Kingdom of Norway vs Republic of Singapore
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 Kingdom of Norway and Republic of Singapore 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
- UDI — Norwegian Directorate of Immigration
Utlendingsdirektoratet (UDI) - verified
- Ministry of Manpower — Work passes and permits
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) - verified
- UDI — Skilled workers
UDI (Utlendingsdirektoratet) - verified
- MOM — Employment Pass
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) - verified
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
Republic of Singapore
Singapore operates a tiered work-pass system administered by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). The Employment Pass targets professionals earning above the qualifying salary, the S Pass covers mid-level skilled workers, and the ONE Pass and Tech.Pass attract top-tier global talent. EntrePass serves founders. All passes are employer-linked except PEP and ONE Pass.
- Official portal
- Ministry of Manpower (MOM)
- Languages
- English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil
- Currency
- Singapore dollar
How Kingdom of Norway and Republic of Singapore differ
| Dimension | Kingdom of Norway | Republic of Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 4 | 7 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 1 | 4 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 1 | 0 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | Skilled worker permit -> permanent residence after about 3 qualifying years -> citizenship after meeting the UDI citizenship residence category. | Employment Pass -> discretionary PR application after building a Singapore record -> citizenship usually no earlier than PR+2 years. |
| Dominant skilled visa | Skilled Worker Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse som faglaert) | Employment Pass (EP) |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | No fixed published floor | SGD 5,600/month |
| Skilled visa processing time | UDI - Skilled workers does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route. | MOM says Employment Pass applications submitted online are processed, or receive an update, within 10 business days. |
| 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. | A Singapore Employment Pass costs SGD 330 in mandatory MOM government fees for a single applicant, excluding any Multiple Journey Visa charge. |
| Official languages | Norwegian (Bokmål), Norwegian (Nynorsk) | English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil |
| Currency | Norwegian krone | Singapore dollar |
| Primary regulator | Advokatforeningen | LawSoc |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 0 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
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 - Skilled workers does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Republic of Singapore
Employment Pass (EP)
- Salary minimum
- SGD 5,600/month
- Government fees
- A Singapore Employment Pass costs SGD 330 in mandatory MOM government fees for a single applicant, excluding any Multiple Journey Visa charge.
- Processing time
- MOM says Employment Pass applications submitted online are processed, or receive an update, within 10 business days.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- No
Routes unique to Republic of Singapore
Visa routes side by side
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.
Republic of Singapore (7)
Employment Pass (EP)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 2 years on first issuance; renewable for up to 3 years.
S Pass
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 2 years; renewable.
Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass (ONE Pass)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 5 years; renewable.
EntrePass
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 1 year initially; renewable for 2 years subject to meeting business milestones.
Personalised Employment Pass (PEP)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 3 years; non-renewable.
Dependant's Pass (DP)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Tied to sponsor's work pass validity.
Student’s Pass
Sponsor · Conditional PR eligibility · Duration of study programme.
Frequently asked questions
How long does permanent residence typically take in Kingdom of Norway vs Republic of Singapore?+
Kingdom of Norway: Skilled worker permit -> permanent residence after about 3 qualifying years -> citizenship after meeting the UDI citizenship residence category.. Republic of Singapore: Employment Pass -> discretionary PR application after building a Singapore record -> citizenship usually no earlier than PR+2 years.. Both timelines are route-dependent — see each country’s settlement page for the breakdown per visa.
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Kingdom of Norway or Republic of Singapore?+
Kingdom of Norway’s Skilled Worker Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse som faglaert) requires a salary of at least No fixed published floor; Republic of Singapore’s Employment Pass (EP) requires SGD 5,600/month. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Does Kingdom of Norway or Republic of Singapore have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Republic of Singapore has more: 4 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.
Is the main skilled visa cheaper in Kingdom of Norway or Republic of Singapore?+
Comparing the dominant skilled route in each country: 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. By contrast, A Singapore Employment Pass costs SGD 330 in mandatory MOM government fees for a single applicant, excluding any Multiple Journey Visa charge. Those are government fees only and exclude relocation, qualification recognition, and living costs — open each fee page for the itemised breakdown.
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, "Kingdom of Norway vs Republic of Singapore immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/norway/vs/singapore. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons
Underlying comparison sources (4)