Norwegian Consulate Houston – 4 Easy Steps to Apply for Norway Schengen Visa

Bordering Finland, Sweden, and Russia, Norway is a stunning Schengen country with lots to see, from breathtaking fjords to the midnight sun. There are cruises that will take you around the Arctic islands of Svalbard where you can experience the nature in all its glory with impressive glaciers and mountains. You’ll also have the opportunity of spotting caribou, polar bears and much more. Then there’s Jostedalsbreen which is home to the largest glacier on mainland Europe or the forests and other spectacular scenery of Kristiansand. In this article learn more about how to apply for Norway visa at the Norwegian consulate in Houston, Texas, Norway visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Norway visa application center, flight itinerary for Norway visa, hotel bookings for Norway visa, Schengen travel insurance for Norway visa application, and Norway Visa Application Process at the Houston consulate.

Norway Schengen Visa

In 2017, there were 196,082 Norway Schengen visas received by the Norwegian Embassies and Consulate offices around the world. They rejected 11,176 of them (5.70%). There was no data as to how many applications were received by the consulate in Houston.

Applying for Norway Schengen Visa from the United States         

If you are a US citizen, you do NOT need a visa to go to Norway. However, if you are a non-US citizen and you live in the United States on a permanent basis, you DO need a visa for Norway.

You have to make sure you apply at the right Norwegian embassy and consulate. You can easily apply for your Norway visa from the United States through one of the visa mission offices located across the country. However, you will submit your application through one of the VFS Global Visa Application Centers. VFS Global is located in New York, Washington, Chicago, Houston, and San Francisco, so if you live in Houston, you may hand your visa application into VFS Global in Houston.

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Norwegian Consulate in Houston/VFS Global

There are 2 types of visa that you can apply for and the one you need will be determined by the duration of your trip and your reason for traveling to Norway:

1. Visitor’s visa – also known as a Schengen visa for stays up to 90 days for holidays, business, and visits to family and friends
2. Residence permit – also known as a National visa for stays exceeding 90 days for work, studies, au pair, family immigration, etc.,

Norway visitor’s visas are issued as single, double, or multiple entry which means you can enter the country once, twice, or unlimited times during the validity of your visa.

Both visitor’s visa and residence permit applications will be received by VFS Global in Houston, but visitor’s visas are processed by the Royal Norwegian Embassy and residence permits are processed by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI).

Schengen Visa Application Process at VFS Global/the Consulate General of Norway in Houston

It takes around 15 days for visa applications to be processed, but some applications may take up to 30-60 days. You can apply up to 3 months before your intended departure, so submit your file well in advance to give enough time for a decision to be reached before your trip.

To help you apply for your Norway visa, here are a few steps to help you along the way.

Step 1: Make an appointment and complete your application form

Making appointments with the embassy or visa application center is generally free and can be done yourself. However, If you are running short of time or not sure which consulate to apply to or have no idea on how to get this done yourself then not to worry, we will make the appointment for you for a small service fee!

Booking a visa appointment using our services is pretty simple! All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the link to schedule the visa appointment
2. Submit the appointment details, visa you are applying for, consulate you need the appointment for, the country you need the appointment IN and make the payment
3. Receive appointment confirmation in email

You can also make an appointment on your own by following below steps:

1. For visitor’s visas, go to VFS Global’s website and click on: “Schedule an appointment”:
2. Create a new account:
3. Then, log in:
4. You’ll then be able to make your appointment for your short-stay visa.

You can also access VFS Global’s appointment system through the embassy’s website. Scroll down to where it says: “Handing in the documents” and click on the link for booking appointments:

You then need to register and complete your application. You can do this on the website of the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration for Norway (UDI). Click on: “Application portal“.

Create a new account:

Then, log in:

When you submit your application, it will be registered at VFS Global in preparation for your appointment when you will submit your application.

Step 2: Prepare the documents for your application  

Before you start this step, make sure you know what documents you need to prepare. If you fail to provide all the necessary paperwork, your application could be rejected. Information regarding this can be found at VFS Global or the embassy’s website. There is a document checklist available for short-stay visas on the embassy’s website. For residence permits, you can find the necessary checklists on UDI’s website. You must print off the relevant checklist, sign it, and submit it along with the other documents.

You also need to provide originals as well as photocopies, so don’t forget to do this!

Documents include:

1. Cover letter (printed from the application portal)
2. Visa application form (printed from the application portal)
3. Receipt for the fee (printed from the application portal)
4. 1 passport-sized photo. See guidelines for acceptable photos
5. A full itinerary of travel plans in Norway
   
6. Passport – must have 3 months remaining past return to the US with 2 blank pages and issued within the last 10 years
7. Copies of previous Schengen visas (if applicable)
8. Valid US visa or residence card OR other proof of US legal residence
9. Return flight reservation
10. Confirmation of employment, private business, or studies with an approval of leave letter
    
11. Proof of financial means/income in the US such as 3 x bank statements or most recent tax return
12. Schengen Travel insurance – for at least €30,000 to cover hospitalization, medical emergencies, and repatriation expenses
13. Invitation letter from your company or host etc
14. Letter from employer confirming the purpose and duration of trip and nature of the business to be undertaken in Norway
    
15. Proof of accommodation such as hotel booking or rental agreement etc
    
16. Marriage/birth certificate
17. Notarized parental consent letter (minors)
    

If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
2. Submit the travel details and make the payment online
3. Receive flight itinerary in email

Step 3: Attend your appointment

When your appointment day arrives, get to VFS Global early. If you turn up late, you will, more than likely, have to make a new appointment. Remember to take all the required documents because your application cannot be processed if it is incomplete. Dress smartly too because if you attend your appointment looking too casual, the staff may think you are not serious in wanting to obtain a visa.

When the staff examines your paperwork, you may be asked additional questions in order for them to gain all the facts about you and your application. Simply answer honestly and calmly.

Common interview questions include:

1. What are your plans when you get to Norway?
2. Have you been to Norway before?
3. How will you pay for this trip?
4. Are you meeting anyone in Norway or the Schengen zone?
5. What is your salary?

Don’t jeopardize your Schengen visa interview at the last minute. Use this comprehensive and thorough visa interview guide to crack the visa interview!

You would have already paid the fee for your visa when you registered your application on the application portal, but there is an additional service fee of $33 which is payable to VFS Global in Houston. You can pay this by credit or debit card. All fees are non-refundable even if your application is refused.

If you wish to have your passport mailed back to you by UPS courier from VFS Global, you need to pay $30 per passport. This is in addition to the visa and service fees.

Norway Visa Fee

You may also need to provide biometric data if this is your first time applying for a visa.

Step 4: Receive your passport and visa

Once you have handed in your application, you have the opportunity to track it. Go VFS Global’s website and click on: “Track your application”:

Type your reference number and last name and click on: “Submit”:

When a decision has been reached, you have 2 options:

1. Collect your passport from VFS Global. Please remember to take your receipt.
2. Have your passport mailed back to you by courier from VFS

If your visa application has been approved, you will find it inside your passport. If it has been rejected, you will receive notification as to why it was rejected. You have the right to appeal the decision. Go to UDI’s website for further information about the appeals process.

Typical rejection reasons include:

1. You have applied for the wrong type of visa – you must apply for the correct type of visa depending on the duration and reason for your trip to Norway
2. There was no hotel booking – every visa application requires proof of accommodation in Norway, so you must submit this along with your application
3. The parental consent form was not notarized – any documents, such as the parental consent form, must be notarized by an official notary
4. Lack of funds – you must be able to afford your trip and you have to provide proof, such as bank statements, that you can do so
5. No signatures – make sure you sign any documents in the relevant places

Contact details for VFS Global in Houston

Address: 2425 West Loop S, Suite 330, Houston, TX 77002

Email: info.norway@vfsglobal.com

Telephone: +1 347 329 2738

Call center: Monday to Friday, 8.00 am to 6.00 pm. Appointments are not to be booked by email or phone

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8.00 am to 3.00 pm (Submissions); Monday to Friday, 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm (Collections)

Conclusion

To summarize, there are just 4 simple steps to apply for your Norway visa:

1. Make an appointment and complete your application
2. Prepare the documents for your application
3. Attend your appointment
4. Receive your visa

At the end of step 4, you’ll have your visa! The next step is to prepare for your adventure in Norway!

At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.

See Also

How To Apply for Norway Schengen Visa at Norwegian Consulate in San Francisco, California
How To Apply for Norway Schengen Visa at Norwegian Consulate in NYC, New York

Worldwide Visa Requirements