Current requirements for entry to Norway:
- Visa/immigration: Norway is a member of the Schengen countries, for which visits of 90 days or less do not require a visa for travelers who are either citizens or have permanent residence in an agreed nation. The list of those nations can be found here. All other nationalities will require a Norwegian Schengen visa, and should contact your regional Royal Norwegian Embassy.
- Insurance: While state-funded healthcare in Norway is much less costly than US health care, we recommend obtaining travel insurance to cover your trip and any out-of-pocket health expenses. For those requiring a Norwegian Schengen visa, there is a basic requirement for travel insurance including health benefits. These are specifically provided by virtually all major travel insurance providers. All travel insurance costs will be reimbursed by SIMBER.
- COVID special requirements: all COVID-19 travel measures have now been lifted for entry to Norway. For up-to-date information, please consult the official Norwegian Health Authority page
Getting there
- Airports: Oslo has several airports (including Rygge and Torp), but the closest and by far the most convenient is Gardermoen International Airport (OSL).
- Travel between Oslo city and Gardermoen:
- Taxi: for their first arrival in Oslo it is common that a taxi remains the most simple option for most travelers. Kiosks are available at the curbside pickup to request a fixed-rate taxi.
- Public transport: Anyone who has previously visited Oslo will know that the public transit system is both fast and cost effective for transport around the city as well as to and from the airport. The dedicated airport train (Flytoget) runs every 20 minutes. For the more adventurous willing to take this approach on first arrival, we strongly recommend downloading the available app, and using it with the more general ticketing and scheduling apps from Ruter.no and VY.no, to allow you to both understand the best travel options, and purchase tickets in real time.
Lodging
- Hotels: This is the best option for short term travel, there are many options in downtown Oslo. For proximity to Simula, we recommend those close to the National Theatre (Nationaltheatret).
- Airbnb: For longer stays Oslo has a strong AirBnB market. It is sometimes the case that owners prefer not to register stays longer than 30 days for tax reasons, however this can often be overcome with some communication.
- Frogner House: for those who would prefer Simula to organize their local accommodation for longer stays, we have an arrangement with the Frogner House apartments. Please contact Andy, Nick or Elisabeth if you would like to look into this option.
Getting around
- To make your way around in Norway, we recommend downloading two digital scheduling and ticketing services:
- Public transit: this is generally your best option for making your way around Oslo. It may help to know the names of the different public options, based on travel distance. Travel within Oslo can be scheduled and tickets purchased using the Ruter.no app. For those staying longer than several days it is usually most cost effective and convenient to purchase a multi-day ticket. This will allow you to use all Oslo metro travel options with the single ticket:
- Local: within neighbourhoods you will be able to find stops for buses and trams (trikk) within several hundred meters of most addresses.
- Oslo metro: for travel beyond your neighbourhood but within the Oslo metro region Ruter.no is the best way to both understand the best route/schedule, and arrange your tickets. In addition to the bus and trikk system, you will often use the local train system (T-bane). All of these are included in the route-finding and scheduling available through ruter.no
- Outside Oslo: for those looking to venture outside Oslo, the longer distance train system can be accessed and ticketed via vy.no.
- Vehicle sharing: For flexible longer excursions we recommend looking into the vehicle sharing options (essentially private vehicle rental) available via vy.no, and from getaround.
Local contacts
Reimbursement and policies for non-Simula personnel
- SIMBER will cover all expenses incurred for your work-related travel to and within Norway. This includes flights, insurance, visa costs where applicable, lodging, local travel, and your daily expenses (e.g. food) while traveling.
- All expenses will be reimbursed based on recorded expenses (receipts). These costs can be reimbursed once they have been incurred and prior to completing the trip (e.g. for lodging), and lodging costs at Frogner House will be covered by Simula without out-of-pocket expense to the traveler.
- To register these expenses, all non-Simula employees should submit the visitor reimbursement form. It can be sent directly to invoice@simula.no and referred to Andy.
Need to get in touch?
Feel free to reach out to Andy Edwards <andy@simula.no> or Nick Forsch <nick@simula.no> with any questions.
SIMBER 