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WHAT CHANGES IN NORWAY

What changes about life in Norway in January 2023 

Tax changes and new rules for electric cars dominate the key things you need to know about in Norway during January 2023. 

Pictured is an electric car being charged
These are all the key changes happening in January 2023. Pictured is an electric car being charged. Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

Income tax to go down for low and middle earners 

Those with an income below 750,000 kroner will see the income tax they pay decrease in 2023.  

According to a 2023 budget proposal example, a family with two incomes of 550,000 kroner in Norway is likely to pay about 7,800 kroner less tax in 2023 compared with 2021.

Norway’s Finance Ministry has previously stated that the tax changes will mean that 76 percent of Norwegian workers will pay less or the same amount in tax as they currently pay.

VAT to be introduced on electric cars 

From 2023, the VAT exemption for electric car purchases will be removed from all new sales. Previously electric cars were exempt from VAT or MVA. 

Consumers must pay VAT on all-electric cars that cost more than 500,000 kroner. The percentage of VAT will scale up with the overall price of a car. 

Under the new subsidy scheme, buying an electric car with a sticker price of more than 600,000 kroner would become 25,000 kroner. 

Electric cars over 1 million kroner will become 12.5 percent more expensive due to the VAT charges. 

Additionally, re-registration fees for used electric cars will also be introduced. 

Kindergarten prices to go down

The maximum price for daycare in Norway will be reduced to 3,000 kroner per month in 2023.

Furthermore, daycare will be free for all children in Finnmark and Nord-Troms, and – in the rest of the county – for the third child in families with three children in daycare simultaneously.

E-scooter users will need to insure their devices

E-scooter owners in Norway will be required to insure their devices to use them in the New Year or face heavy fines.

Driving without insurance could land users in hot water and end up with them receiving a hefty fine for breaking the Vehicle Liability Act.

As e-scooters are classified as “small electric motor vehicles” under the new rules, they will need corresponding coverage.

This means that the insurance will need to cover unlimited sums in case of injury and up to 100 million in case of property damage.

In addition, insurance policies will need to be taken out on each device a person owns. 

Those who use scooters from rental firms will be insured on devices they hire from these companies due to a new rule implemented on September 1st.

Transport changes 

If you use ferries in Norway, then 2023 is shaping up to be a great year for you.

The government plans to halve ferry rates in the year ahead for everyone, while people living on Norwegian islands that don’t have road connections will get to travel by ferry for free.

Both petrol and diesel in Norway will also become cheaper as fuel duty will be cut.

New duty-free rules 

From January 1st, residents of Norway will only be allowed to bring in 100 100 cigarettes, 125 grams of other tobacco products (for example, snuff or rolling tobacco) or 100 grams of other nicotine products and 100 cigarette papers as tax-free as luggage on arrival from abroad to Norway. 

This will also become the new limit for what can be sold to travellers in Norway when they arrive at the duty free shopping area.

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DISCOVER NORWAY

What’s on in Norway: Ten unmissable events this June

Music and food festivals, Pride parades, and Sankthans are among the many events to look forward to in June in Norway. 

What's on in Norway: Ten unmissable events this June

National Music Day, June 1st 

The Norwegian capital of Oslo will host its free annual music festival at the start of June. More than 50 outdoor stages will be spread across the city, and hundreds of performers will treat Oslo’s residents to all kinds of musical performances. 

Free music will be available everywhere, from pub patios to large stages in parks. The festival’s website provides more information on where the various stages are and who will be performing. 

NEON, June 7th – June 8th 

The NEON music festival in Trondheim has quickly become one of the hottest summer kick-off festivals in Norway since launching in 2022. 

The 2024 edition of NEON will take place on June 7th and 8th in Trondheim’s Bryggeribyen E.C. Dahls Arena. 

2024 festival goers will be able to see Tom Odell, Matoma, Lost Frequencies, Jason Derulo, Benson Boone, Emma Steinbakken, Roc Boyz and many more.

Tickets are already available, and you can choose between a festival pass, daily tickets, or premium ticket options.

Miniøya, June 8th – June 9th 

Since its first edition in 2010, Miniøya has become Norway’s largest music and cultural festival for children. 

The festival is aimed at children up to the age of 12, and its program includes music, theatre, literature, disco, dance, and activities. 

Tickets are still available at the time of writing, and OBOS members receive 100 kroner off the 430 kroner ticket price. 

Oslo Food Festival, June 8th – June 9th

The second weekend in June and the final weekend of August will see the Oslo Food Festival held in trendy Grünerløkka

The festival focuses on foods from around the world. A mix of established and lesser-known restaurants, as well as plenty of home cooks, will be offering up fantastic food. 

For that reason, the event is much a cultural exchange as it is a gathering for foodies. 

Bergenfest, June 12th – June 15th 

It’s not just the capital that will be treated to music festivals in June. Artists such as PJ Harvey, Stormzy, Kaiser’s Orchestra, Jungle and Gabrielle will all take to the stage. 

The festival is being held in Bergenhus Fortress, one of Norway’s oldest and best preserved fortress areas. 

Day passes, weekend passes, and festival passes are all still available at the time of writing

Mablis, June 14th – June 15th 

The music festival, near the centre of Stavanger, aims to blend established acts with new and emerging talent. 

Mablis aims to be an inclusive and sustainable festival, and plenty of local, short-travelled food will be served. 

The festival wants to include the whole family, so there is no age limit. Children under 14 also get to enter the festival free of charge when with an adult. 

OverOslo, June 19th – June 22nd 

Four nights of festival music from acts such as Jungle, Chaka Kahn, Billy Ocean, and plenty of Norway’s biggest funk and pop artists await festivalgoers at the top of Grefsenkollen. 

Tickets for some days are still available at the festival held in the forests above Oslo.  

Sankthans, June 24th 

Sankthans or Jonsok, translated as “John’s wake”, is a Midsummer celebration with both religious and secular roots.

Along with the rest of Scandinavia, it is popular to celebrate with bonfires. In major cities and small towns, the bonfires are typically made along the coastline or in a body of water, and the locals watch from boats or from along the shoreline and bring drinks and snacks. The atmosphere is festive yet relaxed. 

Many Norwegians say that if you sleep with a sankthansblomst or a “red campion flower” underneath your pillow on the night of sankthans, then your future spouse will appear in your dreams.

Pride events 

Norway’s two biggest cities will celebrate Pride in June. Bergen Pride begins at the start of June, and events will continue until the city’s Pride parade on June 8th. 

A number of different events will be held across different venues to mark this year’s celebrations. 

Meanwhile, Norway’s biggest LGBTQ+ celebration, Oslo Pride, will begin on June 19th and end on June 29th. The parade will be held on June 29th.

Gladmat, June 26th – June 29th 

Billing itself as the world’s coolest food festival is Gladmat in Stavanger. The event is Scandinavia’s biggest food festival, and 250,000 visitors will have the opportunity to sample the best flavours from the Stavanger region. 

The festival brings together local food producers, great restaurants and delicious street food. 

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