Norway at a glance
Norway is one of the EU jurisdictions founders most often use today, especially while the EU-wide 28th Regime (EU Inc) is still a proposal. Below are the verified essentials: company types, tax, capital, timing and whether you can set up remotely.
Company types in Norway
- AS (Aksjeselskap) The standard private limited company. Limited liability, NOK 30,000 minimum capital, can be founded by one or more owners, and needs a Norwegian business address.
- NUF (Norwegian-registered foreign branch) A branch of a foreign company with no minimum capital, used by foreign owners who already run an entity abroad.
| Corporate tax | Flat 22% corporate income tax, with no separate municipal corporate tax. A higher 25% rate applies to the financial sector, plus resource-rent taxes for petroleum and hydropower. |
|---|---|
| VAT rate | Standard VAT (MVA) is 25%, with reduced rates of 15% (food) and 12% (passenger transport, accommodation). Registration is mandatory once taxable sales exceed NOK 50,000 in 12 months. |
| Minimum share capital | NOK 30,000 (about EUR 2,600) for an AS, fully paid into a share-capital account before registration (a bank, auditor, lawyer or accountant confirms it). An ASA requires NOK 1,000,000. |
| Setup time | Electronic registration through Altinn is processed within 10 working days, or within 5 with the digital company-formation service; simple filings are often done in 1 to 5 business days. |
| Remote setup | Possible but not frictionless. Online registration via Altinn needs every role-holder to have a Norwegian ID or D-number plus an electronic ID; those without it file on paper. A Norwegian physical address is required, and the bank capital deposit is the hardest remote step. |
| Director / residency | The managing director and at least half the board must reside in Norway, the EEA, the UK or Switzerland (the register can grant exemptions). Shareholders can be any nationality and resident anywhere. |
| Banking options | An AS needs a Norwegian share-capital account to deposit the NOK 30,000. Main banks are DNB, Nordea and SpareBank 1; non-resident onboarding is hard, so the deposit can instead be confirmed by an auditor or lawyer. |
| Our formation service | from around €100 to €200 (estimated). You get a fixed quote in your free plan before you commit. |
Norway is not an EU member; it is in the EEA and EFTA, so it joins the single market while staying outside the EU customs union, the EU VAT area and EU company-law harmonisation, and would not be covered by the EU Inc / 28th Regime. It has a flat 22% corporate tax, a highly digital registry (Altinn, Brønnøysund) and uses the Norwegian krone.
How to register a company in Norway
The process is straightforward and, in Norway, largely digital. In outline:
- Choose your company type and name. Most founders pick the AS (private limited); we confirm the name is available.
- Verify your identity. Possible but not frictionless. Online registration via Altinn needs every role-holder to have a Norwegian ID or D-number plus an electronic ID; those without it file on paper. A Norwegian physical address is required, and the bank capital deposit is the hardest remote step.
- File the incorporation. Once documents are signed, registration usually completes in around 5-10 days.
- Open a business account and register for tax/VAT. An AS needs a Norwegian share-capital account to deposit the NOK 30,000. Main banks are DNB, Nordea and SpareBank 1; non-resident onboarding is hard, so the deposit can instead be confirmed by an auditor or lawyer.
We handle each step with licensed local counsel, so the paperwork, registered address and filings are done correctly the first time.
Form your Norwegian company in days
Tell us where you live and what you are building. Our formation service starts from around €100 to €200 (estimated); we confirm the right structure for Norway, give you a fixed quote, and form the company with licensed counsel.
Get your free planWho can form a company in Norway
Founders from outside the EU can own and run a Norwegian company, with the cross-border requirements handled for you. We flag any residency or local-agent rule for Norway up front, so there are no surprises.
Norway and the 28th Regime (EU Inc)
EU Inc, the proposed 28th Regime, would let you register one company valid across all 27 EU member states. It is not law yet (expected around 2027-2028), so a Norwegian company is one of the ready options you can use today. Forming an EU company now also positions you to adopt EU Inc later, as we cover in how to prepare an EU Inc company. To weigh Norway against other countries, see company formation in Europe.