Moving to Norway from North Korea

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from North Korea to Norway — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from North Korea to Norway, and you’d need to navigate life in Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Oslo averages 49°F vs 60°F in P'yongyang, making it significantly cooler.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from North Korea to Norway, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2019
1

people moved from North Korea to Norway · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Norway?

Top countries of origin for Norway's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How North Korea and Norway stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

KP
36.3
NO
49.8
Health coverage index United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access

KP
68
NO
87

North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

KP
86.0
NO
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

KP
2.5t
NO
7.2t

North Korea generally does better on environment, though Norway leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

KP
27.7%
NO
2.0%
Electricity per capita World Bank, 2024

annual consumption — reflects grid capacity

KP
789 kWh
NO
23,673 kWh

Norway performs significantly better than North Korea across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

KP
3.5%
NO
4.6%

North Korea performs better than Norway across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

KP
73.7 yrs
NO
83.2 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

KP
13.3
NO
2.0

Norway performs significantly better than North Korea across all family life metrics.

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

P'yongyang Rain: 37.0 in/yr (940 mm)
60° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Oslo Rain: 30.0 in/yr (763 mm)
49° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months P'yongyang Oslo
Jan–Mar 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) 59°/43°F (15°/6°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) 66°/51°F (19°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C)
View all months
Month P'yongyang Oslo
Jan 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C)
Feb 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C)
Mar 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C)
Apr 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C)
May 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C)
Jun 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C)
Jul 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C)
Aug 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C)
Sep 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C)
Oct 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C)
Nov 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C)
Dec 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C)

Data: Norwegian Meteorological Institute Norwegian Meteorological Institute

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between North Korea and Norway. To live, work, or study long-term in Norway, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Norway's immigration authority.

North Korea passport

North Korea passport holder visiting Norway

Visa Required
North Korea passport holders need a visa to enter Norway.
Norway passport

Norway passport holder visiting North Korea

Visa Required
Norway passport holders need a visa to enter North Korea.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Norway?

Working remotely from Norway's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in North Korea and Norway.

How is healthcare in Norway compared to North Korea?

North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 49.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Norway, compared to 36.3 in North Korea. Norway scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (North Korea: 68).

What's the weather like in Norway compared to North Korea?

The average high temperature in Oslo is 49°F, compared to 60°F in P'yongyang. Oslo receives around 30.0 in of rainfall per year, while P'yongyang gets 37.0 in.

What language do they speak in Norway?

The official languages in Norway are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. In North Korea, the official language is Korean.

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At a Glance

KP NO
Population 26,571,036 5,610,870
Currency North Korean Won (KPW) Norwegian Krone (NOK)
Languages Korean Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Sami
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +850 +47
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number — 112