Kingdom of Norway vs Republic of Zambia
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 Zambia 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
- Zambia Department of Immigration
Zambia Department of Immigration - verified
- UDI — Skilled workers
UDI (Utlendingsdirektoratet) - verified
- Permit Types - Zambia Department of Immigration
Zambia Department of Immigration - 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 Zambia
Zambia publishes visitor, visa and residence-permit guidance through the Department of Immigration and its eServices portal. The official framework covers eVisas and visa-on-arrival categories, KAZA UNIVISA tourism, business visit evidence, employment permits, temporary employment permits, investor permits, spouse permits, study permits and residence permits that confer permanent residence for qualifying long-term, investor, spouse, retiree and family cases.
- Official portal
- Zambia Department of Immigration
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Zambian kwacha
How Kingdom of Norway and Republic of Zambia differ
| Dimension | Kingdom of Norway | Republic of Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 4 | 9 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 1 | 4 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 1 | 4 |
| 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 | Skilled Worker Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse som faglaert) | Employment Permit |
| 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 | Norwegian (Bokmål), Norwegian (Nynorsk) | English |
| Currency | Norwegian krone | Zambian kwacha |
| Primary regulator | Advokatforeningen | LAZ |
| 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 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
Republic of Zambia
Employment Permit
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Routes unique to Kingdom of Norway
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 Zambia (9)
Visitor Visa or eVisa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Single, double and multiple entry visas are valid for 90 days from first issuance; the permitted stay is determined by entry and immigration conditions.
KAZA UNIVISA
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 30 days while the holder remains within Zambia and Zimbabwe; includes Botswana day trips through Kazungula borders.
Business Visit Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Business visitor stay is controlled by the visa and entry conditions. Single, double and multiple entry visas are valid for 90 days from first issuance.
Employment Permit
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · For employment exceeding 6 months; extendable for periods up to a maximum of 10 years.
Temporary Employment Permit
Sponsor · Non-settlement · More than 30 days, but validity should not exceed 6 months within a 12-month period.
Investor Permit
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permit validity and renewal are determined by the issued permit. Holding an Investor's Permit for more than 3 years is listed as a Residence Permit pathway.
Spouse Permit
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permit validity and renewal are determined by the issued permit. A Spouse Permit held for at least 5 years is listed as a Residence Permit pathway.
Study Permit
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Required for study longer than 3 months for children and dependants of permit holders; validity follows the issued permit and education basis.
Residence Permit
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence status; document validity and card renewal follow Department rules.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Kingdom of Norway or Republic of Zambia?+
Kingdom of Norway’s Skilled Worker Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse som faglaert) requires a salary of at least No fixed published floor; Republic of Zambia’s Employment Permit is the dominant skilled route. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Does Kingdom of Norway or Republic of Zambia have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Republic of Zambia 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.
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 Zambia immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/norway/vs/zambia. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons