Principality of Liechtenstein 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 Principality of Liechtenstein 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
- Migration and Passport Office
Migration and Passport Office (Liechtenstein) - verified
- UDI — Norwegian Directorate of Immigration
Utlendingsdirektoratet (UDI) - verified
- Migration and Passport Office - Issue of residence permit (B) for employment
Migration and Passport Office (Auslander- und Passamt), Liechtenstein - verified
- UDI — Skilled workers
UDI (Utlendingsdirektoratet) - verified
Principality of Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein - an EEA member (not EU) in a customs and currency union with Switzerland - rations residence tightly. Residence Permit B is allocated half by a twice-yearly lottery and half by direct government grant under a small annual quota, and third-country nationals are excluded from the lottery. Many people instead work as cross-border commuters from Austria or Switzerland. A settlement permit follows five years of residence, and naturalisation requires a municipal popular vote.
- Official portal
- Migration and Passport Office (Liechtenstein)
- Languages
- German
- Currency
- Swiss franc
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 Principality of Liechtenstein and Kingdom of Norway differ
| Dimension | Principality of Liechtenstein | Kingdom of Norway |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 5 | 4 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 2 | 1 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 4 | 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 | Residence Permit B for Gainful Employment (Liechtenstein) | 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 | German | Norwegian (Bokmål), Norwegian (Nynorsk) |
| Currency | Swiss franc | Norwegian krone |
| Primary regulator | LIRAK | 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.
Principality of Liechtenstein
Residence Permit B for Gainful Employment (Liechtenstein)
- 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
Routes unique to Principality of Liechtenstein
Visa routes side by side
Principality of Liechtenstein (5)
Residence Permit B for Gainful Employment (Liechtenstein)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Commonly issued for an initial period and renewable while you keep qualifying; the annual quota is very small - confirm current validity on the official page.
Residence Permit B without Gainful Employment (Liechtenstein)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Commonly issued for an initial period and renewable while you keep qualifying; the annual quota is very small - confirm current validity on the official page.
Cross-Border Commuter Permit / Grenzganger (Liechtenstein)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · For EEA nationals, commonly valid for the term of the contract up to a set maximum and renewable; third-country commuters have stricter conditions - confirm current validity on the official page.
Settlement Permit C (Liechtenstein)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Longer-term settlement status with fewer conditions than Permit B, subject to continued residence - confirm current rules on the official page.
Family Reunification (Liechtenstein)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Generally aligned to the sponsor's permit and renewable - confirm current validity on the official page.
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, Principality of Liechtenstein or Kingdom of Norway?+
Principality of Liechtenstein’s Residence Permit B for Gainful Employment (Liechtenstein) 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 Principality of Liechtenstein or Kingdom of Norway have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Principality of Liechtenstein 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, "Principality of Liechtenstein vs Kingdom of Norway immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/liechtenstein/vs/norway. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons