Norway is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch as the head of State. The constitution of 1814 provides the starting point for the working of government and administration.

The government is divided into three branches: the legislative (lovgivende) Parliament (Stortinget), the executive (utøvende) Council of State (Statsråd) and the judicial (dømmende) courts. The system of government determines how the country is managed from the national to the local level.

The Parliament has 165 members representing the citizens of the country, who vote in regular elections in which they may choose from among the candidates put forth by political parties.

The Council of State consists of Ministers appointed from Parliament. Together they comprise the Ministerial Government, shortened to Government in everyday usage.

The Courts (Chapter 29) are independent of the other branches of government and consequently may pass judgement on both public and private sectors.

The Ministries and departments provide the everyday administration, organisation and services of the permanent government, also called the State (Staten).

The country is divided into 19 counties (Jylker), each of which is subdivided into municipalities (kommuner) that in turn consist of cities, towns and districts having local government. Each municipality has a board (kommunestyret) consisting of 11 or more members elected every four years. The board deals with finances, building plans and other municipal matters.

In each county, a County Governor (Fylkesmann) coordinates and administers State activities affecting individuals, such as name changes (Chapter 17) and the issuing of Apostilles (Chapter 38) for international certification of public documents. Each county comprises a county municipality (fylkeskommune), which is an independent agency at a level between the State and the local municipalities. The county municipalities deal with regional tasks including secondary schooling, energy supply and roads.

The various government organisations and agencies support public services. In addition to principal services, such as health care and the postal services (Chapter 36), there are many lesser, more specialised services. Those of interest to a new resident are described in this chapter, along with the descriptions of the principal organisations of government.

Centre for Combating Ethnic Discrimination (Senter mot etnisk diskriminering)

Discrimination on the basis of religious belief, skin colour, nationality or ethnic origin exists and is combated by a free-standing centre that is independent of government administration. Its major functions are to act as a watchdog in both the public and private sectors, to provide free legal aid to individuals and to document the extent of discrimination in the country. Consequently, political scientists and lawyers make up its staff. For more information – in Norwegian, Arabic, English, Farsi, French, German, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Vietnamese or Urdu – or for aid if you feel that you are subjected to discrimination, contact the head office, PO Box 677 Sentrum, 0106 Oslo, Tel: 22246970, Fax: 22246972, www.smed.no, smed@smed.no.

Coat of Arms (Riksvåpen)

The National Coat of Arms is among the oldest in Europe. It originated in the 12th century as a royal coat of arms used on armour to distinguish friend from foe in battle. There is a general requirement that it be a red shield with a standing golden lion holding a silver axe beneath a gold crown. However, there are no exact regulations for its design; only the tradition of centuries determines its appearance. Its use is legally restricted to governmental organisations.

The National Coat of Arms.

The Council of State (Statsråd)

The Council of State is the executive body of the country. Historically, it is called the King’s Council because the King is its official leader. Its members are usually referred to as the Ministerial Government (Regjering), usually shortened to Government, with a capital letter “G” to distinguish it from the more general word, meaning the entire system of government. The Council of State consists of the Prime Minister (Statsminister) and the 18 Ministers (Ministere) chosen from among the 165 Parliamentarians (Stortingsmenn). The Ministers are the appointed heads of the Ministries of the permanent government (Staten).

Directorate of Immigration (Utlendingsdirektoratet)

If you are a new resident from another country, your principal initial contact with the authorities will be with the Directorate of Immigration, which deals with asylum, immigration, naturalisation, visas and residence and work permits. It administers measures for newly-arrived immigrants, principally refugees, and cooperates with other agencies and organisations to integrate immigrants into the increasingly multi-cultural society of the country. It publishes pamphlets, booklets and reports on topics of interest to newly-arrived residents, in Norwegian, English and many other languages, and makes them available at its own offices and the offices of agencies and services, such as municipal libraries. It supports an extensive Internet website www.udi.no with pages in Norwegian, in English and in French and links to other sites. Some useful contact details:

• Head office, Hausmannsgt 21, PO Box 8108 Dep, 0032 Oslo, Tel: 23351500, Fax: 23351501, www.udi.no, udi@udi.no.
• Eastern Region Office (serving Oslo, Østfold, Vestfold and Akershus counties), Youngstorget 1, PO Box 8789 Youngstorget, 0028 Oslo, Tel: 23351500, Fax: 23311050.
• Inland Region Office (serving Hedmark, Oppland and Buskerud counties), Storgata 10, PO Box 445, 2803 Gjøvik, Tel: 61146500, Fax: 61170895.
• Southern Region Office (serving Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder counties), Slottsquartalet, Tordenskjoldsgt 9, PO Box 647, 4666 Kristiansand, Tel: 38106060, Fax: 38020480.
• Western Region Office (serving Rogaland, Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane counties), Bugården 8, PO Box 4048, 5835 Bergen, Tel: 55300999, Fax: 55300988.
• Central Region Office (serving Møre og Romsdal, Sør-Trøndelag and Nord-Trøndelag counties), Peter Egges plass 2, 7005 Trondheim, Tel: 73892400, Fax: 73892401.
• Northern Region Office (serving Nordland, Troms and Finnmark counties as well as Svalbard), Havnegaten 28, PO Box 683, 8508 Narvik, Tel: 76965810, Fax: 76963839.

Elections (Valg)

Elections are held on a Monday in September in odd-numbered years. In the 21st century, national elections for the members of Parliament are held in 2001, 2005, 2009 and so on, and local elections for county and municipal officials are held in 2003, 2007, 2011 and so on. Native-born or naturalised citizens may vote in all elections, and foreign nationals resident in the country for three years or more may vote in local elections.

EU, EFTA and EEA (EU, EFTA og EØS)

Norway and three other countries – Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland – are members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) but not of the European Union (EU). Norway is a signatory of the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement that extends the internal market of the 25 EU countries to three of the four EFTA countries (Switzerland decided not to join, following a referendum). Under the EEA agreement, free movement of goods, persons, services and capital applies across the 28 countries. It also provides for cooperation in environment, social policy, education and research and development. Most of the provisions are extensive and are still being formulated by national and international groups of politicians and experts. There are three principal differences that set Norway, an EFTA member, apart from EU member countries. First, the EEA is not a customs union, so there is no common external tariff outside the area. Goods imported into Norway from EU countries are subject to customs duty. Second, the EEA covers neither a common agricultural policy nor a common fisheries policy, so Norwegian farming and fishing are independent of EU policy. Finally, the EEA has no provisions for common foreign policy, security policy or home and justice affairs, so Norwegian practices and domestic law may differ from those of EU countries. The principal EEA provisions concerning individual persons are those relating to work and residence, EEA nationals’ work rights (Chapter 3). Many standard EU forms, such as the European Health Insurance Card (Chapter 21) are valid in as well as issued by Norway.

For further information on EU matters in Norway, contact Europakommisjonens delegasjon, PO Box 1643 Vika, 0119 Oslo, Tel: 22833583, Fax: 22834055, www.europakommisjonen.no, europakommisjonen@cec.eu.net. Complete details on the EU are available online at www.europa.eu.int.

The European Social Charter (Den europeiske sosialpakt)

The European Social Charter sets forth rules and legal standards in work and working conditions, health care, social matters and social security. Norway ratified the Charter in February 1997. Norwegians’ rules and regulations in accordance with the Charter are described in press releases, brochures and pamphlets issued by the departments responsible for the matters involved; Norway.no (Chapter 31) can help you locate and order them. The complete Charter, as well as further information are available online from the Council of Europe at www.coe.int.

Lost property (Hittegods)

If you lose an article, you might find it at the lost property office (hittegodskontor) at the nearest police station (politi) or sheriff’s office (lensmann). Likewise, if you find an article, the easiest way to return it to its owner is to deliver it to the lost property office. Major transport services, such as the railways, and larger department stores and shopping malls will also have a lost property service. A lost property office will try to find the owner of an article received but will sell articles received at an auction if they are not claimed within three months. Provided you put in a claim within three months of an article being returned to its owner, you are entitled to a finder’s reward (finnerlønn), which for articles worth NOK 500 or more, is fixed at 10% of the article’s value. If you lose an article and wish to have it back, you should fill out a notice of loss (tapsmelding) at the closest police station or sheriff’s office, which will notify you if the article is delivered to its lost property office.

Ministries and departments (Departementene og etater)

The Ministries have permanent civil service staffs. Each is headed by a politically appointed Minister (Minister). A Ministry is a department of State, and within each Ministry there will be one or more agencies that deal with specific tasks, each headed by a Director General (Ekspedisjonssjef). Some agencies are organised under two Ministeries and are listed under the principal Ministry to which they are subordinate. Continuously updated information on the Ministries is available online in Norwegian and in English on the Odin website by clicking on Departementene in the task bar on the opening page of www.odin.no. In alphabetical order by their official names in English, the Ministries and their subordinate agencies are listed below:

Office of the Prime Minister (Statsministerens kontor)

Office of the Attorney-General (Regjeringsadvokaten)

Council of State (Regjeringsråd)

Ministry of Agriculture and Food (Landbruks – og matdepartementet, LMD)

County Agricultural Boards (Fylkesmannens landsbrukavdeling, FMLA)

Norwegian Agricultural Authority (Statens Landbruksforvaltning)

Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet)

Norwegian Forest Service (Statskog)

Norwegian Reindeer Husbandry Administration (Reindriftsforvaltningen, RFS)

Ministry of Children and Family Affairs (Barne- og familiedepartementet, BFD)

Allocation committee (Fordelingsutvalget)

Centre for Gender Equality (Kompetansesenter for Likestilling)

Consumer Disputes Committee (Forbrukertvistutvalget)

Consumer Ombud (Forbrukerombudet)

County Commission for Social Cases (Fylkesnemndene for sosiale saker)

Gender Equality Ombudsman (Likestillingsombudet)

Market Council (Markedsrådet)

National Institute for Consumer Research (Statens Instituttfor For brukerforskning, SIFO)

Nordic Ecolabelling (Stiftelsen miljømerking)

Norwegian Consumer Council (Forbrukerrådet)

Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Barne-, ungdoms-, og familieetaten, Bufetat)

Ombudsman for Children in Norway (Barneombudet)

Precious Metal Inspectorate (Edelmetallkontrollen)

Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs (Kultur- og kirkedepartementet, KKD)

Archaeological Museum, Stavanger (Arkeologisk museum i Stavanger)

Bunad and Folk Costume Council (Bunad- og folkedraktrådet)

Church of Norway Council (Kirkerådet)

Church of Norway Diocese (Bidpedømmeråd)

Church of Norway Fund (Opplysningsvesenets fond)

Mass Media Authority (Statens Medieforvaltning)

Media Ownership Authority (Eierskapstilsynet)

National Archives of Norway (Arkivverket)

National Foundation for Publicly Commissioned Art (Utsmykkingsfondet for Offentlige Bygg)

National Library (Nasjonalbiblioteket)

National Touring Exhibition of Norway (Riksutstillinger)

Nidaros Cathedral and Archbishop’s Palace Restoration Works (Nidaros Domkirkens Restaureringsarbeider, NDR)

Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority (ABM-Utvikling)

Norwegian Board of Film Classification (Statens Filmtilsyn)

Norwegian Concert Institute (Rikskonsertene)

Norwegian Council for Cultural Affairs (Norsk Kulturråd)

Norwegian Film Development (Norsk filmutvikling)

Norwegian Film Fund (Norsk filmfond)

Norwegian Film Institute (Norsk Filminstitutt)

Norwegian Institute of Local History (Norsk lokalhistorisk institutt)

Norwegian Language Council (Norsk Språkråd)

Norwegian Library of Talking Books and Braille (Norsk lyd- og blindeskriftbibliotek, NLB)

Norwegian National Touring Theatre (Riksteateret)

Practical-theological Seminar (Det praktisk-teologiske seminar)

Ministry of Defence (Forsvarsdepartementet, FD)

Defence Property Services (Forsvarsbygg)

Defence Staff (Forsvarsstaben, FST)

National Security Authority (Nasjonal sikkerhetsmyndighet, NSM)

Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (Forsvarets Forskningsinstitutt, FFI)

Ministry of Education and Research (Utdannings- og forskningsdepartementet, UFD)

Colleges (34) and Universities (5) (Høgskoler og universiteter)

Directorate for Primary and Secondary Education (Utdanningsdirektoratet)

National Distance Education Network (Norgesuniversitet)

National Institute for Adult Learning (Voksenopplœringsinstituttet, VOX)

Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (Nasjonalt organ for kvalitet i utdanning, NOKUT)

Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (Senterfor internasjonalisering av høyere utdanning, SIU)

Norwegian Institute of Foreign Affairs (Norsk utenrikspolitisk institutt, NUPT)

Norwegian Meteorological Institute (Det Norske Meteorologiske Institutt, DNMI)

Norwegian Social Research Institute (Norsk Institutt for Forskning om Oppvekst, Velferd og Aldring, NOVA)

Parents’ Committee for Primary Schools (Foreldreutvalget for grunnskolen, FUG)

State Educational Loan Fund (Statens Lånekasse for Utdanning)

The Research Council of Norway (Norges Forskningsråd)

Universities and Colleges Admission Service (Samordnet Opptak)

Ministry of Environment (Miljøverndepartementet, MD)

Directorate of Cultural Heritage (Riksantikvaren)

Directorate for Nature Management (Direktoratet for Naturforvaltning)

Norwegian Cultural Heritage Fund (Kulturminnefond)

Norwegian Mapping Authority (Statens Kartverk)

Norwegian Polar Institute (Norsk Polarinstitutt)

Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (Statens Forurensningstilsyn, SFT)

Product Register (Produktregisteret)

Ministry of Finance (Finansdepartementet, FIN)

Central Bank (Norges Bank)

Customs and Excise Authorities (Toll- og avgiftsetaten)

Financial Supervisory Authority (Kredittilsynet)

Government Petroleum Fund (Statens petroleumfond)

National Insurance Scheme Fund (Folketrygdfondet)

Norwegian Government Agency for Financial Management (Stenter for statlig økonomystyring)

State Agency for Recovery of Fines, Damages and Costs (Statens Innkrevningssentral)

Statistics Norway (Statistisk Sentralbyrå)

Tax Administration (Skatteetaten)

Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs (Fiskeri- og kystdepartementet, FKD)

Directorate of Fisheries (Fiskeridirektoratet)

Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Fund (Fiskeri- og havbruksnœrings forskningsfond, FHF)

Guarantee Fund for Fishermen (Garantikassen for Fiskere)

Institute of Marine Research (Havforskningsinstituttet)

National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (Nasjonalt institutt for ernœrings- og sjømatforskning, NIFES)

Norwegian Coastal Administration (Kystverket)

Norwegian Seafood Export Council (Eksportutvalget for fisk, EFF)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Utenriksdepartementet, UD)

Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Direktoratet for Utviklingssamarbeid, NORAD)

Ministry of Health and Care Services (Helse- og omsorgsdepartementet, HOD)

Directorate for Health and Social Affairs (Sosial- og helsedirektoratet, SHDir)

Norwegian Board of Health (Statens Helsetilsyn)

Norwegian Institute of Public Health (Nsjonalt folkehelseinstitutt, FHI)

Norwegian Medicines Agency (Statens legemiddelverk)

Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (Statens strålevern)

Norwegian System of Compensation to Patients (Norsk pasientskadeersatning, NPE)

Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet)

Ministry of Justice and the Police (Justis- og politidepartementet, JD)

Courts of Justice (Domstolene)

Director General of Public Prosecutions (Riksadvokaten)

Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (Direktoratet for samfunnssikkerhet og beredskap, DSB)

Directorate of the Police (Politidirektoratet)

Governor of Svalbard (Sysselmannen på Svalbard)

Judge Advocate General (Generaladvokaten)

Mediation and Reconciliation Service (Konfliktrådene)

Mediation Boards (Sekretariatet for konfliktsrådene)

National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Økokrim)

National Bureau of Crime Investigation (Kripos)

Norwegian Advisory Council on Bankruptcy (Konkursrådet)

Norwegian Border Authority for the Norwegian-Russian Border (Grensekommisscer for den norsk-russiske grense, GKS)

Norwegian Criminal Cases Review Commission (Kommisjonen for gjenopptakelse av straffesaker)

Police Security Agency (Politiets sikkerhetstjeneste, PST)

Prison and Probation Staff Education Centre (Kriminalomsorgens utdanningssenter, KRUS)

Prison Service (Fengselsvesenet)

Probation Service (Friomsorgen)

Rescue and Emergency Planning Department (Rednings og beredskaps avdeling)

Secretaries of Justice (Justissekretariatene)

Special Investigative Body for Police Matters (Det sœrskilte etterforskningsoergan for politi, SEFO)

Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Arbeids- og sosialdepartementet, ASD)

Directorate for Health and Social Affairs (Sosial og helsedirektoratet)

Industrial Democracy Board (Bedriftsdemokratinemnda)

Industrial Disputes Court (Arbeidsretten)

International Industrial Relations Association, IIRA (Norsk arbeidslivsforum)

National Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research (Statens institutt for rusmiddelforskning, SIRUS)

National Institute of Occupational Health (Statens Arbeidsmiljøinstitutt)

National Insurance Administration (Rikstrygdeverket, RTV)

National Insurance Appeals Court (Trygderetten)

National Insurance Service (Trygdeetaten)

National Wage Board (Rikslønnsnemnda)

Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet)

Norwegian Public Employment Service (AETAT)

Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (Petroleumstilsynet)

Tariff Board (Tariffnemnda)

Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development (Kommunal- og regionaldepartementet, KRD)

Centre for Combating Ethnic Discrimination (Senter mot etnisk diskriminering, SMED)

Contact Committee for Immigrants and Authorities (Kontaktutvalget mellom invandrere og myndighetene, KIM)

Immigration Appeals Board (Utlendingsnemda, UNE)

National Office of Building Technology and Administration (Statens byggteknisketat)

Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (Utlendingsdirektorate, UDI)

Norwegian State Housing Bank (Den Norske Stats Husbank)

Rent Tribunal (Husleietvistutvalget)

Saami Parliament (Samediggi)

Ministry of Modernisation (Moderniseringsdepartemente, MOD)

County Governors (Fylkesmannen)

Data Inspectorate (Datatilsynet)

Directorate of Public Construction and Property (Statsbygg)

Government Administration Services (Statens forvaltningstjeneste)

Norwegian Competition Authority (Konkurransetilsyn)

Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (Statens pensjonskasse)

Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (Olje- og energidepartementet, OED)

Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (Oljedirektoratet)

Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (Petroleumstilsynet)

Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (Norges Vassdrags- og Energidirektoratet)

Ministry of Trade and Industry (Nœrings- og handelsdepartementet, NHD)

Brønnøysund Register Centre (Brønnøysundregisteret)

Directorate of Mining and the Chief of Mines at Svalbard (Bergvesenet med Bergmesteren for Svalbard)

Geological Survey of Norway (Norges Geologiske Undersøkelse, NGU)

Master Craftsman Council (Mesterbrevnemnda)

National Institute of Technology (Teknologisk Institut, TI)

North Norwegian Institute of Technology and Innovation (Veiledningsinstituttet I Nord-Norge, VINN)

Norwegian Accreditation (Norsk akkreditering)

Norwegian Design Council (Norsk designråd)

Norwegian Guarantee Institute for Export Credits (Garantiinstituttet for Eksportkrediti)

Norwegian Maritime Directorate (Sjøfartsdirektoratet)

Norwegian Metrology (Justervesenet, JV)

Norwegian Patent Office (Patentstyret)

Norwegian Ship Registers (Skipsregistrene)

Norwegian Space Centre (Norsk Romsenter, NRS)

Standardisation Organisations in Norway (Standard Norge)

Ministry of Transport and Communications (Samferdselsdepartementet, SD)

Accident Investigation Board (Havarikommisjonen for Sivil Luftfart og Jernbane)

Civil Aviation Authority (Luftfartstilsynet)

Norwegian National Rail Administration (Jernbaneverket)

Norwegian Post and Telecommunication Authority (Post og Teletilsynet)

Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens Vegvesen)

Norwegian Railway Inspectorate (Statens Jernbanetilsyn)