The requirement to present a negative SARS-CoV-2 test before arriving in Norway has changed from 72 hours to 24 hours, and everyone who has resided in the UK, South Africa, Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Brazil must be tested by PCR – test at the border.

Quarantine rules have been tightened and made the same for all countries, with fewer exceptions and increased requirements for testing.

Norway already has one of the strictest regulations in Europe to prevent infection from imports. The government is now introducing stricter rules for testing and quarantine. We are doing this to stop and delay the spread of the most contagious and mutated virus variants in Norway, says Minister of Health and Care Services Bint Hui.

For people arriving by plane, the test may have been taken within the past 24 hours before the scheduled departure time for the first leg of the flight, the Department of Health and Welfare Services wrote in a press release Saturday night.

The following rules have changed:

• There will be more stringent test requirements for individuals in critical social functions who have special exceptions from quarantine and infection entry. The main rule now will be that these people must test negatively for SARS-CoV-2 using the PCR test method before they can start working. The test must be taken no later than three days after arrival in Norway. In acute situations where there is no time to wait for the PCR response, a person can start work following a negative test with a rapid test on the same day the work will be completed.
• Exceptions to the entry quarantine are lifted for business travelers when taking tests in connection with international sports competitions until 31.01.2019. By then, the government will make a new assessment.
• For people who will be working on ships in a Norwegian port, PCR tests must be used for testing at the end of quarantine.
• Quarantine requirements to enter military personnel will be tightened. Quarantine can be carried out in groups of 5 people, but the Armed Forces of the Norwegian Armed Forces may decide in some cases that more people can be included in the group, it is still limited to up to 30 people.
• The current exemption from quarantine on entry has been changed for passengers who regularly arrive in Norway from Sweden and Finland, and who are tested every seven days, so that the exemption cannot be used for people who have resided in an area with a commitment to quarantine outside Sweden and Finland 10 days before arrival.
• The exemption from the quarantine obligation has been tightened for people crossing the border in order to implement contact between children and parents or people called by the Norwegian state authorities for reasons of foreign policy. The test is required 3 days after arrival to be exempt from quarantine during business hours or study hours. Exceptions are no longer granted at leisure. A visit can be made with the children during the quarantine period.

The changes will take effect at midnight on Monday, January 25th.