Includes steps involved in establishing a local office.
Last Published: 7/22/2019

The process of establishing a Norwegian company is relatively simple and generally free of restrictions.  The Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry has established the Altinn Business Information Service web portal to simplify the process of establishing and running business enterprises in Norway.  The information is aimed to be relevant, reliable and non-biased.  Altinn Business Information Service addresses two target groups; 1) Entrepreneurs looking for information needed to start his/her own business, including forms and brochures, all free of charge; and 2) Enterprises that need answers to most of the questions arising during regular business activities: taxes, value-added tax (VAT), bookkeeping, employer-employee relations, legislation, etc.  Altinn Business Information Service provides useful information in an abbreviated format, together with links to sources and useful sites:

Altinn Business Information Service
How to Start and Run a Business in Norway
Tel: 011 (47) 800 33 840
Website: https://www.altinn.no/en/Start-and-Run-a-Business/

All companies establishing a presence in Norway are subject to mandatory registration through a central government agency, the Bronnoysund Register Center, which also maintains open annual accounts on all Norwegian companies. 

The Bronnoysund Register Center is a government body under the Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry, and consists of several different national computerized registers.  These registers contain information and key data on: liabilities and titles in mortgaged movable property; business enterprises; annual accounts and auditor's reports of limited companies; bankruptcies and compulsory liquidations.
Bronnoysundregistrene (Bronnoysund Register Center)
Tel:  011 (47) 75 00 75 00
Website: http://www.brreg.no

The Norwegian Competition Act requires that concentrations (mergers, acquisitions, etc.) be notified to the Norwegian Competition Authority by way of a standardized notification. 
Norwegian Competition Authority
Tel: 011 (47) 55 59 75 00
Website: www.konkurransetilsynet.no
 

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.