Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Kingdom of Norway
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Source basis
This comparison combines Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kingdom of Norway government portals with the primary sources for each side's dominant skilled route. Every detailed figure links through to the underlying route or data page.
Reviewed
Primary sources
- Stay of aliens in BiH
Service for Foreigners' Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina - verified
- UDI — Norwegian Directorate of Immigration
Utlendingsdirektoratet (UDI) - verified
- UDI — Skilled workers
UDI (Utlendingsdirektoratet) - verified
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina administers foreigner stay through the Service for Foreigners' Affairs. The public route framework includes visa residence, visa-free stay for eligible nationals, temporary residence for work, family, education, real-estate ownership and other legally listed grounds, plus permanent residence after qualifying temporary residence. The official English guidance also highlights residence registration duties and original/certified document and translation rules.
- Official portal
- Service for Foreigners' Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Languages
- Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
- Currency
- Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark
Kingdom of Norway
Norway's immigration is administered by the Directorate of Immigration (UDI). As an EEA member (not EU), Norway participates in free movement for EU/EEA nationals. Third-country nationals require a residence permit for skilled workers, with employer sponsorship and a salary meeting the going rate. Self-employment, family immigration, and student permits are also available. Permanent residence after 3 years of continuous legal residence on a work permit.
- Official portal
- Utlendingsdirektoratet (UDI)
- Languages
- Norwegian (Bokmål), Norwegian (Nynorsk)
- Currency
- Norwegian krone
How Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kingdom of Norway differ
| Dimension | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Kingdom of Norway |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 7 | 4 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 5 | 1 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 5 | 1 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | — | Skilled worker permit -> permanent residence after about 3 qualifying years -> citizenship after meeting the UDI citizenship residence category. |
| Dominant skilled visa | Temporary Residence for Employment with Work Permit | Skilled Worker Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse som faglaert) |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | — | No fixed published floor |
| Skilled visa processing time | — | UDI does not publish a fixed skilled-worker processing window on the route page; applicants are directed to UDI waiting-time guidance. |
| Skilled visa government fees | — | Norway lists NOK 6,300 for an adult skilled-worker residence permit application, with NOK 3,150 for under-18 work applicants and separate first-time family immigration fees. |
| Official languages | Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian | Norwegian (Bokmål), Norwegian (Nynorsk) |
| Currency | Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark | Norwegian krone |
| Primary regulator | MoJ BiH | Advokatforeningen |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 0 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Temporary Residence for Employment with Work Permit
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Kingdom of Norway
Skilled Worker Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse som faglaert)
- Salary minimum
- No fixed published floor
- Government fees
- Norway lists NOK 6,300 for an adult skilled-worker residence permit application, with NOK 3,150 for under-18 work applicants and separate first-time family immigration fees.
- Processing time
- UDI does not publish a fixed skilled-worker processing window on the route page; applicants are directed to UDI waiting-time guidance.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Visa routes side by side
Bosnia and Herzegovina (7)
Visa-Free Stay
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 90 days over a six-month period from the date of first entry, unless a treaty or Council of Ministers decision provides otherwise.
Temporary Residence for Employment with Work Permit
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Temporary residence may be issued for up to 1 year unless otherwise determined by the residence permit.
Temporary Residence for Work without Work Permit
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Temporary residence may be issued for up to 1 year unless otherwise determined by the residence permit.
Temporary Residence for Family Reunification
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Temporary residence may be issued for up to 1 year unless otherwise determined by the residence permit.
Temporary Residence for Education
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Temporary residence may be issued for up to 1 year unless otherwise determined by the residence permit.
Temporary Residence Based on Real Estate Ownership
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Temporary residence may be issued for up to 1 year unless otherwise determined by the residence permit.
Permanent Residence Permit
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Indefinite permanent residence, once approved.
Kingdom of Norway (4)
Skilled Worker Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse som faglaert)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · 1–3 years initially; renewable.
Job-Seeker Visa (Oppholdstillatelse for aa soeke arbeid som faglart)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 1 year (previously 6 months — extended to support recruitment); non-renewable.
International Company Assignment Permit
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 2 years at a time; up to 6 years total, followed by 2 years outside Norway before a new permit of this type.
Student Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse for studier)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · 1 year; renewable for duration of studies.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Kingdom of Norway?+
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Temporary Residence for Employment with Work Permit is the dominant skilled route; Kingdom of Norway’s Skilled Worker Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse som faglaert) requires No fixed published floor. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Does Bosnia and Herzegovina or Kingdom of Norway have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Bosnia and Herzegovina has more: 5 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 1 for Kingdom of Norway. No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This comparison is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the page for the compiled head-to-head table and use the country-comparisons JSON endpoint to retrieve the indexed pair, destination profiles and underlying source datasets.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Kingdom of Norway immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/bosnia-and-herzegovina/vs/norway. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons
Underlying comparison sources (3)