Living in Norway as a French National: Cities, Housing, Settling-In Formalities and Schooling

Norway welcomes many foreigners, and settling newcomers is part of the everyday life of the authorities. For a French national, the framework is simple: the European Economic Area opens residence and work without prior permit, with a registration to be made with the police and the population register.

• Advantages: a right of residence guaranteed by the EEA, a tax-funded healthcare system with an annual cap on cost-sharing (helsenorge.no), low crime overall according to France Diplomatie and an accredited French school in Oslo.
• Points of caution: the sequence of police registration, population register and identity number requires anticipation; rents are high in Oslo; avalanches and the climate call for preparation in the mountains.

The Norway country page details health insurance by status; the pages on working in Norway and retiring in Norway complete this guide.

SSB publishes two measures: the population of municipalities and that of continuous built-up areas (tettsteder), which exceed administrative boundaries. On 1 January 2026, the municipality of Oslo has 728,714 inhabitants, while its built-up area has 1,119,478.

• Oslo: 728,714 inhabitants in the municipality, 1,119,478 in the built-up area; the capital is the largest job market and the seat of the French school.
• Bergen: 294,860 inhabitants in the municipality, 274,589 in the built-up area, on the west coast.
• Trondheim: 218,460 inhabitants in the municipality, 202,397 in the built-up area, in the centre of the country.
• Stavanger: 151,669 inhabitants in the municipality; the built-up area of Stavanger and Sandnes has 244,378 inhabitants.

The checklist for the first 90 days helps you put the formalities in order once the city is chosen.

The SSB survey of the rental market covers two-room rental flats, in selected cities and across the whole country. It measures the average monthly rent for a two-room flat at 11,790 NOK across the whole country in 2025, and at 15,260 NOK in Oslo and Bærum, about 29% more than the national average. These averages mask gaps between neighbourhoods and types of lease, and can be compared with the salaries presented in the page on working in Norway.

To include health in the expatriation budget, the guide to budgeting for health abroad gives a method, with the annual cap on care cost-sharing described in the page on the Norwegian healthcare system.

To enter Norway, a French national presents a valid passport or national identity card. France Diplomatie specifies that the Norwegian authorities refuse to extend the validity of cards issued to adults between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013: a valid passport becomes necessary with an expired card. Since 1 January 2010, citizens of the European Union no longer need a residence permit, but registration with the police is required (French embassy).

• Police registration: an EU or EEA citizen who plans to stay more than three months registers; they must have a basis of residence, as an employee, self-employed person, service provider or student, or with own resources (Oslo police).
• Population register: for a stay of more than six months, notification of the move to Skatteetaten is required, with an in-person appearance at a tax office for the identity check.
• Fødselsnummer and D-number: the national identity number is assigned to people registered as residents; the D-number is for a foreigner who does not meet the conditions. Many public and private bodies require a Norwegian number, for example to open a bank account.
• Family doctor: everyone entered in the population register is entitled to a family doctor (fastlege), with exceptions for certain D-number holders (helsenorge.no).
• Consular register: the French embassy in Oslo offers registration on the register of French nationals living abroad.

To prepare the move, the embassy points to service-public.fr and to the brochure “Preparing your expatriation and your return to France”, then, on the spot, to the immigration directorate for registration, to Skatteetaten for taxes, to Assurance Maladie (the French national health insurance) and CLEISS (the French liaison centre for international social security) for health, and to the Arbeidstilsynet (the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority) for employees’ rights. The New in Norway website brings together the formalities for newcomers.

France Diplomatie recommends requesting the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card, CEAM in French) at least 15 days before departure and having insurance that covers medical costs and repatriation, which the embassy cannot pay for.

The guide to the Norwegian healthcare system presents the care network, and the page on healthcare reimbursement in Norway details who reimburses in each situation. Expavy helps you compare the supplementary cover that is useful during the registration period, with the page on expat health insurance.

France Diplomatie places the whole territory under normal vigilance (updated 15 September 2026). The Norwegian authorities consider the terrorist risk moderate, and crime is low overall; extra vigilance is advised against burglaries and pickpocketing during holidays, as well as at Oslo central station and in certain neighbourhoods in the east of the capital.

• Emergencies: 113 for medical emergencies, 112 for the police, 110 for the fire brigade (France Diplomatie); 116117 is the number of the out-of-hours medical service, open 24 hours a day (helsenorge.no).
• Climate and mountains: avalanches are frequent from December to May; France Diplomatie advises checking the weather (yr.no, windy.no, varsom.no) and taking maps, warm clothing and a headlamp when hiking. In Svalbard, which is outside the Schengen area, arctic conditions and the presence of polar bears call for specific preparation.
• Health: France Diplomatie recommends being up to date with the French vaccination schedule and discussing vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis with a doctor, especially in rural or forested areas.
• Language: the French embassy directs newcomers to the New in Norway website and to the French-speaking community site lanorvege.no, which offers advice on employment and on learning Norwegian.

The Lycée français René Cassin in Oslo (LFO), established in 1961, serves more than 650 pupils from nursery to the final year. It is accredited by the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE), has two addresses in Oslo (Skovveien 9 and Vulkan 11) and prepares for French national examinations, including the diplôme national du brevet and the baccalauréat.

French children enrolled in a school approved by the AEFE or the Mission laïque française may be entitled to a school grant, which the French embassy processes. A family’s health cover is checked at the same time as choosing the school.