Scandinavia

Norway is not a member of the EU, but part of the Schengen agreement. Depending on where you are travelling from and your nationality, different rules may apply.

If you are travelling from any other Schengen EU country, you can travel freely to and from Norway and you do not need to show your ID or passport, however, it is still recommended to take it with you. It may depend on your airline whether you are required to show your ID or not. 

Citizens of countries that are not members of the EU or Schengen agreement, may need a visa to enter Norway. See here if you require a visa.

Hepatitis A and B and Tetanus immunizations are recommended for all travellers. If you plan on being outdoors during the prime tick season (spring to early autumn) a vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis is recommended. We recommend this website for more information on vaccinations. We also advise consulting your general practitioner before you travel. 

You can also obtain some additional information from the CDC website: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel 

Simply choose Norway as your travel destination and read about any further requirements. 

Norway is very extended in latitude and with a rugged coastline, giving different climates to take into account. Below you find the average temperature in the capital Oslo. For more information on the weather in Norway, see here.

(bibliography: https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/norway)

Norway – country code +47. There is a great connection in most places in Norway. In most cafes and restaurants you can get free access to Wi-fi. 

Like the majority of the European countries, Norway operates on the two-pole round-pin continental plugs. Electrical current is 230V (volts) and 50Hz (cycles) AC. (Sockets and power plugs have type E and K.)

When travelling to Norway, follow the instructions of the local authorities. Travelling to Norway is generally perceived to be safe, but you can always provide yourself with a photocopy of your ID and passport, just in case. Depending on your bank, you may also need to inform them of your travel, so they are aware that you may be using your card abroad. 

Norway has its own currency – Norwegian Krone – NOK. Most places in Norway accept credit cards or mobile payments. If you prefer to withdraw cash, there are numerous ATMs in every city or possibility of bank withdrawal. 

However, if you prefer to pay by cash, it is advised to withdraw the money before travelling to Norway in order to avoid bank fees.

Norway is a constitutional monarchy since 1814. The Norwegian monarchy is one of the oldest in world. King Harald V is the current head of state; however, his role is mostly ceremonial. The Prime Minister and the Parliament (called Stortinget) based in Oslo hold the real power in the country.

Around 70% of the Norwegian population belong to the Church of Denmark, the Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Church was separated from the state in 2017 after 500 years. 

Over 17% of the population is non-religious and over 10% are members of other religions. 

Norway has an estimated population of 5,32 mio. Of these 86.2% are ethnic Norwegians. The remaining 13,8% comprises immigrants of various descent or their children, which include such ethnicities like: Poles, Lithuanian, Somali, Swedish, Pakistani, Syrian, Iraqi, Eritrean, German, Philippine, Vietnamese, Iranian, Russian, Thai, Afghani among others. 

In Northern Norway, there are communities of Sámi people. you find between 40-60,000 Sámi people – the country’s first inhabitants, who probably came from Central Asia to Norway at least 10,000 years ago. They make up less than 1% of the Norwegian population, but are one of the largest communities of Sámi people in the world. The Sámi people have been recognised as an indigenous people in Norway and therefore entitled special protection and rights. 

Norwegian and Sámi are the official languages in Norway. English is obligatory and education starts already in primary schools, therefore many Norwegians speak English on a high level, and it is considered their second language. There a number of minority languages spoken in Norway in addition to the official languages. 

Denmark has a well-prospering economy, however its strongly dependent on foreign trade. 

An estimated 60% of the Danish land is used for agriculture and Denmark is a major international player when it comes to exporting goods like meat, fish and dairy. 

Danmark is also one of the countries where income inequality between men and women is among the lowest in the world. Also, the unemployment rate is relatively low in comparison to other European countries. Statistics from 2017 show that around 78,8% of all 15-64-year-old people were professionally active on the labour market.

As typical for Nordic models, Danish citizens pay high taxes, however, they obtain a lot of high-level services and benefits in exchange, e.g. health-care, child benefits, free education and scholarships for students both from Denmark and international.

When it comes to energy consumption, Denmark has a goal to be fully independent of fossil fuels by 2050. Throughout the years the country has established itself as a leader in e.g. wind energy. Over 30% of all energy consumption in the country comes from renewable sources. 

Denmark is situated in the middle of several seas and therefore its climate is mild and temperate. The weather is very changeable. Due to the country’s flatness, the differences in weather between various regions and areas are not great. The western parts and smaller islands experience however more wind than the mainland.  

The coldest month is February with an average temperature of 0°C and the warmest is July with an average temperature of 17°C. 

The last couple of years there has been a record of warmer summers, with the temperatures reaching even as high as 30°C or over, however that kind of weather usually lasts only for 2 or three days.

There is a lot of clouds, wind, and humidity all year round. Rain falls throughout the year with the highest precipitation between the months of August and November.