‘Hard’ Expats explain the ‘difficulty’ of living in Norway

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An estimated 13,300 British expats live in Norway. But what’s life like as a foreign resident in Norway?

The InterNations Expat Insider survey asked expats around the world to rate their home based on several important factors.

The expats ranked Norway well on career development and were very impressed with the work-life balance.

One expat said: “I love the work-life balance! It has a great impact on me having enough time for my family, social life, or any other type of activity.”

Almost 80 percent of expats thought there was a great work-life balance in Norway, much higher than in other countries.

The world of work in Norway is known for its openness as anyone can find out how much another person earns.

Anyone can use Norway’s online system to learn how much their neighbour, friend or colleague earns.

The system is designed to increase transparency in the world of work and narrow pay gaps across society.

But while expats were impressed with the world of work in Norway, the country was sadly lacking when it came to social networking.

Expats said they found it very difficult to get used to the local culture and almost 30 percent said they didn’t feel welcome.

A third said the local population was generally unfriendly and over 60 percent said they struggled to make friends.

An expat said: “I dislike the difficulty of building a personal network with the locals. It’s hard to overcome feeling like a stranger.”

Over 30 percent of expats said they didn’t have a support system in Norway and one in five were unhappy with their life there.

Expats were also unhappy about the country’s nightlife and cultural options with many rating restaurants poorly.

Norwegian people generally have a high regard for personal space and won’t engage with strangers in public.

Speaking to a stranger or even offering to help them could be seen as bothering them in Norway.

However, expats did feel very safe in Norway and 95 percent of expats felt safe in the country.

Almost 80 percent of expats in Norway felt they could openly express themselves and their opinions.

Norway was also rated highly when it came to the natural environment with almost 100 percent of expats feeling positively about it.

The majority of expats live in Oslo, the Norwegian capital, which is just a short flight from the UK.

Other popular destinations include Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger while others may choose to live further north.

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