Pros and cons living in Norway as a foreigner | 2024
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ย. 2024
- Pros and cons living in Norway as a foreigner, 2024 - an updated video after living in Norway for 6 years I have some good tips to share if you want to live in Norway, or if you are already living in Norway…. You might feel like we share some of the same thoughts after watching this… I hope my thoughts about living in Norway resonate with you and if they do or they do not - please let me know in the comments what you think … My journey, living in Norway still goes on so if you want to follow it, make sure to subscribe to stay tuned for new videos.
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Yes, most Norwegians are introverts at different degrees.
But some of us are not.
I in many ways stick out as a sore thumb among Norwegians as I am an extrovert that talk with everyone and don't get embarrassed easily.
At the same time am I not like a clown or someone desperate for attention.
My advice to Sara and others, is to not be worried about being yourself.
Be yourself, talk with strangers, dance on the table, sing or do whatever you like as long as you are respectful, treat others nicely and are a kind person.
In fact do most Norwegians like or even love people that are that and often want to be your friend.
If Norwegians get the impression that you are fun and nice person, then they are VERY interested in becoming your friend.
It might be difficult to get Norwegian friends, but when you do, it is very well worth it.
If you become my friend, I will do almost everything for you and if you are cold, I will give you my jacket and be cold instead of you.
And many Norwegians are like that.
well said @The_Judge300, that's finishes it all, hopefully I'll be able to be there next winter!
very true, I totally agree with you.. Norwegians are gentlemen 100%.... People to trust, and for sure - worth spending time getting to know... When it comes to being an extrovert.. Its probably easier said than done, but you are so right.
To the last con. It’s also about not disturbing others. If someone sticks out too much, many people find it refreshing, but also confusing, or concerned how other people will handle it. So, in solidarity to other Norwegians around, most of them will not show off their excitement 😅 Or to signalise “don’t do this” in Norway, or in a specific situation, if you in the future wants to mingle amongst Norwegians 😂 Then you are stricken by “the Norwegian silence.” A silent socialisation every Norwegian knows about 😂
There’s also cultural differences between different places in Norway, but in general you’re right.
Great advice Sara, big love x
Fresh air, clean water and space/nature
Winter lasts forever and summer is like a blink. We move to Skjolden or France. We see what happen with all the wind power plants?
Short but very informative video. For some reason, since I was very young, I've always felt a strong pull towards Norway or Sweden. I have no ancestry there, but whenever I see videos of either country I just feel something inside of me. I have no explanation for it. Recently, in Netflix there were a couple of dramas about Norway in World War II. Very good productions and again that feeling inside while watching these dramas. Here in New York there is a shop owned by the American Scandinavian Foundation. When I go there and see authentic products from Norway I feel a strange connection. Again, I can't explain it.
Very interesting.. You should come visit !!
«It’s difficult. to get a job in Norway if you don’t speak the language».
Yes - of course it is!
Information was very realistic about Norway. Thanks for sharing with us.👍🙂
Glad you liked it!
The weather and specially the winter in Norway can for sure be a BIG con, but it also depends on what you like and where you live in Norway.
In parts of Norway it can get VERY cold and VERY much snow, while other parts are rather mild and little to no snow in the winter.
In the north of Norway you get sun 24/7 in the summer and no sun 24/7 in the winter with the Northern Lights on the sky on cloudless days instead.
Our summers can be cold with much rain or they can be very warm.
We have 4 true seasons with lots of variety in the weather and temperatures.
If you prefer to live where there are palms, white beaches and plus 25 Celsius all year, then Norway is nothing for you, even if we have a few white beaches 😂
Many amazing beaches in Norway actually yes, all countries has pros and cons - nothing is 100% amazing.. that's how the world works :)
Tnx for sharing your information sara🙏🌹
I've lived in the outer Oslo area for a bit over 4 years now and to add to the weather... Summer can be great or awful! Seems like this summer was just nonstop rain with the occasional break for sun which was very disappointing after a long winter.
Model country. I wish my country could be like that but the culture of corruption and dishonesty is just so disappointing. Hopefully we'll improve but it's been one step forward two steps back.
Hi, Sara.
Norwegian here.
Where about have you settled in Norway?
About your reasoning around X-factor vs the Voice in DK and Norway: Fully agree, the rudeness of some programs towards talented human beings is beyond me and so unnecessary - they should prop up peoples feeling about themselves and be constructive, and not tear down their self-beliefs. I like your values!
thank you SO much for sharing this thought.. Me and my boyfriend often talk about this when its that season... The Voice in Norway is amazing at constructive feedback, and giving people a good experience no matter what... where as in Denmark its a loooot of horrible feedback to talented people. So.. I don't watch X-factor anymore.. terrible show
You are spot on! Norwegians are a very closed people, who often make their friends already in kindergarten, or when they start school. And they often have these friends throughout their lives. Therefore, it is very difficult to find friends in Norway. Just moving within Norway can be a big strain because you have to start all over again to make friends, and as I said, it's not easy.
But there are opportunities, for example you can get involved in local sports, or you can get involved in politics. A friend of mine moved to Northern Norway (Bodø), and he had played handball for several years, also in the elite series, so he contacted the local handball club after a while, and only then did he start making friends. Another one I know moved to Bergen because of work, she joined the Red Cross, and after some time she got to know several people, but it took a good deal of time before she made more friends, and was invited to parties. And as you say, you should also learn as much Norwegian as possible in the shortest possible time, because it is essential to get a job and make friends.
I met an immigrant in Oslo that had just arrived in Norway. I have this odd habit of starting conversations with people, because I find it interesting to get to know them a little bit. On the other hand I don't want to start any friendship. I have few and nice colleagues, and I have a very small group of close relatives, but that's it. He was looking for friends and found it very difficult to make contact with people, he told me. He was probably polite and didn't want to intrude on me, but I do feel a tiny bit of guilt whenever I remember this encounter. To me a typical friendship like that is a shackle, and that's just the way I am. I appreciate far too much my total freedom to do whatever I want whenever I want without interference. It can certainly get lonely, but that's ok. I hope that guy found some friends.
@@benttranberg2690 I'm the same! Any relationship is work, so I have less than a handful of people I am close to. I don't feel the need to have casual friends since relationships like that feel tiresome and a bit meaningless to me.
And while I'm not one to normally start conversations like you, but I find myself talking to people when I see they are isolated in group situations. I will spend time with them as long as I think they prefer it to being alone, I think of it as two isolated people just helping each other out. But I will also distance myself(not cruelly or with any ill will) when that other person starts forming potential friendships with other people. It is something I have done for as long as I can remember.
I like to think I kept them company until they found a friend, but who knows if they experienced it differently.
I have never felt lonely before(something I am grateful for), but I am often alone- even in group settings. I genuinely like it like that.
Thank you for sharing.. very true 👏🏼
It's interesting about people keeping to themselves because I've heard that several times. Despite this I observed the opposite from another youtuber that spent three weeks traveling northern Norway. People seemed pretty approachable and even waved sometimes from the road as he drove by. I wonder if it was just because he was visiting vs living there or if it's more of a regional thing, ie: if the north is more open than the south (?).
P.S. I now live in northern Ontario in Canada and our winters are usually at least 6 months so I feel you. I like it though because down south, we often just had a slushy mess.
People match your energy mostly, Norwegians mostly wont aproach you, but if you start a conversation or ask question, people will be happy too help. Norwegian respect other peoples space. If you dont ask for anything they will leave you in peace😅
Thank you so much for sharing.. well, funny you mention it - if you meet people in Norway in nature - FORGET EVERYTHING.. they are very open people, haha.... they are in their "S" like we say - doing their favorite thing, feeling awesome.. and they often say hello and hi to everyone.. :) But I have also heard, that up north they are more open and say things straight from the gut, than in the south of Norway.. So probably more open up there :)
Things are a little complex here, especially if you are in Norway for only a short time. I tell everyone here in the states that Norwegians are very polite but they are not friendly. You can approach just about any Norwegian you meet and ask questions as a tourist, they will answer your questions politely, be patient and helpful as they can be, so they seem friendly. But they won't invite you to their summer cottage for a BBQ, that is for close friends and family only. And when you meet someone in nature you can be nice, you'll more than likely never see them again.
Thank you, Sara and others for responding and weighing in on this. I'm considering moving to Norway in the future but right now it's complicated due to responsibilies here so will probably be several years from now. Having said that, Sara, I may contact you about how certain job markets are just to get some further information.
norwegian here, Feelings are our own problem and we dont put the burden on others :P
the weather is an individual problem and media overhype.
and i love wintertime, cant handle the 20c in the summertime at least then i have to sit still or bee in the water and CERTAINLY not working :P
and we norwegian love danish people more than us self :P :P
Feelings are not shared with just anyone, gotta be with a trusted friend or family member. But for the most part, in my experience, we try not to burden anyone too much.
And about winter and driving with a car, i would add that, always keep a shovel and rope or chain in the car trunk, trust me ain't fun when uncle or friend calls middle of a night to bring a shovel in mid winter
haha... very good tip !
Great video, Sara. I'm also danish - was it hard not knowing norwegian when you arrived, or did just go easily ? After all norwegian and danish er pretty much alike ....
Well.... It was very scary to suddenly try and speak Norwegian because of that... That - in theory, they are able to understand danish... But I am so glad that I speak Norwegian now
You`re spot on. You have to learn the language in order to get a job....and true friends for that matter. Due to snow. It depends where you live. 5 meters above sea level or 700?
Spot on :-)
Thank you!
I don't understand the criticism of Norwegians' reluctance to be open about their own emotions. I acknowledge the fact: Norwegians share less about what’s going on in their heads - the struggles they face in daily life. I realize extroverts find this frustrating. Still, I have difficulty understanding why they might believe they have an inherent right to others' inner thoughts. Struggling with one's own issues in peace and solving personal challenges independently, without influence or disturbance from others, is what is needed to feel like an individual. Norwegians may be the ones most radically different from Star Trek's Borgs, and I can only view this as something highly desirable and positive. Maybe you should become more Norwegian yourself. Perhaps there's something wrong with both you and the rest of the world.
Also, you need to join an communal activity if you are going to get friends. Like socer practice, or hiking, or voluntary work, or a Church. Norwegians like to do things around strangers because then if the situation turns awkward one can retreat to the work, but still be around each other. If you are super extroverted as this girl in the Video. Then you can join a local amateur theater. :)
So true!
Totally agree with the nature part and people are in general friendly and polite , But Norway is not that free of corruption as you might think and the politicans at the top have not the people in their interests,
they are serving the global elites as in almost all western countries at the moment . Also "svenske tilstander" is starting to creep in over the border. Norway is not what it was just 5 years ago. Also to be added Norwegians and Swedes are very comformative people and this works great as long as the people running the country wants the best for its people, when that turns people will not understand what is going on or have the currage to speak up . Being seen as different is considered worse than than death in Norway.
Norway is good country 😢😢
Hi! Very nice video! You inspired me very much to talk about this topics (my channel is about tourism in Oslo) I am new in TH-cam, and it was so good to find your channel!👍🤗
Thank you. Best of luck!
Tak for the honest information Sara. So basically make Danish friends in Norway :)
In Sweden you can get by with only English, most persons under 60 understand it and many big tech companies have English as their working language when it comes to documentation and in meetings.
It's the same in Norway... Do you really think that Norwegians are less educated than Swedes ? 😄😄😄 There are some businesses where English is the main language... And you can have friend groups that are very international and where English is used a lot.
However if you move to a new country permanently and actually want to understand what is going on around you, and be part of the culture you have to learn the language.
For example, if you are visiting someone for a party in their home, it's unreasonable to have the whole party speaking English just for you. Or that would be ok in the beginning when you are new in the country... But with time it's pretty "entitled" to have a big group of people speaking a foreign language through a whole evening when they are in their own country with mostly with people from their own country.
Also, the ability to learn theoretical school subjects such as mathematics, geography, science AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES vary... So in all countries there will be some people (with a lower iq) who do not master this as well as the average person. As a foreigner you come across these people too... And it's your responsibility as a person who is resourceful enough to have moved abroad, to be able to communicate with them.
@@brittascharmsandbeads9057 no I do not think Norwegians are less educated, quite the contrary especially when it comes to English. Norway is a NATO member and kind of facing the Atlantic and the US while Stockholm is facing east, some even call Stockholm the ”suburb of Moscow!” Also Sweden is a member of EU which is maybe not looking east but maybe southeast. I have actually been to a party in Sweden with a few persons that didn’t speak Swedish and everyone spoke English when the person was in the circle of talking. Swedish pride in their nation is probably the lowest in the world, it might be that countries that were occupied during WW2 value their nationality and freedom more. I don’t think IQ means a lot for ability to learn language it is more connected to musicality and ”right brain” aspects. Aspergers are extremely bad at language but might be PhD’s in science. Talking about lower IQ one of my pet interests is why religious beliefs is more common among non academic people accordin to statistics. Maybe the have a talent that is lost in intellectuals.
@@fredrikbergquist5734 I'm a teacher fully educated from Lærerhøyskole and University. I have worked 27 years as a full time teacher mostly in grades 5 to 7. And my opinion is that results in the school subjects that I mention has a lot to do with iq !!! In fact mostly to do with iq, when we don't count in pupils/students with difficult backgrounds that prevent them from doing their best. Some people have a special ability for languages, pronunciation and grammar. They will of course have the very best results. But generally pupils/students have mostly the same results/grades in all the theoretical school subjects (those that I mention in my first post).
@@brittascharmsandbeads9057 I think that IQ is a problematic thing and today many talk about seven aspects of it where the old IQ were alot about mathematical, logical thinking that is connected to science. Today we have EQ, talent of bodymotion, talent of music, talent of visual art etc. It is true that we perceive a person that is fluent in language as more intelligent: the word ”intelligence” comes from Latin ”inter lingua” which means ”ability to read between the lines” something that is very close to language learning. I do not challenge your formal competence and there is probably some correlation but it is not the whole story. The connection between IQ and something biological make me feel uneasy.
@@fredrikbergquist5734 You should not feel uneasy about facts of life... 🙃
How come to Norway from duabi, visit available?
How long did it took you to learn Norwegian language?
Very nice video
Thank you so much ☺️
Guess I gotta learn Norwegian
I live in Sweden, and I can attest to the cons you mention in Norway. Sweden is very similar in that regard. Unfortunately.
Interessant.. thanks for sharing!!
Get yourself an adhd friend. They are the most fun.
I really liked the video because it gives it to use straight. Im 19 turning 20 in January and I really want to move to Norway as soon as possible the only obstacles I have is language and jobs. Can you offer advice to someone who is as young as me?
You need to be Norwegian, Swedish or Danish. I know Schengen area people move to Norway but I do not know what the process is like for them to get permanent work status. Otherwise, your best bet is to become an engineer and get a company who wants you to arrange for your work status. I do know a number of American petroleum engineers in Stavanger. If you get offshore experience in the oil industry in Alaska, I think that would be helpful. Not easy to get work permission even if you marry a Norwegian, but possible. If you don't fall into any of the above categories, then your only shot is to be a refugee from the mid-east, otherwise you have to move to Svalbard.
Interesting observations. I think I disagree somewhat that there is a "do not disturb" culture, though some people are certainly like that. It's more that you have to spend some time to get to know people before they open up. I believe a large part of the population is shy, and to some extent hides that with various other behavior.
thank you for sharing.. well.. no matter how good you know people here, I don't feel like they are very "how are you today" at all... its totally different in the states for example..
I used to live in Grimstad and Arendal, in Agder. People were much more likely to greet each other in these smaller cities, even if strangers. Then I moved to Oslo, and there was a marked difference. You can't even get eye contact when meeting strangers in the streets. That felt very strange to me in the beginning. Everybody just hurry past you. You're lucky if they respond if you greet them while walking in Nordmarka. I now live in Vestfold. This is more relaxed than Oslo, but a bit more serious minded than Agder. My closest relatives live on Tjøme in Vestfold, a small island with around 3.000 permanent residents, where people know each other and greet each other. In the summer the population increases to around 40.000, and these additional people also tend to greet each other while walking in the nature reserves. It's the same pleasant situation in the tourist destinations in Larvik, where I live.
Try join a Church. Some of the Churches are abit extroverted.. :=)
Hi
I agree :D
Thank you 😂☝🏼
We are not open to any peoples? we like to be on our own and not blamere us with folk from other countrys, let us be and we dont bother you that simple! it is!
Wow. You good bro ?
The last con is not a con!
When a Norwegian open his mouth and speak he mean what he say! No meaningless bla bla bla
Very true!! That's what I love about it..
😢
I need you, I will move to norway next year
That's so cool! Find my contact info on my website. I'm so excited for you
@@sarainnorwayI would like to move there too,greets from Valencia Spain
Det ser ut som du bor på landet. Folk på landet er mer innesluttet
Jeg tror faktisk ikke det er det. Mødte en fra Tønsberg i går, som sagde at han følte det var ennå verre der. Tror dessverre ikke det er bedre i byene faktisk.. Kanskje snarer tvert imot.
Last of the pros about politicians not being corupted, you couldnt be more wrong.
Yes, they are hugely, hugely corupted. But you dont know that because Norwegian press is ,,privately owned'' and self-regulated; HOWEVER, the state provides press ,,support''. Yeah...
Norway is, still, rich country that is going down fast and that non-coruptiom will come to surface very soon.
disappointing to hear this, is it as bad as the US ?
@@andrewpuckett If you look up actual data on the subject, you will find Norway to be among the least corrupt nations in the world. Sara is very much correct, and this disgruntled right wing nut is not.
Yes, if you believe in conspiracy theories, like this.@@andrewpuckett
I will have to say I disagree...
Thank you for backing me up here @sveinstmobekken2175
I see Sara that state intervention and Taxes are the biggest issues I see in NO. About half of your earnings and the state intervention in private life and there are state owned companies too.
Be critical of your sources of information, especially when coming from far left or far right political entities. I have no idea what you mean by state intervention in private life. I am guaranteed freedom in Norway more than in any other country, in every possible way, and the state definitely has no authority to invade my private life in any way. Norway is number one in the Democracy Index, followed by New Zealand and the other Nordic countries. You'll have to have a really high income to pay anywhere near half in taxes. Our taxes are relatively high because that ensures an efficient welfare system. If you compare how average people in the Nordic countries fare in comparison to people in the US, you'll find that the Nordic gives considerably more value back for your money. Even more important, we are far safer in pretty much every regard. State owned companies have done miracles for our small country, such as ensuring the oil money is not senselessly wasted as in pretty much all other oil producing nations, but used to create the worlds biggest pension fund for the benefit of our citizens. Norway has no real debt, as one of very few countries. But oil alone didn't create the nation's success. The other Nordic countries, and New Zealand, are all successful as we are because of sensible politics, trust, and hard work.
The general tax level of Norway is bit over the average of EU. It's noting special, but some people can never pay little enough taxes, can never earn enough, and will always find something to complain about.
lov it
Thank you very much.. highly appreciated