Car Rental in Norway (2026) - Driving Guide & Best Rates

Norway accepts foreign licences for tourist stays without a fixed expiry cutoff. But an International Driving Permit (IDP) is strongly recommended if your licence is not printed in Latin script or in a language Norwegian police can read (e.g. Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Cyrillic). EU/EEA licences are accepted on equal terms with Norwegian ones. If you are relocating to Norway rather than visiting, a separate exchange obligation applies. But tourists are not affected.

The legal minimum age to drive in Norway is 18. Rental companies set their own minimums separately from Norwegian law: policies vary by company, with some renting from age 19 or 21 and others requiring 25 for certain vehicle categories. Drivers under 25 are typically subject to a young-driver surcharge regardless of where the company sets its minimum. Always confirm the specific company's age policy before booking.

Norwegian law mandates that every vehicle on public roads carry third-party liability insurance (ansvarsforsikring); rental cars are legally insured for this by the rental company. On top of that legal baseline, rental companies offer Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), theft protection, and excess-reduction products, these are commercial add-ons, not legal requirements. Check whether your personal credit card or travel insurance policy already covers rental collision damage before paying for a duplicate.

There is no Norwegian law requiring a credit card to rent a vehicle. This is purely rental company policy. In practice, nearly all major rental companies in Norway require a credit card (not a debit or prepaid card) in the driver's name at pickup, and will place a security hold whose amount varies by company and vehicle class. Some companies accept debit cards under specific conditions, verify with your chosen provider before arrival.

Norway drives on the right. Headlights must be on at all times, day and night, this is a legal requirement, not a recommendation. The blood-alcohol limit is 0.02 g/dL, among the strictest in Europe and effectively zero-tolerance. At unmarked intersections, priority goes to traffic from the right (the 'priority-to-the-right' rule), which catches many visitors off guard. Winter tyres are legally required when road conditions demand it, generally from late autumn through early spring. Rental companies typically fit seasonal tyres automatically. But confirm this for winter travel.