Stoobert

Hi all, this is my first post so please go gentle with me...

I am on the shortlist of 2 for a job in Oslo and I am really hoping I get it as England is going to the dogs and I have a girlfriend out there.

Now assuming I get this job I have a few questions about various things I was hoping some of you lovely people could help me with:

1. Norway is not part of the EU, but is a member of the EEA/EEC. Does this mean that the goods that I have bought and will be coming with me are subject to the lovely VAT refunds I have seen?

2. Even though the company I could be working for have specified "English Only" as a language requirement and that the majority of people not in a nursing home in Oslo can speak English, how difficult would it be to learn the language quickly? For people in other countries, when practicing the language, did the locals instantly revert to English to help you?

3. Does anyone have any information points regarding average salaries and the like so if negotiations come around, I can get an approximation of what I am worth?

Thanks for the time with these.

Stu

Ellesea

Good luck with the job

Here is information about moving your stuff to Norway.

You don't say what line of work you are in, so can't help with salaries.

I live in Southern Norway and am expected to speak Norwegian. Here people are very much "you live here, so speak our language". Oslo will be different and I believe foreigners live there without learning the language.

Here is information regarding learning the language.

Stoobert

Thank you for these comments. I assume I will not have to pay import duty because:

You may import household objects free of customs and excise duties if:
* You have lived abroad continuously for at least a year
* You have owned and used the objects during your stay abroad, and will continue to use them in Norway
* The objects have the appearance of being used


So I assume that is correct. I have just checked about exporting goods and Norway is allowed to have VAT returns, but the qualifications for it are not worth the hassle (registered shops, time constraints etc..) so I wouldn't worry about those...

Job wise, it is IT work (Network Administrator) and most of the sites I see either quote salaries in dollars (useless at the moment due to fluctuations) or have insuffucent data. I also notice that job postings rarely supply salary information so I have no ideas.

Thanks again also for the learning courses, I expect that is what I am looking for

I will now wait and see about this job *crosses fingers immensely*.

Stu

w1lly0u

my brother lives in norway, he said some things were easy, others weird and hard

language came easy to him, but he is dutch native, having had english, german and french in school too so that could be different to being british. I don't speak a word norwegian and have same background as him language wise and can read 40% of a norwegian piece of writing ... my wife is english she doesn't get a single word of anything .... so what I'm saying is: I think norwegian is easy to learn, but being english might prove to be a disadvantage

he got a job quite easily, but did study for a year first, enabling him to get to grips with language and cultural stuff ... which helped

compared to england the cultural norms and expectations are quite strange and might be a bit annoying and off putting for you, having grown up in england ...

he had a right performance trying to sort out his health insurance requiring him to do a lot of bureacratic messing around with his former insurance in holland ...

that's all I can tell you ... I'll try and alert him of this forum ...

Stoobert

Thanks. I am not too worried on the cultural front as I have visited Norway about 8 times in the last year - so a total of approximately 2 months in the country and this is why I have decided I would like to move there.

I have limited exposure, but a few linguists have said that Norwegian is one of the easiest languages to learn for English people (I think it has something to do with grammar being acceptable in the same way as English - for example "There is a red bus" instead of, say French where you would say "there is a bus red") and also verbs do not change according to the context (i.e. the same verb, spelled and said the same way for Her xxxx, His xxx, Their xxx etc..)

The only thing that has stopped me leaving England at the moment is the lack of financial security in one of the most expensive countries in the world. I am only 27 after all

w1lly0u

true! financial security is a big points but once you get a job you will be OK though ... my brother spends 3 times as much on his monthly bills, but he also earns 3 times as much ...

Stoobert

OK, I have just been told that I have got the job and salary is very generous in comparison to what I am used to

OK, time to start planning this

adele

Hi there!

Costs in Norway are high, but salaries are higher in line with that.

I'm 27 too and I found Norwegian quite easy to learn. I learnt it in the UK from books and writing online with Norwegian friends. I then practised and improved whilst in Norway - I've spent a total of 11 months there over the past 3 summers. If you go over there willing to soak up the language and culture and embrace everything I'm sure you'll love it.

Norway is a fabulous country and I am going to miss it terribly - if Canada doesn't work out I'll be moving there I'm sure! Having said that, Oslo is my least favourite place in the country . Personally I love Bergen, Trondheim and the fjords

Lykke til!

Adele

Stoobert

thanks again.

Due to the relative short periods I did spend over there I haven't really ventured much out of Oslo. How that will change

I was told that the hardest part of settling in will be learning that they drive on the wrong side of the road. Something I have never done and still cannot get my head around

Time to dig out the "things to do"

adele

If it helps reassure you I have had my UK driving licence for 9 years and hadn't driven at all until Spring 2008. I bought a car in May and in June I took it over to Norway and drove round over the summer - loved it! I hate driving here in England but once I got outside Bergen and onto the open roads in Norway it was a dream - lots of lovely little valley roads to get stuck down and amazing scenery. Not the same in Oslo I imagine but it'll be much easier to get used to being on the wrong side than you think, I imagine. Having said that, i haven't driven a left hand drive car yet! I have the same challenge to come in Canada - we can do it!

Tenk positiv! ;-)

Londonuck

I still go to get in the wrong side of the car after driving in Canada for 6 years. Ive been back from there for 4 years and im still doing it!

ChrisNorway

You are absolutely right in the fact that if you dont learn the lingo then you wont get a good job,

Belladonna

Personally I love Bergen, Trondheim and the fjords

My other half may be working near Trondheim for a while and I would love to know more about it - why do you love it? what are the plus factors?