Measures to promote the mobility of artists :
- Recognition of foreign diplomas
The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) resolves, after application from individuals, if a foreign diploma shall be recognized or not.

- Fellowships and financial aids for artists
The artist grants and guaranteed income programme comprises several different types of grants that may be applied for by artists primarily living and working in Norway. The state support to artists, artists organizations and art institutions however affects their ability to visit foreign countries and pursue cultural exchange.
Several cultural institutions and organizations who receive financial aid from the state are particularly concerned with cultural exchange. The most important are:

• The Office for Contemporary Art Norway is a private foundation and was founded by The Ministry of Culture and The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2001. The main aim of the Office for Contemporary Art Norway is to develop collaborations in contemporary art between Norway and the international art scene. OCA holds five studios at its premises in Oslo for invited international artists and curators participating in the International Studio Programme (http://www.oca.no/norway/isp.shtml). It also hosts an International Visitor Programme (http://www.oca.no/norway/ivp.shtml) by inviting curators to conduct several day research visits within Norway.


• Concerts Norway is a public institution which has been running cooperative and exchange programmes with countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America for 20 years. Today Concerts Norway has cooperative programmes with 12 countries: China, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Palestine, South Africa and the SADC countries (Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Swaziland, Namibia and Malawi), and collaborates with 20 different organizations abroad on long-term programmes in other countries. The goal of the activities is to generate mutual understanding, insight and respect across cultural and geographical borders. They want to create arenas and meeting-places that allow dialogue, exchanges and collaboration. The activities form part of Norwegian foreign policy and are financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

- Fellowships and financial aids to promote the mobility of works
• NORLA - Norwegian Literature Abroad, Fiction & Non-fiction is a government-funded, non-commercial foundation which promotes Norwegian literature to other countries. Foreign publishers of Norwegian books may apply for a translation subsidy. More than 2000 books by Norwegian authors have been published with grants from NORLA since 1978.
• The Office for Contemporary Art Norway in Oslo provides support several major biennials, including the Venice Biennial, the Berlin Biennial, the Sydney Biennial, Manifesta among others.

- Networks catering for foreign artists
ARS BALTICA is a network which since 1991 has been connecting the Baltic Sea States in a cultural collaboration. Its power and uniqueness lie in combining cultural policy development and close co-operation with cultural operators. Created on the initiative of the Ministries of Culture of the Baltic Sea Region, the network maintains tight links with the Council of the Baltic Sea States (the CBSS).

- Visas and residence permits
The main rule is that everyone who is not a Norwegian or Nordic national must have a work permit to work in Norway. EEA/EFTA nationals can also freely enter the country and start working immediately even though they are required to subsequently obtain a work and residence permit. They can stay and work in Norway for up to three months without requiring a permit.
If they are job-seekers, they may stay in Norway for up to six months without a permit. A third-country national applying for a permit as a specialist or a permit for seasonal work can apply for the permit from Norway as long as they are legally in the country.
However, this does not apply to people who have asylum applications pending or who are awaiting expulsion because their application has been rejected. It is a requirement for obtaining a work permit that both subsistence and housing is ensured. Subsistence is ensured if an applicant earns sufficient income from employment, has own funds, a pension, a student loan, a grant or other regular periodic payments. Housing is deemed to be ensured if the applicant has a house, apartment, bed-sit or similar at his or her disposal.

Provisions in national laws in regard to foreign artists
The Working Environment Act is applying to all employed artists working in Norway.


Source: Ministry of Culture and Church, 2008.

Useful links:

• Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs
• Norsk Kulturrad - Norwegian Council for Cultural Affairs
• www.Culturenet.no 
• Norwegian Arts Council