If you are planning your freight to Norway, there are a few important things you need to be aware of. Read this guide, avoid the most common problems and get an overview of the most important rules for transport from the EU to Norway.
Norway is a very interesting country from a freight perspective because it is geographically very large and mountainous. Read here about Shipping from US to Singapore to get the most important precautions if you want to have goods delivered to mountainous areas.
LEGAL , PRICE , PROCESS , CUSTOMS & VALUE ADDED TAX
1st freight to Norway from the EU
Norway is not a member of the EU. Therefore, the rules of intra-EU trade do not apply to freight to Norway. In practice, this means that the goods are exported from the EU to the country from which the goods are exported and then cleared in Norway as if you were exporting to another country. This also means that no VAT is charged on the freight costs from Germany to Norway.
If you use freight forwarders for the transport, then ask them to what extent the export from Germany and the customs clearance in Norway are included in the price. Often customs clearance in Norway is not part of the price unless you ask for it or buy your transport on an all-in price guaranteed portal.
In practice, the importer can manage the customs clearance himself. Unless the importer who receives the freight is experienced in customs matters, he is more likely to accept the risk of a delay and thus additional storage costs in order to save money.
Export registration for the freight to Norway
In order to sell and export goods to Norway, your company must be export registered. On Ustid-nr.de you can register your company quickly and easily. The registration is free of charge, and is carried out online under VAT, Import and Export. You can find further information on the application form for your export declaration on the website of the German Customs.
Value added tax and customs regulations
For freight to Norway, which is outside the EU, there is no VAT to be charged on sales to companies or private individuals. For freight of goods to Norway with a value over NOK 350 incl. freight, the Norwegian importer must pay customs duty and VAT in Norway. However, this limit does not apply to alcohol and tobacco.
Customs regulations stipulate that customs is calculated on the basis of the purchase price of the goods, including freight and insurance. VAT is calculated as 25% of the customs base plus customs, but only 15% for food.
The Norwegian customs officers offer an online import calculator which can give you an indication of the customs and VAT invoice according to the Norwegian customs regulations: Import calculator.
Prices for freight to Norway
Freight to Norway is mostly by road freight. For the western part of Germany it is usually advantageous for the haulage companies to transport the trailer by ferry from Hirtshals, Hanstholm or Frederikshavn to Oslo. Since the transit time is only up to a few days, it is rarely cheaper to fly the goods to Norway, unless the addressee is located in the northern part of Norway.
Below are the price examples for transport from Germany to Norway. Since the prices vary with e.g. fuel prices, they are to be understood only as indicators. If there is a specific freight task, we will find the best offer on the market.
The price examples have different forms of transport. Some are directly from the shipper to the consignee with a specific truck. Other price examples are via distribution centres from which the goods are collected in smaller delivery vans and brought to an export distribution centre in Germany. Then it is transported by a larger export truck to Norway to an import distribution centre, typically in Oslo. See the current prices for freight to Norway here.
How do I get the cheapest price for freight to Norway?
If you want to send small parts to Norway, a courier company is often the cheapest. You just have to make sure that the parcel is packed according to the courier’s packing instructions and that the weight and size of the parcels are within the courier’s general conditions. For example, if you order freight to Norway via UPS, parcels must not weigh more than 70kg and the radius plus length must not exceed 419cm.
For larger parts it is often cheaper to transport the goods on pallets with foil. If the height of the pallet is less than 110cm, you can save money by packing the pallets so that they can be stacked. In this way the cargo takes up less floor space in the export truck and the driver can take more goods with him.
When sending project loads such as large machines or construction elements, it is very important that they are well packed, e.g. in wooden crates, so that they can be transported with a forklift truck or crane. That is why it is also important to explain to the driver what loading and unloading options are available.