Faroe Islands (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark) 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 Faroe Islands (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark) 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
- Faroese Immigration Office
Faroese Immigration Office - verified
- UDI — Norwegian Directorate of Immigration
Utlendingsdirektoratet (UDI) - verified
- Faroese Immigration Office - Work in the Faroe Islands, third-country applicants
Faroese Immigration Office - verified
- UDI — Skilled workers
UDI (Utlendingsdirektoratet) - verified
Faroe Islands (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark)
Faroe Islands Visa Atlas coverage is based on the official Faroese Immigration Office, Government of the Faroe Islands and SIRI application pages. The current packet covers Faroe-specific visitor visa handling, EU Scheme work permits, third-country work permits, Fast Track work handling, family reunification, accompanying family, study or PhD residence and permanent residence; applicants should check the Faroe Islands pages rather than assuming ordinary Denmark or Schengen rules apply automatically.
- Official portal
- Faroese Immigration Office
- Languages
- Faroese, Danish
- Currency
- Danish krone
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 Faroe Islands (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark) and Kingdom of Norway differ
| Dimension | Faroe Islands (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark) | Kingdom of Norway |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 9 | 4 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 2 | 1 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 1 | 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 | Third-Country 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 | Faroese, Danish | Norwegian (Bokmål), Norwegian (Nynorsk) |
| Currency | Danish krone | Norwegian krone |
| Primary regulator | Útlendingastovan | 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.
Faroe Islands (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark)
Third-Country Work Permit
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- No
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
Routes unique to Faroe Islands (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark)
Routes unique to Kingdom of Norway
Visa routes side by side
Faroe Islands (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark) (9)
Visa to the Faroe Islands
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Short-stay visit permission as granted for the Faroe Islands visa.
EU Scheme - Pre-Approved Employer
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Work and residence permission as granted for the approved job and employer category.
EU Scheme - Employer Not Pre-Approved
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Work and residence permission as granted for the approved job and employer category.
Third-Country Work Permit
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Work and residence permission as granted for the approved job or sports-agreement basis.
Fast Track in the Faroe Islands
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Work and residence permission as granted under the Fast Track route.
Family Reunification
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Residence permission as granted for the approved family basis.
Study or PhD Residence Permit
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Study residence permission as granted for the approved programme or PhD basis.
Accompanying Family Member
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Residence permission linked to the principal permit, as granted.
Permanent Residence Permit
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence if approved under the current Faroe Islands rules.
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, Faroe Islands (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark) or Kingdom of Norway?+
Faroe Islands (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark)’s Third-Country 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 Faroe Islands (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark) or Kingdom of Norway have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Faroe Islands (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark) has more: 2 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, "Faroe Islands (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark) vs Kingdom of Norway immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/faroe-islands/vs/norway. Last verified 30 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons