How to start a business in Norway as a foreigner (2026)

Legal framework

Norwegian Private Limited Liability Companies Act (Aksjeloven); company registration via the Brønnøysund Register Centre (Register of Business Enterprises / Foretaksregisteret) and the Altinn portal; residence/work permits administered by UDI for non-EU/EEA nationals.

Key points: starting a business in Norway

1. 01Foreign ownership, no cap

   Foreigners can register and fully own a Norwegian company (AS); there are no general foreign-ownership limits beyond board/management residency rules.

   brreg.no dlapiperintelligence.com

2. 02Minimum share capital

   An AS requires at least NOK 30,000 in share capital, which must be deposited and confirmed by a bank (or auditor) before registration is completed.

   info.altinn.no info.altinn.no

3. 03Board / manager residency

   At least 50% of board members, and the general manager if one is appointed, must reside in an EEA state, the UK/Northern Ireland, or Switzerland. The prior nationality requirement was repealed.

   wr.no dlapiperintelligence.com

4. 04Official setup steps

   Found the company (sign memorandum/articles of association) → obtain a Norwegian D-number/ID for foreign founders → deposit share capital and get bank confirmation → register in the Register of Business Enterprises via Altinn within 3 months of founding; a Norwegian business address is required.

   info.altinn.no brreg.no

5. 05Registration fee & timeline

   Online registration through Altinn costs NOK 6,825; digital registration is processed quickly (typically days to a couple of weeks), and notification must reach the register within three months of founding.

   info.altinn.no brreg.no

6. 06Non-EU/EEA residence permit

   Non-EU/EEA founders may register a company but cannot actively work in it without a residence permit allowing self-employment (UDI), which generally requires skilled-worker qualifications and takes roughly 1-4 months to process.

   udi.no skatteetaten.no

Timeline of decisions

1. 31 Jul 2025Enforcement · official
   UBO Registration Compliance Deadline for All Existing Companies

   All Norwegian legal entities were required to have registered their ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs) in the national register by 31 July 2025, completing the ten-month compliance window that opened when the registry launched on 1 October 2024. New companies must file within 14 days of formation, adding a mandatory transparency step to the business-start process.

   Brønnøysund Register Centre

2. 1 Oct 2024Enforcement · official
   Register of Beneficial Owners (UBO) Opens; Mandatory Filings Begin

   The Act on Register of Beneficial Owners (2019) entered fully into force, requiring every company registered or operating in Norway to disclose who ultimately controls it. The register is run by the Brønnøysund Register Centre and submissions are made through Altinn, implementing the EU Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive.

   Altinn / Brønnøysund Register Centre

3. 1 Mar 2019Law · official
   Act on Register of Beneficial Owners Enacted by Stortinget

   Stortinget passed Lov nr. 2/2019 (Lov om register over reelle rettighetshavere), transposing the EU's beneficial-ownership transparency requirements into Norwegian law. The act imposes an ongoing compliance obligation on all newly formed and existing companies to identify and register their true owners.

   Lovdata (Norwegian Official Legal Portal)

4. 1 Jan 2012Law · official
   Minimum Share Capital for Private Limited Companies Cut to NOK 30,000

   A December 2011 Stortinget amendment (Lov 2011-12-16 nr. 63) took effect, reducing the minimum share capital for an AS from NOK 100,000 to NOK 30,000. The same reform abolished the mandatory statutory audit for small companies and reduced minimum board-size requirements, substantially lowering the cost and complexity of incorporation.

   Lovdata (Norwegian Official Legal Portal)

5. 4 Dec 2003Decision · official
   Altinn Digital Portal Launched, Digitising Business Registration and Reporting

   Norway launched Altinn on 4 December 2003, initially to digitise the most common reporting forms for the Tax Administration, Statistics Norway, and the Brønnøysund Register Centre. Altinn became the single digital gateway for company formation, regulatory filings, and government correspondence, saving Norwegian businesses an estimated NOK 15 billion per year.

   Altinn (Digdir / Brønnøysund Register Centre)

6. 1 Jan 2001Decision · official
   Brønnøysund Register Centre transferred to Ministry of Trade and Industry

   Moving Brreg from the Ministry of Justice to the Ministry of Trade and Industry positioned Norway's central business registry explicitly as an economic-policy instrument, aligning business formation administration with industrial and entrepreneurship strategy.

   Brønnøysund Register Centre — Our History

7. 13 Jun 1997Law · official
   Modern Private Limited Companies Act (Aksjeloven) Enacted

   Stortinget enacted Aksjeloven (Lov nr. 44/1997), establishing the comprehensive modern legal framework for the private limited company (AS), the dominant vehicle for new business formation in Norway. The Act codified share-capital rules, board composition, shareholder rights, and creditor-protection provisions that remain the structural foundation of company formation today.

   Lovdata (Norwegian Official Legal Portal)

8. 1 Jan 1995Law · official
   Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities (Enhetsregisteret) established; unique organisation numbers introduced

   The Enhetsregisterloven created a single organisation number assigned to every legal entity in Norway, replacing fragmented multi-agency identifiers; the number became the mandatory first step in any business registration and the interoperability key across all public registries.

   Brønnøysund Register Centre — Central Coordinating Register

9. 1 Jan 1994Law · official
   EEA Agreement Enters into Force; Business Law Aligned with EU Single Market

   The Agreement on the European Economic Area entered into force, integrating Norway into the EU single market. Membership required Norwegian company and registration law to align with EU Company Law Directives, granted EEA nationals equal rights to establish businesses in Norway, and gave Norwegian-registered companies access to the broader European market from day one.

   EFTA

10. 1 Jan 1988Decision · official
    Brønnøysund Register Centre Opens; Business Register Centralised Nationally

    The Foretaksregisteret (Register of Business Enterprises) began operations at the newly established Brønnøysund Register Centre, consolidating the functions of more than 100 local trade registers into a single national computerised system. Every company incorporated in Norway must register here and receives a unique organisation number, providing legal protection and public transparency.

    Brønnøysund Register Centre

11. 21 Jun 1985Law · official
    Register of Business Enterprises Act (Foretaksregisterloven) Enacted

    Stortinget enacted the Foretaksregisterloven (Lov nr. 78/1985), creating the statutory foundation for a centralised national business register to replace fragmented local registers. The Act defined mandatory registration obligations, the legal-notice effects of registration, and enforcement mechanisms that continue to govern business formation in Norway today.

    Lovdata (Norwegian Official Legal Portal)

Sources

1. 1.brreg.no/en/limited-company/register-a-limited-company/
2. 2.info.altinn.no/en/start-and-run-business/planning-starting/registration-of-the-enter
3. 3.info.altinn.no/en/start-and-run-business/planning-starting/Choosing-Legal-Structure/
4. 4.info.altinn.no/en/start-and-run-business/running-business/running-a-private-limited-
5. 5.skatteetaten.no/en/business-and-organisation/foreign/registration-obligation/registra
6. 6.wr.no/en/news/statutory-nationality-requirement-for-members-of-the-board-of
7. 7.dlapiperintelligence.com/directorsduties/countries/index.html?t=eligibility&s=01-who-can-be-di
8. 8.udi.no/en/want-to-apply/work-immigration/