Road Transport Operations Norway

Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe whose mainland territory comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula; mainland Norway and the remote island of Jan Mayen as well as the archipelago of Svalbard form Metropolitan Norway. The population of Norway is circa 5.4 million inhabitants. Its capital city is Oslo.

Cabotage

UK operators may carry loads to, from or through the country. Loads carried between third countries can only do so if a bi-lateral agreement is in place between all three countries concerned. Cabotage is permitted provided a permit is obtained.

Dangerous Goods

Norway is party to ADR. It is essential that fully completed ADR documentation is prepared for the movement of dangerous goods. Restrictions apply to the transport of dangerous goods in the following tunnels in Oslo:

E 18, Festningstunnelen (the Fortress tunnel)
Rv. 190, the Valereng tunnel
Rv. 162, the Hammersborg tunnel
Rv. 162, the Vaterland tunnel

It is illegal to transport dangerous goods through these tunnels during rush hour. The ban is applied from 07:00 to 09:00 and 14:00 to 18:00 on weekdays, however there are no restrictions on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.

Other ADR Tunnel Restrictions

Road No	Where	Tunnel Name	Cat	Time(s)
658	Ålesund-Ellingsøy subsea tunnel	Ellingsøytunnelen	D	07:00 – 09:00 14:00 – 18:00
658	Ellingsøy-Valderøy subsea tunnel	Valderøytunnelen	D	07:00 – 09:00 14:00 – 18:00
658	Branch of Ellingsøytunnelen from/to Flatholmen	Akslatunnelen	D	07:00 – 09:00 14:00 – 18:00
108	Asmaløy-Kirkøy subsea tunnel	Hvalertunnelen	***	00:00 – 24:00

*** Drivers of vehicles carrying dangerous goods are requested to call Road Traffic Central and wait for permission before entering this tunnel. The telephone number is displayed on a sign at the approach to the tunnel entrance.

For further information, visit the UNECE website at the link below & select the country name applicable - http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/adr/country-info_e.html

Abnormal Loads

Vehicles exceeding the weights and dimensions below must apply for a special authorisation which is available by contacting the Norwegian Public Roads Administration

All abnormal load operators will require a keeper’s certificate to prove ownership of the trailer which must be carried as part of the vehicle documents at all times.
An application form can be downloaded below:

Keepers Trailer Certificate Abloads (pdf, 0.7 MB)

Taxation

A maximum of 600 litres of fuel can be imported duty free.

Customs

TIR Carnets are accepted for vehicles crossing Norway. ATA Carnets are accepted for certain temporary imports. CMR notes are advised.

Movement Restrictions

There are no driving restrictions in Norway at weekends or public holidays.

Vehicle Legal Documentation

Green Card required, plus original vehicle registration docs.
A GB plate must be fitted to rear of vehicle/trailer. Trailer Registration Certificate is a requirement. To register for a trailer certificate visit https://www.gov.uk/register-trailer-to-take-abroad

Road Tolls

All Norwegian and foreign vehicles exceeding 3.5 tonnes that are used for business in Norway must be equipped with a valid toll tag and agreement for the payment of tolls in Norway.

The toll tag must be linked to the vehicle’s registration number and must be installed in the front windscreen.
The owner of the vehicle, driver or lessee is responsible for entering into an agreement and installing a toll tag

The following toll tags are valid in Norway:

AutoPASS
BroBizz from Øresund and Storebælt
AutoBizz from Scandline
GoBox

Bridge and Tunnel Tolls

There are many bridges and tunnels in Norway, all of which are tolled, with the toll charges collected either at the entrance or exit. In all cases, these toll charges are separate from any road tolls charged within the normal road network.

Bridges

Tunnels

Norway Askøy Bridge - bridge toll - Route 562

Krifast - tunnel/bridge toll - E39

Osterøy Bridge - bridge toll - Route 566

Skarnsund Bridge - bridge toll - Route 755

Straum Bridge - bridge toll - Route 661

Svinesund Bridge - bridge toll - E6

Sykkylven Bridge - bridge toll - Route 71

Triangle Link - tunnel/bridge toll - E39

Atlantic Ocean Tunnel - Atlantic Road from Eide to Averoy

Bomlafjord Tunnel - E39

Folgefonna Tunnel - Route 551

Hell Tunnel - E6

North Cape Tunnel - E69

Oslosfjord Tunnel - Route 23

Safety Equipment

It is compulsory to carry the following items of equipment and/or observe specific rules:

First Aid Kit (advised)
Warning triangle
Spare bulbs (advised)
Dipped headlights are compulsory at all times
Seat belts must be worn
Visual reverse alarm must be fitted to the vehicle

Maximum Weights & Dimensions
Height	4 metres
Width	2.55 metres (Fridges 2.6 metres)
Length	Artic and Road Train 19.5 metres
Weight	Artic 47 tonnes (5/6 axles) Road Train 50 tonnes (5/6 axles only) There are also various maximum permitted weights on vehicles, trailers and road trains which are applicable according to the number of axles. NB: Road trains with a total weight of 60 tonnes and a total length of 25.25 meters are permitted on some roads. The dimensions and conditions must conform to the 96/53/EF Directive.

Snow Chains

If driving a vehicle with a permitted gross weight in excess of 3500 kg, chains must be carried if expected to be driving on snowy or icy roads. Therefore, chains must be carried in winter regardless of the road conditions.

It is advisable to carry more chains than required as they may prove useful in extreme icy conditions, or if any of the chains become damaged.

Chains must be dimensioned to fit the vehicle’s wheels and provide contact between the chain and the road surface. They must be made of metal/ steel, be suitable for the prevailing road conditions and capable of withstanding stress.

Drivers should always use parking lights and wear a reflective tabard whilst attaching snow chains. This will allow them to be seen by other motorists at a distance.

Number and position of chains

A heavy motor vehicle must use at least three chains
One dimensioned to fit the front wheels
Two dimensioned to fit the driven wheels

A tractor-trailer combination must have at least seven chains if the tractor unit has twin wheels on the driving axle

One dimensioned to fit the tractor unit’s front wheels
Four dimensioned to fit the tractor unit’s driven wheels
Two dimensioned to fit the wheels of the trailer

A tractor-trailer combination must have at least five chains if the tractor unit has single wheels on the driving axle or uses double chains

Two dimensioned to fit the tractor unit’s driving axle
One dimensioned to fit the tractor unit’s front wheels
Two dimensioned to fit the tractor unit’s driving axle
Two dimensioned to fit the wheels of the trailer

In motor vehicles equipped with automatically operated chain loops for the driven wheels (“on spot”), these replace two chains if the vehicle has twin wheels mounted on the driving axle.

Penalties

There are serious financial penalties for:

Not chaining up
Having any missing chains

There are 'Chain Stations' available before and after difficult road sections. These stations are signposted, are cleared of snow and large enough to allow tractor-trailer combinations to park whilst drivers attach or remove chains.

Chain stations can usually be found on flat road sections to enable drivers to stop and re-tension chains after having driven some distance. On arrival at a chain station, it is a advisable to call the information line (tel. 175) to check conditions for the route.

Winter Tyres

All vehicles and trailers that each have a permitted gross weight in excess of 3500 kg must use winter tyres from 15 November until 31 March.

All vehicles with a permitted gross weight in excess of 3500 kg (both vehicles and trailers) must have tyres with a tread depth of at least 5 mm from 16 October in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, and from 1 November in the rest of the country.

This requirement applies until 30 April in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark and until the first Sunday after Easter Monday in the rest of the country.

Outside of this period, all vehicles must have tyres with a tread depth of at least 1.6 mm.

Winter tyre requirements

Winter tyres may be studded or non-studded. The tyres must be marked “M+S”, “MS”, “M&S”, “M-S”, “Mud and Snow” and/or “3PMSF” or “Three Peak Mountain Snowflake”(the Alpine symbol).

It is possible to apply for exemption from the winter tyre requirements if winter tyres are not available for the vehicle in a particular size, go to - https://www.vegvesen.no/

Please note that starting from winter 2020–2021, it is compulsory to use “Three Peak Mountain Snowflake” winter tyres on drive shafts and front steering axles on vehicles and buses with a permitted gross weight of more than 3500 kg.

Studded Tyres

Studded tyres are only permitted during the period in which tyres with at least 5 mm tread depth are required, unless the road surface conditions render it necessary. If studded tyres are used on a vehicle with a permitted gross weight of more than 3500 kg, all the wheels on the same axle must have studded tyres.

If a vehicle has twin-mounted wheels, it is sufficient that one of the wheels has studded tyres. If studded tyres are used on a trailer designed for speeds of over 50 km/h that has a service brake system, there must be studded tyres on all the wheels. This applies regardless of the trailer’s permissible gross weight.

Use outside the compulsory period

If necessary to ensure adequate traction, the vehicle must have winter tyres (studded or non-studded), chains or similar outside the periods mentioned above. If drivers expect to have to drive on snow or ice, they must carry chains on board, regardless of the time of year.

Driver Legal Documents

Full passport required but no visa required.
International driving licence or UK Licence.
Letter from employer giving driver permission to drive vehicle or attestation letter and form.

AETR Hours rules apply.

The LGV Drivers Guide is a must have guide of very pertinent and useful information, to download this very comprehensive information source, please click below:

Hgv Drivers Guide Norway (pdf, 2 MB)

There are loads of tips in this guide, including diagrams of how to chain up.

If the UK fully leaves the EU on 31 January 2021, HGV drivers will require travel insurance with healthcare cover

Speed Limits

The following speed limits are applicable in Norway:

Cities and urban areas * 50 km/h (* 30 km/h in many urban areas)
Country roads ** 80 km/h (** the speed limit on country roads may also be set to 60 or 70 in built-up areas)
Motorways *** 80/90/100/110 km/h (*** The speed limit for motor vehicles over 3500 kg, except for some buses, is 80 km/h in Norway even if a higher speed is signposted)

Lights

The use of dipped beams or daytime running lights is mandatory at all times.