Buying property in Norway as a UK foreigner in 2026

If you’re dreaming of a Scandi sanctuary, buying property in Norway is a brilliant way to trade the London commute for a literal walk in the park (or a hike up a fjord). Whether you’re moving for work, eyeing a holiday hideaway, or just looking to invest your pounds in something more solid than a rainy Tuesday in Reading, we’ve got you covered.

In this practical guide we’ll cover everything you need to know as a UK buyer. This includes info on current property prices in Norway, fees and taxes, how to get a mortgage and tips on where to start your search.

We’ll also introduce a reliable and cost-effective way to send large sums internationally from the money services provider Wise. Over 14.8 million people worldwide use Wise to move £36 billion every quarter.

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Table of contents

Can UK foreigners buy property in Norway? What’s the real estate market like in Norway? How to search for a property in Norway How to buy property in Norway as a foreigner - a step-by-step guide Fees and costs of buying property in Norway Risks and pitfalls of buying property in Norway Moving into your Norway property Save on currency conversion fees with Wise when buying property in Norway Key takeaways

Can UK foreigners buy property in Norway?

Yes, UK nationals and other foreign nationals can buy property in Norway.

Unlike in some other countries, there are no country-wide restrictions on property ownership, only a handful of municipality-level restrictions to ensure housing availability for local residents.¹ So as long as you have the financing, you should be able to buy and own property there just like a local.

This is one of many reasons it’s one of the best countries in the world to buy property.

However, it’s still very important to use a qualified solicitor to carry out due diligence checks before buying property in Norway, to make sure you won’t encounter any obstacles.

You should also be aware that there may be additional costs to pay as a foreign buyer. For example, if you need to have documents translated or use a specialist broker to find a mortgage.

Can you buy real estate and get residency?

No, there is no direct route to residency or citizenship through buying property in Norway.

If you want to live there permanently, you’ll need to follow other visa pathways such as work, study or family.

📚 Read more: Countries that offer citizenship by investment visa

What’s the real estate market like in Norway?

After a long house price boom, Norway’s property market has started to stabilise. Prices are still rising, increasing by 4.54% in Q2 2025 compared to the same period a year earlier.²

Demand is also improving, with an uptick of residential property transactions of 1.1% recorded in 2024. Sales of detached houses saw the biggest increases, with areas such as Akershus, Oslo, Rogaland, and Vestland seeing the most transaction activity.²

Supply of properties is tight, with the shortage caused by a year-on-year fall of 15.4% in the construction of new homes.²

What this means for you as a buyer is that you may have to search harder, act faster and pay a little more to secure your dream home.

Is property a good investment in Norway?

If you’re still weighing up options on where is the best place to invest in property abroad, here are some of the pros and cons for Norway’s real estate market:

Pros:

• Norway’s property market is stable, with the potential for long-term capital appreciation
• Good rental potential - cities such as Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim in particular have very active rental markets.
• High quality of life - if you’re considering moving to Norway, you can expect exceptional healthcare, schooling and public transport, along with clean, safe cities and landscapes famed for their outstanding natural beauty.

Cons:

• High cost of living in Norway, along with high taxes (including annual property taxes and wealth tax)
• Rental yields are low to moderate, averaging 4.92% in Q2 2025² - while rental markets are active in many cities, property prices remain high and yields aren’t as attractive as in other countries
• Mortgage conditions may be stricter and harder to meet for foreign applicants, and you may need a larger deposit.

📚 Read more: Pros and cons of living in Norway

How much are the property prices?

So, how much is property in Norway? This is an essential thing to know as you set your budget and start your search.

Generally speaking, Norwegian property prices are roughly 20.6% higher in city centres and 8.9% higher outside the centres than in the UK.³

If you're wondering where to buy a house in Norway, here are the average property prices per square metre in a few of the country’s major cities:⁴

City	Average apartment price per sq.m - city centre (NOK)	Average apartment price per sq.m - outside city (NOK)
Oslo	107,173	72,872
Bergen	71,233	46,400
Stavanger	58,409	50,031
Trondheim	58,324	46,277

However, the price very much depends on exactly what and where you buy, along with other factors.

And, if you’re arranging your property purchase from the UK, you’ll need a safe, reliable and preferably low-cost way to send over fees, deposits and other payments.

The Wise account could be a great solution, with transparent, low fees, and multiple layers of security, so you can safely transfer large amounts both in the UK and overseas.

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Where is the cheapest place to buy property in Norway?

If you’re house hunting on a budget, you’ll need to head outside of the major cities where prices can be eye-wateringly expensive.

You might want to look instead at smaller towns and more rural areas, such as Nordkapp, Stor-Elvdal, Rennebu, Holtålen, Snåsa, Notodden and Sauda.

If you simply must live in the city, Oslo’s outer east is known for being relatively affordable (compared to other areas) - especially Søndre Nordstrand, Stovner and Alna.

Best places to buy property in Norway

The best place to buy property in Norway all depends on why you’re buying.

If you’re looking to live and work there, a major city like Oslo offers all you could want in terms of lifestyle, job opportunities, amenities and connections to the rest of Scandinavia, Europe and the UK.

For scenery, you might want to consider Bergen, Lofoten or Tromsø. The city of Stavanger is popular with expats due to its oil industry jobs, while Trondheim could be a good spot for a buy-to-let investment due to its active university rentals market. You can also consider the ski resorts of Trysil and Hemsedal for holiday rentals.

📚 Read more: Retiring abroad from the UK: Complete guide

How to search for a property in Norway

If you’re new to the Norwegian property market, it could be worth using a specialist real estate agent to help you find the right property.

They’ll have knowledge of the local market, and can walk you through the process of buying a property. This service is likely to come with a fee, however.

You can also start the search online yourself, using one of these Norwegian property websites and portals:

• Finn.no (in Norwegian)
• Hjem.no (in Norwegian)
• EiendomsMegler1.no (in Norwegian)
• OBOS.no (focusing on housing cooperatives, or borettslag)
• Homestra
• Rightmove Overseas

What to check before you buy

Before buying a property in Norway, there are a few key things to check. The first is to search for the property in the Grunnboken land register (or have your solicitor do it) to verify ownership.

You should also check whether the property is part of a borettslag (housing cooperative) as this will usually mean significant extra ongoing costs. Owners of these properties need to pay monthly fees for maintenance, utilities and services.

You may also want to have a building survey carried out. While not mandatory, this could help to flag up any structural or other issues which could be expensive to fix.

How to buy property in Norway as a foreigner - a step-by-step guide

Now, let’s run through the steps involved in buying property in Norway as a foreigner:

1. Get your finances in order

Before you do anything, it’s a good idea to get your finances sorted. This means setting a budget, getting a mortgage offer (approval in principle) and getting all your paperwork together.

2. Get your D-number

Foreign nationals need a D-number (temporary ID number) from the Norwegian Tax Administration for financial transactions, including getting a mortgage, opening a bank account and buying property. This can take some time to come through, so it’s recommended to apply early.

3. Find a property and arrange viewings

Now it’s time to start searching for your dream home. You can use online property portals and/or local estate agents to find properties.

If you’ve found somewhere you like, arrange a viewing as soon as you can, and start researching the area in the meantime.

4. Appoint a solicitor

While it’s not mandatory, it’s strongly recommended to find and appoint a lawyer experienced in Norwegian property law. They will check over and translate all documents and contracts, as well as carrying out due diligence on the transaction.

A personal recommendation is a good way to find a solicitor, but you can also find a list of English-speaking property solicitors on the UK Government website.

5. Submit a bid

Norway works a little differently to the UK when it comes to submitting offers on a property. It has a property auction system called Budrunde, which involves an open, transparent bidding process.

You’ll submit a bid in writing to the estate agent. This is legally binding and other bidders will be able to see it. There’s no negotiation on price like in other countries such as the UK. Every bidder must have proof of financing before submitting their bid.

Before submitting a bid, you should review the prospectus (Prospekt) for the property, including the technical report on the building’s condition. You or your solicitor can also check local development plans for any restrictions on permitted use.

6. Sign the sales contract

If your bid is successful, the next step is for both parties to sign the sales contract (Kjøpekontrakt). You may also be asked to arrange a transfer for the deposit.

At this stage, you might want to contact your mortgage provider to finalise the financing for your purchase.

7. Completion

Property transactions in Norway are typically pretty fast and efficient, so you may find that it’s not very long until a completion date is set.

The final steps are to transfer funds to pay the final balance, register the change of ownership in the Norwegian Land Register and pay any fees and taxes. Consider using the Wise account here to convert your pounds to Norwegian krone (NOK), avoiding hidden fees and getting the mid-market exchange rate.

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How long does it take to buy a property?

Buying property in Norway is a pretty quick process, which on average takes around 1-2 months.⁵

📚 Read more: How to transfer large amounts of money from the UK

Fees and costs of buying property in Norway

Here are the main fees and taxes for buying property in Norway, which you’ll need to factor into your budget:⁶

Fee/tax	Amount
Property transfer tax (Stamp duty)	2.5%
Registration fees (land registry)	0.1%
Legal and notary fees	Varies, typically less than 1%
Mortgage-related fees	5,000 to 20,000 NOK
Property inspection fee	5,000 to 15,000 NOK

Taxes and fees for owning property

Once you’ve bought your Norwegian property and paid all those initial costs, you’ll also have some ongoing fees and taxes to cover as a property owner.

This includes:⁶

• Annual property tax, which amounts to around 0.2% to 0.7% of the value of the property (varying by municipality)
• Wealth tax of 0.3% to 0.7% for assets over 1.7 million NOK
• Homeowner’s association fees (felleskostnader) of between 2,000 and 8,000 NOK per month. These are often charged for apartments and townhouses, to cover shared facility maintenance, management services and utilities.

If you rent out the property, you may also pay personal income tax as a landlord.

Loans and mortgages for non-residents

Banks in Norway do offer mortgages to foreign nationals and non-residents. However, bear in mind that foreign buyers tend to face much stricter lending criteria.

This includes having stable Norwegian employment (or proof of consistent foreign income), an existing relationship with a Norwegian bank or a Norwegian residential address - all of which may make things difficult for non-residents.

If you meet the requirements, you should be able to secure up to 60% to 75% of the property value.⁷ This may mean you need a larger deposit compared to local buyers.

For your best chance of getting a mortgage in Norway, try foreigner-friendly banks such as DNB, Nordea and Danske Bank.⁷

Risks and pitfalls of buying property in Norway

One of the main things to watch out for when buying or selling property abroad are scams.

To avoid these, it’s strongly recommended to work with qualified and credible professionals such as real estate agents and solicitors. Ideally, you should also check for membership of a professional body when working with any property experts, brokers or agents.

Other important things to remember include the following:

• Remember that bids are legally binding - so make sure you’re 100% happy to proceed before submitting a bid
• Be cautious and do your homework before sending money or a deposit
• Hire a solicitor and do as much due diligence as possible - including ensuring that the seller has the legal right to sell the property.
• Visit the property in person (don’t rely on online listings alone)
• Get an inspection/survey carried out if you have any concerns about the property.

Moving into your Norway property

Before you can get the keys to your new home, you’ll have a final few tasks to check off your list.

Insurance

It’s strongly recommended to take out a buildings insurance policy starting from your completion date. In fact, you might find it's a mandatory condition of your mortgage offer.

Setting up utilities

If you know when your completion date will be, it makes sense to get some essentials set up in advance of moving in.

A prime example is utilities, such as heating, power and water. Get these sorted as early as you can, and the moving process should be a little smoother.

Energy efficiency renovations

If you’ve bought an older Norwegian property, you might want to make some energy efficiency improvements to it. For example, upgrading the insulation, replacing the windows or installing a new heating system.

Save on currency conversion fees with Wise when buying property in Norway

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Key takeaways

• You can buy and own property in Norway as a UK national without country-wide restrictions, though a few municipalities limit ownership to ensure housing for locals.
• You must submit written bids through the Budrunde (auction) system; once a seller accepts your bid, it becomes a legally binding contract.
• You must apply for a temporary identification number (D-number) early in the process to open a bank account, secure a mortgage, and register your property title.
• You should budget for a 2.5% stamp duty (property transfer tax), registration fees of roughly 0.1%, and legal fees that typically remain under 1% of the purchase price.
• Norwegian banks offer mortgages to non-residents, though they often require a 25% to 40% deposit and proof of stable income or a local residential address.
• You will pay an annual municipal property tax (ranging from 0.2% to 0.7%) and a 0.3% to 0.7% wealth tax on assets over 1.7 million NOK.

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Sources used:

1. Global Property Guide - How to Buy Real Estate in Norway as a Foreigner
2. Global Property Guide - Norway Residential Real Estate Market Analysis 2025
3. Numbeo - Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Norway
4. Numbeo - Prices by City
5. Investropa - How to buy a house in Norway as a foreigner?
6. Investropa - How to buy a house in Norway?
7. Investropa - Buying and owning a property as a foreigner in Norway (January 2026)

Sources last checked 16-Jan-2026