A car with Polish plates in Norway – when can you drive? What documentation is required?

As a rule, in Norway you have to drive with Norwegian license plates if you live here longer. This involves purchasing a vehicle in Norway or importing it from abroad, which is often expensive and unprofitable. However, what if we have a car with Polish or any other foreign plates and we want to enter Norway with it? Can we move like this and for how long? What if there is a police check? Let's look at the information straight from the regulations.

When can I drive with foreign registration numbers?

As a rule, you cannot do this, and breaking this provision may result in a fine and the obligation to re-register the vehicle, which in itself may be harmful to our finances. It's definitely not profitable. However, there are eight exceptions to this rule, which allow you to use a foreign car in Norway permanently or temporarily.

You will find all exceptions with descriptions in the table below:

Exception number	Information and requirements	Sample documentation
Exception No. 1 – When you have family abroad.	If you have family abroad and you visit them often enough, you have the right to drive a car with foreign license plates as long as you want. There are no time limits here. This exception applies to the immediate family, which means that it must be a spouse or a minor child. The statutory frequency of visits is at least once a month (for Poland, once every 3 months can be assumed, as the inspectors must also take into account the distance to NOKAJ of the visits).	Example documentation: marriage certificate, child's birth certificate, proof of residence or registration abroad and confirmation of travel abroad, e.g. airline tickets, ferry tickets, gate receipts.
Exception No. 2 – When you have a permanent job or study abroad.	Here you must meet 3 conditions: You must have a permanent job or run a business or have studied abroad You cannot have family connections in Norway. This means that you either do not have a spouse or minor children in Norway or they live outside Norway. You cannot be registered in Norway. Even if you have a personal number, you can report deregistration. If you meet these conditions, you can also drive a car with foreign license plates as long as you want in Norway.	Sample documentation: foreign employment contract or proof of study. They can check their family connections and registration status on their own.
Exception No. 3 – You have a house abroad.	Conditions to be met: You must own a house or apartment abroad. You cannot have family connections in Norway. You cannot be registered in Norway. You must stay abroad for a minimum of 185 days or travel between Norway and another NOK every day.	Sample documentation: notarial deed of a house or apartment or lease agreement. Additionally, confirmation of a stay abroad of at least 185 days will be required, e.g. through a travel register along with proof of travel, e.g. airline tickets, ferry tickets and similar documents.
Exception No. 4 – The stay in Norway will be NOK less than 2 years.	Up to 1 year: only documentation is required, e.g. an employment contract limited to 1/2 years or a lease contract limited to time. Up to 2 years: in addition to the previous documents, it is necessary to submit an application to the tax office before the expiry of the year of use of the car.	Up to 1 year: Employment contract or rental contract limited in time to 1 year or less. Up to 2 years: Employment contract or lease contract limited in time to 2 years or less, confirmation of submitting an application to the tax office.
Exception No. 5 – When you use the car for up to 14 days a year.	This exception allows us to use the car in Norway for up to 14 days and to store the car here for up to 182 days a year. These periods can be divided freely - we can enter Norway in one day, then store the car for 150 days, then use it for 13 days and then store it for up to 32 days.	In this case, we must report the use/storage of the car to Altinn. In the event of an inspection, we must have confirmation of submitting the application.
Exception No. 6 – Use of a privately borrowed car for up to 25 days.	The rules are as in the previous point: you can use a privately borrowed car for up to 25 days a year. The period may be divided or combined with storage.	Sample documentation: confirmation of submitting an application to Altinn, lease agreement.
Exception No. 7 – Use of a car rented from the company for up to 42 days.	This only applies to a car borrowed from a professional car rental company. You can use a car borrowed from the company for up to 42 days a year. The period may be divided or combined with storage.	Sample documentation: confirmation of submitting an application to Altinn, lease agreement.
Exception No. 8 – Use of a foreign company car.	This applies if, for example, the company you work for is based abroad. There are several conditions that must be met for this exception to count. The person registering and using the car must live in Norway. A person using a car with foreign plates must obtain it from a foreign company. The car must be necessary to perform work in Norway. The car cannot be in Norway for more than 183 days a year. The total number of kilometers used for a company car abroad must be greater than the total number of kilometers driven in Norway.	The application is submitted through Altinn, and the person using the car must be able to prove that each of the conditions is met. For example, it may be: an employment contract with a foreign company, an agreement for the use of a car at the employee's disposal, confirmation of orders in NO, vehicle mileage documentation, including private and company journeys in NO and abroad.

 If appropriate documentation is required for a given application - remember to transport it, the police may require the originals. In the event of an inspection, an oral declaration is usually sufficient, but if necessary, present your situation and appropriate documents confirming the fulfillment of one of the exceptions.

If the exception that allows you to enter NO is time-limited, remember to check the deadlines.

What if I don't meet the requirements and I use Polish plates?

 In such a situation, in addition to the fine, you risk being obliged to re-register your car. This is associated with quite high costs, which includes: deregistration of the car abroad, payment of initial engangsavgift fees depending on the weight of the car and greenhouse gas emissions, 25 percent VAT on the car price, a deposit for scrapping of approx. 2400 crowns and a fee for gases in air conditioning of approx. 1100 crowns. Importing a car to Norway is usually unprofitable and may be even more unprofitable if you have to pay a fine and additional fees.

 

 

Summary

1. Basically living in Norway you should drive with Norwegian registration numbers
2. In law we have 8 exceptions that allow you to drive in Norway with foreign license plates
3. Remember that each of the exceptions requires documentation that you always have with you in the car and that it is visible that it is authentic – the police may require originals
4. Remember that exceptions may have time limits, so it is crucial to check whether they are still met. Some of the exceptions may also require submitting an application to the office first.
5. The consequences of illegal driving with foreign numbers can be very severe for your wallet.