green and lush southern coast to the glaciers and the snow of the inland mountains, from the fjords of western Norway to the wild and ragged nature in the north.

Alpine tundra is common in Norway, covering a total of 32% of the land area (excluding Svalbard and Jan Mayen).

Permits

Norway does not have a film ordinance, productions do not have to register with or provide information to any government entity. Permits are not required for minimal-impact shoots in public areas and on uncultivated land, outside of the capital region of Oslo. Other permitting processes may be required, such as in the case of closing off public areas, road closures and traffic management, or motorised transport on uncultivated land.

Filming within the region of Oslo will in most cases require a permit, please refer to the Oslo Film Commission.

The film commissions can provide advice and introductions to the relevant bodies, and can assist with government and community relations for high-impact filming involving major closures.

We encourage all productions to utilise locally-based production or location professionals who can assist with permit applications to relevant authorities, such as the municipality, port authorities, police, road administration, and national parks.


Drone Filming

Productions should refer to drone regulations by the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority. Productions must produce an operating manual or submit a declaration to NCAA depending on the weight of the drone.

Safe to Fly lists information about restricted zones.

It is advisable for productions of all sizes to utilise a reputable, local and certified Norwegian-based drone operator.

Infrastructure

Norway offers this is a network of roads and bridges, national and international airports, ferry services and railways that ensure excellent connections between the different regions in Norway and between Norway and the rest of the world.

A list of the 50 national and international airports in Norway can be found at Avinor.

Facts & Figures

  • Official name: The Kingdom of Norway
  • Capital: Oslo
  • Language: Norwegian
  • Religion: State church, Lutheran Protestant
  • Government: Constitutional monarchy, parliamentary system
  • Area The Kingdom of Norway: 385 155 sq km
  • Mainland 323 758 sq km. (7.6% has protected status)
  • Svalbard and Jan Mayen 61 397 sq km (57.1% has protected status)
  • Population 5 408 000
  • Monetary unit: Norwegian krone, NOK.
  • USD 1 = NOK 10.59 (April 2023)
  • EUR 1 = NOK 11.56 (April 2023)
  • International dialing code: +47
  • Dialing code from Norway: 00 + country code
  • Directory enquiries: National 1881 (www.1881.no) International 1882
  • Emergency: Medical 113, Fire 110, Police 112
  • Time: GMT +1
  • Daylight Saving Time: Follows the EU, from last Sunday in March until last Sunday in October
  • Voltage: 220 V 50 HZ
  • TV standard: PAL
  • Bordering countries: Sweden, Finland and Russia
  • Largest Cities: Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, Tromsø

Flight Times

  • 1.5 hours by plane from London and Copenhagen
  • 2 hours from Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam
  • 7 hours from New York
  • 14 hours from Los Angeles, Tokyo and Hong Kong
  • 23 hours from Sidney

Value Added Tax (VAT)

In Norway, VAT (known as MVA) is a tax applied to goods and services. Film production companies are not exempt from VAT. However, goods and services provided to a non-Norwegian production can be invoiced without VAT.

If your company has incurred VAT in Norway for a non-Norwegian production and is not registered in the Norwegian VAT register, you can file a refund claim. The Norwegian Tax Authority provides an overview of the process.

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