How to apply for a Norway Schengen visa from the UAE

Where you apply

Apply to Norway if it is your main destination; to apply in the UAE you need a valid UAE residence permit. VFS Global takes the applications at its centres in Dubai (Wafi Mall, first floor) and Abu Dhabi (World Trade Centre Mall, level B2) and sends them to the embassy, which handles visas for several countries in the region and refers some cases to UDI in Norway. VFS's step-by-step page still names the embassy in Bangkok; UDI and the embassy both say Abu Dhabi.

Family members of EU/EEA citizens can hand in their application at the embassy itself, after making an appointment, or at VFS. Iceland is no longer handled here: since August 2025, VFS says UAE residents apply to Iceland's embassy in New Delhi, through VFS's Iceland page for the UAE.

Step by step

1. 1

   Apply in the UDI portal

   Start from the embassy's visitor's visa page, which links to UDI's application portal: create a user account, fill in the form and pay the visa fee online. You get an email with the form (schengen.pdf), a summary and the receipt.
2. 2

   Print and sign the form

   The checklist asks for a signed printout of schengen.pdf and the payment receipt.
3. 3

   Book at VFS Global

   In Dubai or Abu Dhabi. The VFS service fee is paid online by card to confirm the slot, and each family member needs their own appointment.
4. 4

   Attend the appointment

   Hand in the documents and give fingerprints, unless they were taken within the last 59 months.
5. 5

   Wait for the decision

   Normally up to 15 calendar days after the embassy receives the file, and up to 45 if it goes to UDI. The embassy recommends applying at least four weeks before you travel.

Documents

The country's own checklist is the one that counts. The core of it:

• Passport issued within the last ten years, valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen Area, with two blank pages.
• UAE residence visa and Emirates ID, valid beyond your return.
• The signed application form and a photo to the ICAO passport standard.
• Travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 cover, valid in every Schengen country for the whole trip.
• Recent bank statements, and a salary certificate or employer letter if you are employed.
• A flight reservation, and hotel bookings or an invitation letter.

On top of that, the embassy's August 2026 checklist for the UAE asks for:

• Every document translated into English or Norwegian, on A4 paper without staples, and none older than six months.
• A copy of a UAE residence permit valid three months beyond the day you leave the Schengen Area; GCC citizens bring their UAE ID card.
• An original employer letter giving your status, position, length of contract, salary and the number of vacation days granted; the self-employed bring their original trade licence, students proof of enrolment.
• Proof of means, such as bank statements for the last three months or payslips. The embassy asks for at least NOK 500 a day; if you cannot cover it yourself, your host signs a sponsorship form.
• For tourism, a detailed itinerary: dates, sights, transport, hotels and travel companions.

Fees and processing time

Visa fee, adults

€90, paid online in the UDI portal

Children aged 6 to 11

€45

VFS service fee

EUR 20 (AED 83.30), paid online by card when you book (VFS Global, November 2026)

Processing

Normally up to 15 calendar days; up to 45 if the case goes to UDI

VFS's step-by-step page still says the service fee is paid at the centre; its booking page and the embassy say it is paid online when you book, so have a card ready.

Applications and refusals

In 2025, the consulates of Norway in the UAE received 16,232 short-stay Schengen visa applications: 5.4% of all those lodged in the UAE, and the 8th most of any Schengen country. They refused 30.5% of the applications they decided; across every Schengen country in the UAE the rate was 24.2%, according to the European Commission's visa statistics.

Applications, 2025

16,232

Rank in the UAE

8th of 27 Schengen countries

Refused

30.5%

All Schengen countries in the UAE

24.2% refused

The Commission counts applications where they are lodged, not by nationality, so in the UAE they come mostly from residents of other nationalities. A refusal rate is an average over every applicant and says little about any one file; and the country you apply to is set by your main destination, not by its refusal rate.

What applicants reported

Not enough applicants in the UAE have reported a Norway visa yet to show their own figures; these are the 22 reports from every origin. The median time from appointment to passport back was 14 days.

Reports

22

Appointment to passport back (median)

14 days; typically 11–18 days

Approved

91% of 22 with a known outcome

Validity granted (median)

1 year

Multiple entry

55%

See every Norway report · how the statistics work

How often new dates appear

Dubai. Our monitors saw new Norway appointments appear in Dubai 3 times in the last 90 days, on 2 different days. The latest release we saw was on 7 November at 22:10 UAE time.

Getting the appointment

The form is the easy part. The hard part is a free date at the Norway visa application centre: when demand is high the calendar can stay empty, and new dates go quickly when they appear.

These are the ways to get a date, including ours:

The live status of each Norway route is on its own page, and every UAE route is on the UAE appointment board. For how the booking portal itself works, see how to book a VFS Global appointment in the UAE.

• Norway visa appointment, Dubai
• Norway visa appointment, Abu Dhabi

Questions

Which embassy decides Norway visas for UAE residents?

The Embassy of Norway in Abu Dhabi, according to UDI and the embassy. VFS Global takes the applications in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and sends them on; some cases are referred to UDI in Norway.

Where do I pay the Norway visa fee from the UAE?

The visa fee is paid online in UDI’s application portal when you register the application. The VFS service fee is paid online by card when you book the appointment.

How long does a Norway visa take from the UAE?

Normally up to 15 calendar days after the embassy receives the application, and up to 45 if it is sent to UDI. The embassy recommends applying at least four weeks before you travel.

Can I apply for an Iceland visa at the Norway visa centre?

Not any more. Since August 2025, VFS Global says Iceland applications from the UAE go to the Embassy of Iceland in New Delhi, through VFS’s Iceland page for the UAE.

What is the refusal rate for Norway Schengen visas in the UAE?

In 2025, the consulates of Norway in the UAE refused 30.5% of the short-stay visa applications they decided, against 24.2% across all Schengen countries in the UAE, according to the European Commission’s visa statistics. They received 16,232 applications, the 8th most of any Schengen country.

Sources

• Embassy of Norway in Abu Dhabi: visitor’s visa
• UDI: how to apply for a visitor visa from the United Arab Emirates (shown for Indian citizens; choose your own)
• Embassy of Norway: visa checklist for the UAE, all categories (August 2026, PDF)
• VFS Global Norway, UAE: tourist visa, fees and processing time
• VFS Global Norway, UAE: how to apply
• VFS Global Norway, UAE: book an appointment
• VFS Global Norway, UAE: centres
• VFS Global Norway, UAE: warning about fraudulent entities
• VFS Global Norway, UAE: update for Iceland visa applications
• EU Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (consolidated text of 28 June 2024)
• European Commission: visa policy and the short-stay visa fee
• European Commission: Schengen visa statistics for consulates, 2025 (2025-consulates-schengen-visa-statistics.xlsx)

Rules and fees are set by the consulates and VFS Global and can change; check the official pages above before you apply. Route status and our prices on this page are live. Visa Catcher is an independent appointment-tracking service, not affiliated with VFS Global or any embassy, consulate or government.