Heihei, I moved to Norway a year ago and will be here for the foreseeable future. Because of this, I am a *Temporary Resident*. I am not a tourist or a permanent resident.
There have been several occasions where I wasn’t able to drive due to not having a valid driver’s license. Most of these were when wanting to rent a car to travel around Norway, rent a car to move, etc.
Here’s the trick. Because I’m a temporary resident (not a tourist), Norway says my USA driving license is invalid (they only allow it for the first 3 months you’re in the country, see [https://www.vegvesen.no/forerkort/har-forerkort/forerkort-i-og-utenfor-norge/bruk-av-forerkort-fra-land-utenfor-eu-eos-i-norge/](https://www.vegvesen.no/forerkort/har-forerkort/forerkort-i-og-utenfor-norge/bruk-av-forerkort-fra-land-utenfor-eu-eos-i-norge/))
However because I’m not a permanent resident, and my license is from outside the EU, I can’t trade in my USA driving license for a Norwegian one (see [https://www.vegvesen.no/forerkort/har-forerkort/forerkort-i-og-utenfor-norge/innbytte-av-forerkort-fra-land-utenfor-eu-eos/](https://www.vegvesen.no/forerkort/har-forerkort/forerkort-i-og-utenfor-norge/innbytte-av-forerkort-fra-land-utenfor-eu-eos/))
So I feel like I’m stuck in a catch-22. I’ve been here for too long to use my USA license, but not long enough to get a Norwegian one. Can anyone shed some light on this situation please? Tusen takk!
5 comments
Check with a driving school, but I think you’ll have to hand over the money to pay for driver’s training. This will prepare you to take the written and practical exam.
I don’t know how this could be solved, but I suggest you call Statens Vegvesen and talk to them about your situation.
I would imagine it might be possible that you can apply for some kind of exemption, allowing you to either keep driving with the US license or trade it in earlier than otherwise possible, but your best bet is in any case to discuss it with Statens Vegvesen.
>but not long enough to get a Norwegian one
There isn’t a minimum residence to get a Norwegian licence.
>I moved to Norway a year ago
Under a year or over a year? Sorry to say, but there’s a deadline of the “partial” exchange (as in only need to take certain aspects of the driving exam) which is a year. So if you’re already over that deadline, you have to start from complete scratch to obtain a Norwegian licence
https://www.vegvesen.no/en/driving-licences/driving-licence-holders/driving-licences-in-norway-and-abroad/exchanging-non-eueea-driving-licences/
*The deadline for exchanging your foreign driving licence for passenger car is one year from the date you took up normal residence or moved back to Norway. If you want to exchange your driving licence for passenger car (B) or passenger car with trailer (BE), you must pass the practical driving test within the one-year deadline.*
TIL you can trade in an American licence. I thought for sure you had to retake the test
That’s incorrect, you can trade your US license, you just have to take the test.