Work and your business in Norway. How to open your own business in Norway

There are many good reasons to do business in Norway. A high level of education, high productivity and a long tradition of innovation are just some of them.

Norway is one of the strongest economies in the world, making a serious bet on knowledge, innovation, technology and sustainable business. Norway occupies a leading position in the world in the oil and gas, energy, maritime and shipbuilding industries, and seafood production. Companies operating in other sectors have also proven themselves. Medtech, FinTech, Edtech and other technology clusters are operating at full capacity.

Norwegian companies and clusters provide foreign companies with access to highly specialized knowledge, professional communities, potential clients, collaboration partners, and world leaders in innovation and technology.

Norway is a world leader in the production of goods and services for highly specialized markets such as the oil and gas sector, shipbuilding and the seafood sector. Thanks to its high-tech and high-quality products based on advanced scientific research, Norway has managed to gain a strong position in these areas. On the other hand, high prices, a small number of national brands, a limited domestic market and the lack of mass production that characterize the Norwegian market today should be noted. At the same time, the economic policy of Norway in recent years has been aimed at increasing the attractiveness of the market for investors and the globalization of local companies, their entry into international markets. An efficient and egalitarian model of society, high level living conditions and good social conditions have had an impact on the business culture in Norway.

Features of Norwegian business culture can be summarized in the list:

1. Lack of a strict hierarchical structure in companies

2. Fast and informal exchange of information

3. Focus on cooperation

4. High level of trust between citizens and between citizens and the state.

5. Employees have broad decision-making rights

6. Work-life balance

7. Gender equality

Norway, thanks to its stable and predictable economic situation, has become an attractive and reliable business partner. Opening a business in Norway is quite simple. To do this, there is the portal of The Brønnøysund Register Centre, the registration authority in Norway. When you fill out the form on this portal, you will immediately receive registration legal entity, registration economic activity, registration tax office and documents of the register on the establishment of the organization. Following the rules set by law and meeting standards is very important in Norway and the penalties for non-compliance are very significant.

As a rule, all foreign organizations operating in Norway are subject to taxation in the amount of 25% of their profits. Income tax is 38.7% and the main rule is that individuals become tax payers from the first working day. The basic VAT rate in Norway is 25%, but can also be reduced for food to 15%, and for public transport and hotel services to be 10%.

Please note that the Kingdom of Norway has joined the EU decision to impose sanctions against the Russian Federation and the Russian Federation, accordingly, decided on retaliatory measures, including the Kingdom of Norway. In order to clarify the list of goods and services that fall under these decisions, you need to contact the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the export department, for Norwegian citizens and legal entities, and the Russian Foreign Ministry for Russian citizens and legal entities, for clarification.

The information in the article will help those who are going to create business in Norway. The Kingdom of Norway is located in the west of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It includes: the Svalbard archipelago, the island of Jan Mayen and the islands: Bouvet and thousands of small islands. The kingdom has land borders with Sweden, Finland and Russia. In the north, west and south, Norway is washed by the Barents, Norwegian, North Seas and the Skagerrak Strait, which separates Norway from Denmark.

Most of the population of the Kingdom of Norway - 86.2%, are Norwegians, 1% - Sami (indigenous ethnic minorities), 11.8% - other ethnic groups of the population (Swedes, Finns, Poles, Germans, Pakistanis, Jews). Norway is a country with a rich variety of fauna and flora.

The official languages ​​are Norwegian (Bokmål and Nynorsk), and the regional languages ​​are also recognized - Sami. The Norwegian language is similar to other Scandinavian languages: Swedish, Danish. In Norway, fluently speak English, German, French, Spanish, Russian.

The system of government of the state is legislatively enshrined in the Constitution of Norway. Norway is currently a unitary, constitutional monarchy with a unicameral parliamentary system of government in which the king is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of government. Decisions in the unicameral parliament are approved by a majority vote of deputies elected by popular vote for a four-year term.

Norway is a highly developed, industrial country. It is focused on the export of its products to other countries. It is included in the list of the richest countries in the world with a high level and life expectancy. This is because Norway has an abundance natural resources, proximity to the main markets. Trade with other countries provided the basis for economic growth. The country has a high level of employment. The economy of Norway is clearly divided into a market economy and sectors of the economy that are wholly or partly under government control. Therefore, the economy in Norway can be called mixed, this is when a planned economy and a market economy are mixed. The state is a major owner in private corporations whose activities are related to oil production, petrochemical processing, power generation - hydroelectric power stations, power plants. The state also owns forest productive land. Private business covers fishing and fish processing, hotel, restaurant business, services.

Norway is not a member of the European Union (CE), but it is a signatory state to the EU Agreement as a member of the European Free Trade Association (EACT).

The capital of Norway is Oslo. The currency of the country is the Norwegian krone (NOK). Exchange rate for today: 10 crowns = 1.34 euros.

Before the start of management business in Norway, it is necessary to register and make an appropriate entry in the Register of Enterprises, then a certificate of registration will be issued, and only after that you can start maintaining business in Norway. This applies to all businesses, including individual entrepreneurs with more than 5 employees.

An entry in the Register of Enterprises will be made subject to certain rules:

• You have the right to do business

• You have chosen a unique name for your company

• You have a company registration certificate

• Your company has been assigned an identification number

• The management of the company has an identification number.

It is possible to register a small business in Norway commercial enterprise with different organizational and legal form of government.

Types of organizational and legal forms for commercial and non-commercial companies:

• Individual entrepreneur – individual, is fully responsible for the activities of the business, other requirements apply if the number of employees exceeds 30 people. Then he must register as a legal entity.

• Society with limited liability(AS)- one of the participants is personally liable for obligations, the other participants are responsible for the amount of the contribution made to the authorized capital. It is NOK 30,000.

• Partnerships (ANS/DA)- the association of two or more participants who are jointly and severally liable for the obligations of the enterprise in the first case. In the second case, responsibility is distributed taking into account its share in the partnership.

• Cooperatives- an association of two or more people in order to profit from commercial activities. May consist of individuals and legal entities. Liability is limited to shares in the authorized capital. Exist minimum requirements to the authorized capital.

Large enterprises can be opened in Norway:

• joint-stock companies. A joint stock company may consist of one shareholder. A shareholder may be the chairman in one person, CEO and the only employee. The authorized capital is less than NOK 3,000,000.

• open joint-stock company"allmenaksjeselskap" (ASA)– shareholders (owners) bear limited liability for the activities of the company. Shares can be freely sold at public auctions. The authorized capital must be at least NOK 1,000,000. The board of directors must have at least 3 members.

• Associations: open or closed to the general public. An association of at least two participants to achieve humanitarian, social or other goals. The Association must be registered with the Register of Non-Commercial Organizations.

• Funds. Authorized capital for a fund whose plans do not have goals to engage in commercial activities, is at least NOK 100,000. The authorized capital for a fund whose plans include engaging in commercial activities is at least NOK 200,000.

• Branches (NUF) and representative offices. A foreign company may establish a branch or subsidiary in Norway.

• European Company(SE) may be created by merging at least two joint-stock companies located in another state. The authorized capital must be at least 120,000 euros. The main enterprise can open its own in Norway representation.

Before deciding in what capacity you are going to conduct commercial or non-commercial activities in Norway, you need to weigh everything, get complete and reliable information about the planned business, whether you need a license for the type of activity, you need to carefully study the market: competitors, suppliers, consumers, the market sales. Only in this way is it quite realistic to create a viable business in Norway bringing good income. More information can be found on the official website of altinn

• 09.04.2013

• Recent
• Popular
• Recommended

Norway is a prosperous and highly developed country that attracts investors from all over the world. It should be noted that starting a business in Norway is a very difficult task. If you would like to organize your business in Norway, then you must deeply study the activity on which you are going to build a business.

According to statistics, about ten thousand new companies are opened in Norway every year, despite the fact that about five million people live in this country. In addition, Norwegian legislation provides support for small businesses. Most Norwegian firms operate in the service sector, while a minority of firms are involved in agriculture and trade. In this country, small business is actively developing in the field of production of hunting and sports equipment, tourism, and fish farming.

If you are interested in starting a business in Norway, then you should pay attention to the tourism industry. Every year, about 5 million tourists come to Norway from the USA, Ukraine, Russia, who come here to enjoy the unique Norwegian nature and do various types winter sports.

It makes sense to try your hand at a restaurant or hotel business or open your own entertainment or sports club. Many entrepreneurs have developed new types of excursions that bring them good money.

In order to open a business in Norway, a potential founder must be over 18 years old, he must also have an identification number and a residence permit in Norway. Please note that you will need a Norwegian legal address or a representative in Norway who will pay taxes for you.

It should be noted that in Norway there are several restrictions that apply to foreign investment, this mainly applies to the acquisition of shares in Norwegian companies in the field of insurance, finance, air travel, shipping, energy. If a foreign investor wants to buy a third or more of a Norwegian company that has a sales turnover of about NOK 50 million or employs more than 50 employees, then the foreign investor must notify the Norwegian Ministry of Trade about this.

When setting up your own business in Norway, you must choose the appropriate form of business organization, on which your taxes and liability will depend. The most popular types of organization include: joint-stock company, private entrepreneur and partnership. As for the form of a private entrepreneur, it implies that the entrepreneur himself must be liable for the debts of his company. Even if the company is liquidated, the debt is still not canceled, that is, it will automatically be paid from the further income of the former head of the company.

An equally popular form of business organization in Norway is a joint-stock company - Aksjeselskap. It differs in that the participants of the joint-stock company will not be personally liable for the debts and obligations of the company. In this case, liability is limited only to the accumulated capital of the enterprise. Also, a joint-stock company implies more complex financial statements. As for the minimum authorized capital of a joint-stock company, it is NOK 100,000.

A liability company is another form of business organization in Norway. As a rule, this form is of two types: a limited liability company (the founders are liable for the company's debts, but within their shares) and a joint and several liability company (the founders are liable for the obligations of other founders and the company).

Every year, tens of thousands of new firms appear in Norway. Moreover, one fourth of all Norwegian enterprises work in the sale and rental of real estate, as well as the provision of other services in this area. The share of trading and agricultural companies is approximately 15% of the total number of companies.
Two out of three companies that open in Norway are analogues of Russian individual entrepreneurship, where the owner of the company is also its only employee. On the second most popular place among the organizational forms of business are joint-stock companies.
A private enterprise (Enkeltmannsforetak) is a form of organization in which an enterprise is created by one entrepreneur who is fully responsible for the obligations and debts of his company. Moreover, this debt is not canceled even if the company is liquidated. The debt will be deducted from any future source of income of its former owner, including salary from his other job.
Private enterprise is the main form of organization for start-up businessmen who want to independently own and manage their company. There is no abbreviation for the type of the Russian form of IP in Norway. The requirements from various government agencies for this form of enterprise are much simpler than for other companies. When opening and registering a company, there is only one requirement for the name of the Norwegian analogue of an individual entrepreneur - it must contain the name of its owner. However, the company must have a legal address in Norway. If the owner of the company is not a resident of the country, then the company must register a representative who meets all these requirements. The representative will be responsible, among other things, for the timely payment of taxes.
The entrepreneur indicates almost all the necessary information on the Internet on the site of registration of enterprises. There are no requirements for the authorized capital of Enkeltmannsforetak. The cost of registering a company in the Commercial Register is around NOK 4,000-5,000.
The main difference between a joint-stock company (Aksjeselskap, abbreviated as AS) is that none of the company's participants is personally liable for its obligations and debts. Liability is limited to the size of the contributed and accumulated capital of the enterprise (egenkapital). The joint stock company acts as an independent legal entity, whose activities are regulated by the Law on Joint Stock Companies (aksjeloven). This form of organization is more complex financial statements and the need to certify the annual accounts of the auditor. In addition, the company is required to hold meetings of shareholders and keep minutes of the board of directors. JSC can be established by one or more shareholders. The director of the company (Daglig leder) and at least half of the representatives on its board of directors must reside in Norway or one of the member countries of the European Economic Community. Their citizenship does not play a special role.
In addition, there are share capital requirements, the minimum amount of which is NOK 30,000. This amount must be paid before registering the company. The contribution can be made both in cash and in the form of material assets (equipment, Vehicle etc.). In the latter case, it will be necessary to draw up an agreement between shareholders on the procedure for depositing material assets and their assessment. This contract must be confirmed in writing by the auditor of the company.
The creation of a joint-stock company is quite expensive. The registration process itself takes a lot of time and requires passing a large number formalities. However, many entrepreneurs choose this type of organization for the reason that it allows them to optimize tax payments. Since a joint-stock company is a separate subject of taxation, the tax calculation scheme for it differs from other types of companies. Another reason for the popularity of JSCs in Norway is the limited liability of the owners-shareholders for the company's debts.
The most common forms of liability partnership in Norway are:
joint and several liability company (Ansvarlig selskap, abbreviated as ANS), the founders of which are liable for the obligations of the company and the obligations of other founders;
limited liability company (Selskap med delt ansvar, abbreviated as DA), whose founders are jointly liable for the obligations and debts of the company, but within the limits of their shares (shares).
Unlike Russian LLCs, the founders of Norwegian partnerships bear unlimited liability for the obligations of the company as a whole. The head office of the company must be located in Norway. At the same time, there are usually no requirements for the mandatory residence of participants in the country. To register a joint and several or limited liability company, all its participants draw up constituent documents that regulate relations between them (Selskapsavtale). Everything related to the registration, management and liquidation of limited liability companies or joint and several liability companies is regulated by the Companies Act (Selskapsloven). They are required to conduct an audit and prepare an annual financial report.
The company may refuse the auditor if:
1. Income from the operation of the business is less than NOK 5,000,000.
2. The company has no more than 10 employees.
3. The company's balance sheet amount is no more than NOK 20,000,000.
The audit report shall be submitted to the Registrar of Companies no later than seven months after the end of the reporting period. All Norwegian companies are also required by the Companies Act to hold an annual general meeting.
All private entrepreneurs and organizations that carry out commercial activities must be registered with the Norwegian Central Registration Chamber (Bronnoysundregistrene). The exception is firms whose activities are in the nature of passion or hobby. Since there are no clear boundaries that would separate entrepreneurship from a hobby, they are usually guided by the Value Added Tax Act (Merverdiavgiftsloven). According to it, firms whose turnover in the last 12 months does not exceed NOK 30,000 are exempt from paying tax (and, therefore, from mandatory registration). If the company's turnover is higher than this amount, then it is considered that its activities are already of an economic nature, so it must register and pay taxes.
The income tax of a company or branch in Norway is 28%. The general tax rate on dividends paid to foreign shareholders is 25%, unless otherwise provided by a double tax treaty. In the latter case, the tax rate can range from 0% to 15%. Dividends received by a resident company from a foreign company are included in its total income and are subject to income tax (unless otherwise provided by a double tax treaty). A company's capital gains are also included in its total income and are subject to income tax.
In order to register a company in Norway, its founder must be over 18 years old and have a so-called identification number (D - nummer). Foreigners must have a residence permit in Norway. Until recently, there was one more requirement for foreign entrepreneurs in the country - they had to live in the country for the last three years. This requirement has now been abolished. However, in order to register a company, it is necessary that it has a Norwegian legal address. Otherwise, you will have to get a representative in Norway who will pay taxes and other mandatory fees.
Norwegian laws govern in as much detail as possible the procedure for the acquisition of Norwegian companies by foreigners. If a citizen of a foreign state acquires from 1/3 to 2/3 of the shares of a Norwegian enterprise, he is obliged to inform the Norwegian Ministry of Trade about this in any of the following cases:
the company's sales turnover was more than NOK 50 million;
the company has received government support of more than NOK 5 million for any of its projects in the last eight years prior to the purchase;
the company had more than 50 employees at the time of its acquisition.
In addition, there are a number of restrictions on foreign investment in the country. They relate mainly to the acquisition by foreign investors of shares in Norwegian companies operating in the field of air transportation, shipping, finance and insurance, fisheries and energy.

The high standard of living in Norway, on the one hand, is associated with oil and gas production (in oil production, Norway lags only behind Saudi Arabia and Russia), and on the other hand, the Norwegian government ensures that hydrocarbon money does not "lazy" the country's economy. Funds from mining form the country's Oil (Stabilization) Fund, and various government programs are designed to develop business.

Since Norway is a post-industrial country, most of its inhabitants work in the service sector - more than 60% of the population. Moreover, special attention is paid to the development of small business, the main areas of which are tourism, fish farming and the production of various sports and hunting equipment.

As for tourism, Norway, with a population of 4.5 million people, is visited annually by more than 5 million tourists from Europe, the USA, Japan, Russia and other countries. Tourists are attracted by fjords, fishing, northern sports and various museums - there are about 1000 of them in the country: from the museum of skis and canned food to the museum of Viking ships.

Therefore, the country has a large field of activity for owners of hotels and coastal cottages (renting), rental offices. Some keep restaurants and souvenir shops, sports and entertainment clubs, others organize various tours and the most incredible excursions. In terms of the latter, the organizers' invention sometimes goes to extremes: for example, passengers of some cruise ships that arrive in Svalbard are invited to participate in cleaning up local beaches - eco-tourism in action.

In recent years, many Russians have appeared in the tourist industry - they are aimed, first of all, at the "native" Russian-speaking clientele, they know the needs and characteristics of our people. The tourism business goes hand in hand with air transportation and logistics both in the direction of Russia and other countries of Europe and the world.

Fish farming is an area that has been actively developing for several decades. Private farms breed salmon and trout in the fjords. This fish is highly respected in Russia, so our former compatriots successfully breed it for supplies both to their homeland and to other countries.

A whole system of small PR agencies has been built around Norwegian fish, accompanying the promotion of goods to the country of import. Russians are involved in this business, as well as in providing navigation, conducting geodetic and other research, offering services in the field of design, architecture and construction, and much more.

But business within the community is somewhat different from what can be seen in the emigrant environment in other countries. If in Europe there are many "Russian" shops with nostalgic goods, in Norway this is not very popular - it's expensive.

But Natalya, a pediatrician from St. Petersburg, says that the medical and near-medical services of a Russian-speaking specialist are in demand. The Russian-speaking lawyer Markus and other professionals are busy helping expats get help or make contact with the outside world. The spouses Nikolai and Ekaterina are architects in the field of low-rise construction. At first, they remotely created projects for cottages for St. Petersburg residents, but gradually acquired a local clientele - first Russian-speaking, then there were clients among Norwegians.

Emigrants say that if they have already settled in Norway, they can count on assistance from state small business development programs. In order to receive such assistance, a well-written and substantiated business plan must be submitted to the Norwegian Fund for Industrial and Regional Development (SND).

And new business may be the most unexpected. A few years ago, a Russian emigrant received a $7,500 grant to produce anti-shyness gels. Fund employees appreciated the resourcefulness of the girl and estimated the possible psychotherapeutic effect of such a "placebo". But as exotic as it may sound new service, the business plan should be pragmatic and reasonable.

School - what else?

Anastasia Darina created her own "Russian School" in 2003, at the request of Russian-speaking acquaintances who could not enroll their children in the evening school at the Russian Embassy (they took only those who already speak Russian). As it turned out, there are enough children in Norway who need to learn the Russian language and culture from the very beginning.

“Now several subjects are taught in our school,” says Anastasia Darina, director and teacher of Russian language and literature (there is also a Russian speech therapist, a teacher of mathematics and a teacher of painting). The children attend classes in the evening. Lessons are courses broken down both in different subjects and according to the level of knowledge of the child. Our task is to teach children to speak Russian on familiar topics, to talk coherently in Russian about themselves and their families. In addition, children are taught to read, write, teach practical grammar. The cost of schooling is low - 500 crowns per month (about 2400 rubles per month or € 55 at the exchange rate on 01/10/2009).

Anastasia Darina says that organizing work in Norway was not very difficult. The problem was in other - in financing. Since the school is Russian-speaking, it was not necessary to count on state support. But it was precisely in the Russian language environment that a solution to the problem was found: now the school is participating in a state project to integrate foreign children into Norwegian society, namely, teachers help Russian-speaking children who have just arrived in Norway to do Norwegian homework for free.

- For this we receive small state subsidies, which we use for the needs of the school - in 2008, the subsidies amounted to about 65,000 rubles, in the coming year we expect to receive a little more, - says Anastasia.

- There are also options for free premises at the expense of the state. In our case, we use the parish premises free of charge Orthodox church in Oslo (Moscow Patriarchate). The rector of the temple, hegumen Kliment, has been kindly providing us with premises for the school all these years.

About business - over tea

– In Norway, it is extremely important to be well acquainted with people who work in your field, – says Anastasia. – Good relations are the key to development in Norway. The country is small and often important information about new projects, meetings, subsidies becomes known faster through acquaintances. This is especially important for foreigners. The fact is that the negotiations in Norway are more like friendly meetings. Outwardly, it resembles a nice conversation over a cup of tea, but, despite the sincere tone of the conversation, it is important to be able to show and tell unobtrusively what business you came for, to have time to briefly and simply introduce your company, to be not too serious, but not to relax. Sometimes, out of inexperience, foreigners believe that nothing can be seriously discussed at such meetings. But just during such conversations, you can be looked at, listened to and evaluated you and your ideas.

Our former compatriots say that Norwegians primarily appreciate punctuality, accuracy and the ability to convey information briefly, but vividly and with humor. Norway loves tables, blackboards, illustrations, presentations - everything that can enliven a report and make it more visual.

– In Norwegian society, the style of teamwork is promoted, – Anastasia draws attention.

- Norwegians love openness (let the appearance of openness). And it is very important to remember this. Shyness, isolation, self-absorption can confuse others. An obvious "upstart" or too active person can also cause irritation. If a Russian has several diverse ideas or proposals, then in communicating with local partners it is better to present them in a dosed manner, “not to frighten” them with the prospect and scale of a big job.

Everyone is pleased when their country is praised, but Norwegians are especially pleased to hear this from representatives of such a large country as Russia. “Only praise should not relate to winter sports, it is already boring to hear. If we are talking about sports, then about football, ”says Anastasia.

“If yesterday you had a warm conversation with someone at a party, and today you met on the street, and the person greeted you in a very restrained way, don’t be offended,” Markus warns. - This does not mean at all that they do not want to communicate with you, just the Norwegians, unlike the Slavs, are not ready to joyfully rush towards a new acquaintance. Here people are reserved and will look at you for a long time before making friends.

“But in relationships, they value reliability and constancy, and they themselves strive to live up to their ideals. I have a close friend of mine who is Norwegian, it can be difficult for us to be with each other, - the Russian-speaking Estonian emigrant laughs. - In the Norwegian language, curses are not built according to the same principle as in Russian. And if you commemorate the devil or his grandmother in Russian, it is unlikely that this will impress our people, and for Norwegians such things are curses, similar in strength to Russian swearing.

Legal aspects

“It took about four weeks to review the documents for the opening of the courses,” Anastasia, the director of the school, shares her experience. – It was very easy for me to settle the formalities: the documents are sent by mail, the expenses are minimal. State system works in such a way that it usually takes two to three months to review projects and grants. The procedure is simple: a number of documents are collected and sent to the authority. After a certain time, an answer comes in the mail.

You must register your business at the Central Registration Chamber - Bronnoysundregistrene. You can not register only activities that will bring income no more than 30,000 kroons per year (about €3,200) - such activities are regarded by the state as a hobby. Income above this amount must be taxed. Now not only citizens of the Scandinavian countries, as it was before, but also foreigners who have a residence permit in the country can open their own business.

The most common types of organizations are: private entrepreneur, partnership and joint-stock company. PE (enkeltmannsforetak) is issued simply, quickly and cheaply, but at the same time the owner is personally responsible for his company. That is, in which case the owner of the state of emergency will pay with his own property.

A responsible partnership is similar in organization to a private partnership, but involves two or more participants who share full responsibility for the obligations of the enterprise. In this case, it is necessary to draw up constituent documents and stipulate the responsibility of the parties. In the case of joint and several liability ANS (ansvarlig selskap) - the debts of the partnership are written off from the one who has the money, but if DA (delt ansvar) is established during registration, the participants in the partnership are only liable for their pre-agreed obligations. The profits of partnerships are divided according to predetermined schemes, and each of the participants pays taxes on it himself, like a state of emergency.

A joint stock company (AS) is an impractical or not entirely realistic form for a small business, since it requires an authorized capital of at least 100,000 crowns (about €11,000) in money or property. But besides this, a joint-stock company requires other formalities, such as meetings of shareholders, more complex reporting to the state, etc. Therefore, to create a joint-stock company, separate evidence, such as tax evidence, is needed.