BI Norwegian Business School

Welcome to BI!

Welcome to BI – we are so glad you have chosen to work with us! You have made a great decision, and we will do our utmost to welcome you and make you feel part of our organisation!

How can BI help?

Visa and work permit

This information is relevant for internationals moving to Norway who need to apply for a work permit and obtain a Norwegian personal number. The personal identification number is required for many daily operations in Norway, such as opening a bank account or GP appointments (fastlege-ordning).

BI will reimburse the application fees for first time visas and after agreement.

EU/EEA/EFTA Citizens: No visa is required prior to arrival. Please contact the HR department at BI for information/assistance. In order to be eligible for a Norwegian personal identification number, you must apply for a residence permit as soon as possible. You can do so at the international office of the local police station within three months of arrival in Norway.

Non-EU Citizens: should apply for a visa in their home country prior to coming to Norway. A tourist visa is not acceptable for working purposes. You can contact the HR department if you have further questions about your particular situation. Once the visa is stamped at the police station, you may then apply for a Norwegian National Identification Number.

Moving to Norway

Relocating to a new culture is a move full of challenges such as dealing with immigration, Norwegian National Identification Number, tax card, insurance and housing issues.

Our relocation services partner, Oslo Chamber of Commerce (OCC), offers tailor-made programs for assignees to make their transition to Norway hassle-free.

We also collaborate with KPMG, which operates in 146 countries and territories across the globe, offering audit, tax and advisory services. They can also help you out during your relocation process and even later on, whenever you have to deal with income tax declaration, for instance.

If you are reading this, we might have already put you in contact with one of their representatives, both OCC and KPMG, but do not hesitate to ask if you have questions, we are here to answer.

You’re not alone

Of course, you are not the only one going through this all. There are many others in the process of being onboarded, just like you. Some are Norwegians, but there are a bunch of other internationals facing all the challenges of moving to a new country. We try to build relationships between all employees, so you can reach out to those going through the same, and maybe learn from those who have come further in the process. Nevertheless, we encourage people to connect and build network, no matter your nationality.

There are several social arenas such as hiking trips, after work (“lønningspils”), cultural events and more, where BI employees across departments and nationalities partake. This is usually a great way to meet and interact with your new colleagues.

Workplace is BIs channel for internal communication, and we use the platform to share important news from an about the organisation. Here you can find a network at BI in a Workplace group for BI Internationals. This group has the aim to provide information that can be of interest to internationals at BI and any other employee that would like to be involved in the international community. This group serves as a network that connects both internationals and nationals by sharing local knowledge and experiences. You get to ask and get help from those who were in your shoes before yourself!

Language courses/policy

BI encourages international employees to gain a certain level of Norwegian proficiency. All international faculty can attend Norwegian courses (NORIR or NORA) at the University of Oslo (UiO), which you can sign up for once you have started.

In addition, there are several apps and resources available for self-study. Below are a few that might help you prior to arriving in Norway:

  • DuoLingo – a free app where the lessons focus on a real-life goal — for instance, ordering at a restaurant. Learners develop the vocabulary and grammar needed to achieve that goal through lots of varied practice in reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
  • LinGo Play – language games to increase your vocabulary.
  • Babbel – an app focussing on using the language in everyday life, particularly in conversations. Requires a subscription.
Housing/areas

Oslo - There are no non-safe areas in Oslo, but some areas may be more suitable for you than others.

The area surrounding BI Campus Oslo at Nydalen is good start, it is quiet, and close to the river, but at the same time it is close to most of the services and shops you may need. This also applies for all Sagene, Bjølsen, and Torshov, which are in the surrounding areas, which are recommendable and should be affordable. The same goes for Grünerløkka, which is a quite hip and cool part of town with a lot of bars and restaurants. These areas are also easily accessible with tram to BI or by bike for that part.

The area of St.Hanshaugen/Ullevål/Majorstua is also nice, but might be a little more expensive. BI is within a short trip with the bus or the metro (Majorstua). On the west side of the city, you have Frogner which is more “high-class” and potentially more expensive. If you would prefer to live outside the city, there are many nice places. It is advisable to look for somewhere near the train or metro (t-bane).
https://ruter.no/en/journey-planner/route-maps/

Health care

Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard.

You might have seen before how every company (including us), dedicate a lot of space to explain all they have to offer. That is great, but it is sometimes forgotten to explain what Norway has to offer (which is a lot!). Just by coming here, you can enjoy many benefits of living and working in Norway.

You will find a lot of useful information on different sites, but this presentation with recommendations from your new colleagues and www.visitnorway.no is a good place to start.


Life in Norway

If you have decided to move to Norway, you might already know many perks of living here, but did you know that:

  1. You can camp anywhere.
  2. Norway’s banks have great online services.
  3. Norway has a low crime rate.
  4. Norway has the highest number of electric cars.
  5. You can see polar bears in the wild (not around BI, though).
  6. It’s one of the world’s happiest countries.
  7. There’s a hop-on, hop-off cruise along the coast.
  8. The sun doesn’t set in summer in the North.
  9. You can hunt for the northern lights, also in the North.
  10. Norway’s rail journeys are voted the best in Europe.

 

Work in Norway

Once again, there is a lot to read about the specific benefits that BI has to offer to employees (just go through this page again). However, certain things are just derived from the fact that you work in Norway, not just at BI.

  • Equality

    There is a much smaller gap between income classes in Norway than in most developed countries. This translates in an overall feeling of equality and fairness, where hierarchies are not as noticeable. Equality also applies when it comes to gender, as Norway is considered to be one of the most gender equal countries in the world.

  • Casual workplace

    Working relationships can be perceived a bit informal in Norway, as casual attire is very common in most working environments (aside from banking and finance industries). Nonetheless, casual doesn’t stop at clothes, work spaces are generally set up in a way that you can be sitting in an open desk just next to your boss fostering colleague relations at all levels.

  • Work-life balance

    In Norway, people don’t like to feel that they live to work, the approach is much more that people work in order to live. Work is important, but family and private life is also appreciated.