Historic and picturesque Bergen is Norway's second largest city and “Gateway to the Fjords”. Here you can combine all the benefits of an urban lifestyle with an active life outdoors in the city's beautiful and easily accessible surroundings. People from Bergen tend to be very proud of our city. 

Thanks to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream, Bergen enjoys mild weather compared to the rest of Norway. Although the average temperature in late August /early September is only around 16°C, temperatures can and do still reach up to and beyond 20°C. Late summer is one of the nicest periods of the year to enjoy Bergen`s charm. However, Bergen is wetter than other areas, due to rain clouds regularly being trapped by the surrounding mountains, and visitors are warned to bring their umbrellas and rain jackets.

The official currency in Norway is NOK (Norwegian Kroner). The krone is divided into coins of 1 NOK, 5 NOK, 10 NOK and 20 NOK. Bills are issued in denominations of 50 NOK, 100 NOK, 200 NOK, 500 NOK and 1000 NOK. However, it is most common to pay by credit card and even small cafés and kiosks accept card.

Please refer to the Norwegian calendar for an overview of public holidays.

The shopping centres are open Monday to Friday 9-21, Saturday to 18.
The smaller shops are mostly open 10-16, some until 17, Saturday to 15 or 16. In Norway almost all shops are closed on Sundays, with the exception of a few newsstands and some small supermarkets.

Tipping is usually not required or expected in most places. It is viewed as entirely voluntary and is up to the individual receiving the service. Customers who are satisfied with the service usually tip an extra 5-10%.Restaurants, hotels and taxi drivers include a service fee in their charges.

Other sources of information about Bergen: Wikipedia, Visit Bergen, TripAdvisor. By expats: Expatarrivals, Life in Norway.

Among the first things you should do coming to Norway is to register for a Norwegian ID-number, tax deduction card and residence permit. You will not be able to process salary payments, open a bank account, get a regular GP, or register a telephone subscription etc. until you have been assigned your Norwegian ID number. If you are accompanied by family members, you should apply for family immigration at the same time. Be sure to contact your department and inform them on your planned arrival date well in beforehand, especially during holidays.

The Norwegian Directorate for Immigration (UDI) has a comprehensive website that explains the different visa application processes that non-Norwegians have to follow depending on their country of origin, and how to apply for work permit.

The registration scheme for EU/EEA nationals

The registration scheme for non EU/EEA nationals

The UDI's Application Portal Norway might also be useful.

The Service Centre for foreign workers is a joint effort from the Norwegian authorities to facilitate your arrival in Norway as a new employee. They can help you obtaining your ID number and tax deduction card among other things. 

It is strongly advised that you book an appointment with the police before you come to Norway. This is also the case for other family members. You may also use the Police information desk “drop-in” service, but you will get limited help if you choose this option. If you're planning to live in Norway for six months or more, you must report your move to Norway no later than eight days after your arrival.

When you on the SUA web site pre-book your appointment, be sure to book with the police and not the tax administration. By doing this, you will not have to book an extra appointment for questions regarding tax deduction cards, moving, or identification numbers.

Please note that you will be required, among other documents, to have a property rental contract valid for at least 6 months. Those who do not have such a document can expect delays in getting an ID number.

Finding accommodation at an early stage is important, and some have had very good experience with coming to Bergen searching for suitable accommodation prior to starting to work at NHH. In the period July to October, finding a place to live can be challenging since quite a few students are also looking for a place to rent. Please refer to the links below for more information:

• www.finn.no (Norwegian) - The most popular Norwegian website for housing announcements. 
  • How to translate a webpage.
• Euraxess' pages on housing.
• Airbnb.com for private rental.
• www.hybel.no (Norwegian) - Website for housing announcements mainly presenting shared apartments solutions and smaller studio apartments.
  • How to translate a webpage.
• www.sabbaticalhomes.com - A resource for home exchanges and rentals for academics while on sabbatical leaves.

As a foreigner, you should be aware of a number of things when renting private accommodation in Norway.

• Ten tips when renting domestic property
• Information on regulations pertaining tenancy agreements (pdf)
• Standard tenancy contract  - issued by the Norwegian Consumer Council
• Form for handover of accommodation and inventory list (pdf)

Be aware that custom regulations apply when importing household goods moving to Norway.

A moving allowance granted by NHH is intended to cover your travel and visa application for faculty employees and immediate dependents. By household content means everything that normally exists in any household, with a maximum volume of 50 cubic meters.

Moving of special objects like boats, vehicles, pianos etc. is not covered by the relocation compensation.

In addition, the following conditions apply:

• For permanent positions, NHH will cover expenses up to NOK 80.000/USD 9.200/EUR 8.200 including insurance.
• For temporary positions, NHH will cover expenses up to NOK 60.000/USD 6.900/EUR 6.200 including insurance.
• The employee must collect tenders (price estimates) for the relocation expences from at least three registered relocations firms. These are to be delivered along with the original relocation receipt. The cheapest offer must be accepted.
• The application for relocation allowance must be sent no later than two months after the relocation is completed to the HR division at NHH. 

  Please use the Travel Expense Claim (Excel) and remember to attach all documents.

• A lock-in period of up to a minimum of one year will apply.

Please note that rules concerning moving goods does not apply for PhD students.

Please find further tips regarding moving at the Euraxess homepages.

Spouses

Being the accompanying spouse is a unique, exciting but also challenging experience. There is an informal spouse group on Facebook called “NHH spouses - the better halves” which you might consider joining.

If your spouse plan to apply for work in Norway, it is highly recommended that you start the process of getting the recognition of foreign higher education early, as this may take some time.

For spouses of faculty members and PhD students who wants to work in Bergen, NHH will upon request pay for up to five coaching hours with Manpower. Examples of topics covered are:

• General information about the relevant labour market and how it works
• Writing a good application and CV
• Interview Training
• Support in the application process for authorization in Norway
• Concrete job placement

Manpower is one of the leading staffing agencies in Norway. NHH has entered into an agreement with the company in order to help assisting accompanying spouses in finding job opportunities in Bergen. Please contact the NHH Service Centre for further assistance. You can also send the CV in advance to prepare for your coaching.

The Norwegian school system

All public elementary to upper secondary education is free. Education for children between the ages of 6 and 15 is compulsory. Pupils attending elementary or lower secondary school who have a first language other than Norwegian are entitled to special language tuition in Norwegian. This right applies until the child is sufficiently proficient in Norwegian to follow normal teaching at the school. 

Preschool/Kindergarten
The Norwegian school system begins with an offering of preschool/daycare (“barnehage”) to children aged 1 to 5.  The play-based programme focus on social skills and fun learning. There is a strong emphasis on outdoor play - rain, sleet, snow, sun or mid-winter dark, children play outside during preschool hours.  

You can apply for kindergarten throughout the year, but the application deadline for the primary admission process for 2024 is set for 1 March. The deadline may however vary. You may apply before you have received your Norwegian ID number. The KIDSA kindergartens named “Sølvberget” and “Nyhavn” are located in the vicinity of NHH, and you might get priority for your child based on an agreement between NHH and KIDSA. You should therefore consider entering KIDSA as you first priority when you apply. For further information regarding procedures, please contact the Kindergarten administration.

“Open kindergarten” is an offer for children without a permanent place in the official kindergarten system. It’s based on parents being present together with their children, so it’s also a good way of socialising. The open day care centres are managed by a pedagogical leader. The different venues are usually run by different churches in Norway, and is listed (in Norwegian) on the Bergen Municipality webpage.

Elementary school
In the year in which they turn 6, children start at a local elementary school ("barneskole"). Elementary school extends through Grade 7. All schools offer an afterschool programme for children from grades 1 to 4 ("SFO" or "skolefritidsordning"). 

Lower secondary school
The lower secondary schools starting at the age of 13 ("ungdomsskole") span from grades 8, 9 and 10.

Upper secondary school
Upper secondary schools ("videregående skole") extend from grades 11-13. Children in Norway are not required to attend upper secondary school (high school), but those who want to attend must apply to specific schools in the Bergen region.

The school health service is available at all primary, lower secondary and upper secondary schools and may include a school nurse, school doctor, vaccination, as well as other health professionals.

For information regarding family related financial benefits such as child benefit and cash-for-care benefit, please refer to the NAV website.

National identification number (Social security number)

All permanent residents in Norway need a national identification number  (ID-number). All persons requiring an ID-number are required to appear in person at a tax office and present valid proof of identity. If you are moving to Norway, you must appear in person at a tax office and present valid proof of your identity. This also applies to Norwegian nationals who move back to Norway from abroad.

All family members must appear in person at the tax office if you move to Norway with your family. Please check tax offices for ID validation.

Service Centre for Foreign Workers in Bergen

The Service Centre for foreign workers is a joint effort from the Norwegian authorities to facilitate your arrival in Norway as a new employee. They can help you obtaining your ID number and tax deduction card among other things. 

Opening a bank account should be one of your top priorities upon arrival in Norway, especially if your stay exceeds six months. Access to a Norwegian bank account will enable you to receive salary payments and handle your finances in a safe and efficient way.

To open a bank account in Norway you will need a national identity (Norwegian ID) number.

Bring the following documents to the branch of the bank you wish to open an account:

• National ID-number
• Passport
• Employment contract
• Residence Permit Card or Registration Certificate

Internet banking is the most convenient way to transfer money and pay bills and is therefore recommended. After your visit to the bank, you will receive your bank card, pin code and code device (unit) and password or the BankID app with password.

BankID is an electronic credential for secure identification and signing on the web, and can be ordered in your bank. You can use regular BankID with a code device (unit) and password or bank app BankID on mobile with pin code. In addition to banking, you can use BankID for both electronic signature and identification on a wide range of public services.

Debit- and Credit cards

Banks offer a variety of debit- and credit cards. Debit- and credit cards are increasingly the preferred means of payment in Norway. Any debit card that has your photograph, National ID-number and signature printed on it also serves as an identity card in Norway. There are several savings- and commercial banks in Norway, but unfortunately, not all have web- pages in English.

NHH has an agreement with Eurocard for employees interested in applying for a Eurocard Gold credit card. More information and application form on Paraplyen (login).    

Vipps is an appliation that gives the user the possibility to make payments to a receiver’s telephone number instead of an account number. If the receiver has a bank account in one of the owner banks of Vipps, the money is confirmed and available for the receiver within seconds.

• Download Vipps for iPhone - App Store
• Download Vipps for Android - Google Play

The public social security system in Norway is called the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme (NAV). To be entitled to benefits, you must be a member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme. This applies to all benefits from NAV, including health service benefits, i.e. treatment by a doctor, psychologist or expenditure on medicines of major importance in long-term use.

As a general rule all persons resident in Norway are members of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme. When you move to Norway to be here for at least 12 months, you become a member from your date of entry into Norway. Membership is automatic. As an employee, you pay a national insurance contribution of 7.8 percent of your gross income. The contribution is included in ordinary tax withdrawal.

Private insurances to be considered are for instance car- home and travel insurance. Take note of that if you combine your research stay abroad with holiday, only the part of your travel that is work-related is covered. In this case travel insurance may be especially important.

If you travel on behalf of NHH, the agreement with Eurocard includes a travel insurance for NHH employees (login). Using your NHH credit card when paying for travels will include a travel insurance with no extra charge. It is however strongly advised that you check the coverage of the insurance, since additional private insurance in some cases will give better coverage. This is especially important for longer stays abroad (i.e. sabbatical leave etc.)

The European Health Insurance Card officially documents that you are entitled to coverage of medically necessary healthcare in another EEA country under the same conditions as that country's own nationals. Please refer to the official webpage for what you might be entitled to- and how to obtain the insurance card.

Car insurance in Norway is compulsory. The labor unions at NHH will in some cases have favourable agreements with insurance companies.

Salary

In order to start receiving a salary from NHH, you will need an ID number, a tax deduction card, and a Norwegian bank account. 

Your tax card is valid for one calendar year, and will be automatically renewed each year in January.

Before the monthly salary payment is deposited into your bank account, a tax depending on your exact financial situation (Norwegian) will be deducted. In addition, 2 percent is deducted for the pension scheme.

NHH issues only electronic pay slips to employees. These are accessed through Unit4 Business World formerly agresso web (login/in Norwegian)

NHH employees receive a net monthly salary on the 12th of each month for 11 months of the year. An amount is held back each month, and paid out as holiday pay in the 12th month.

Taxes

Paying taxes in Norway requires that you have a national identity number and a tax deduction card. The tax deduction card is used as a basis for withholding tax from salaries paid to employees working in Norway. Make sure that your employer has received your tax deduction card before you get your first salary, otherwise a 50% tax will automatically be withheld from your salary. Remembe to pre-book an appointment with the police/tax administration before you arrive in Norway through the SUA website.

From 2019, a new and simplified tax scheme will take effect. The scheme is meant for foreign workers in Norway and is called PAYE (Pay As You Earn). Most new foreign workers will fall under this scheme the first year they work in Norway. The Nordisk eTax webpage is primarily designed for employees from other Nordic countries, but may also be useful for other foreign employees.

If you have paid too much tax, you receive a refund in your annual tax assessment. It is important to double check and perhaps change your tax deduction card in January. This is especially important if your anticipated annual income will be significantly higher than it was in the previous year. This will usually be the case if you start working at NHH in August.

Changes in your expected salary will need to be manually registered online with the tax authorities to make sure that your tax is calculated correctly. If not you will pay too little tax the coming year, and receive a large tax bill the following year. To do this you will need to log in to Skatteetaten and your Altinn inbox, using your BankID.

Personal tax return (Selvangivelse)

The final tax return is sent to your Altinn inbox in the spring of the year following the income year. The tax return is to be completed and submitted to the tax authorities by April 30th in the year following the income year.

You will receive a summary of income and withheld tax deductions (Årsoppgave) from your employer together with annual statements on the salary and allowances you have earned in Norway. Please read the information from The Norwegian Tax Administration on how to avoid errors.

Final tax return (Skattemeldingen)

The final tax return is sent to your registered address in either June or October in the year following the income year. It provides information on the basis for taxation in Norway, such as taxable income, tax paid, if you have overpaid or underpaid tax, etc. The tax assessment will normally correspond with the information submitted in your personal tax return, but should always be double checked.

If you want easy access to a car once in a while, there are several car sharing companies in Bergen.

Dele (in Norwegian)

Hyre (in Norwegian)

Getaround (in Norwegian)

An efficient way to get around Bergen is by bike or scooter and a good supplement to public transport. 

City bikes 

Bolt

Ryde

Voi (in Norwegian)

NHH is situated in Helleveien 30, a less than 10-minute bus ride north from the city center. You can get different kinds of bus tickets from ticket machines at the bus stop, from bus company service centers, from some kiosks and shops or by downloading the Skyss ticket app. Children under the age of six travel free of charge.

As a main rule, driving licences issued in EU/EEA countries can be used in Norway for as long as they are valid, and they can be exchanged for a Norwegian driving licence without any tests. The rules for driving licences issued in non-EU/EEA countries are stricter. Driving licences from most countries outside the EU/EEA can be used in Norway for up to three months. 

Separate rules apply bringing your own car. Importing vehicles to Norway may be done pending approval. See also regulations regarding roadworthiness test at Vegvesenet.no.

The toll stations in Norway are automatic and marked with “AutoPASS”, which means you can pass through without stopping. You will be invoiced for tolls only and not for fines. Bergen has a fully automated toll plaza system. If you do not have an AutoPASS or a Visitors´ Payment contract, the invoice is sent to the vehicle owner by standard mail. If you do not pay the invoice before the deadline you will receive a reminder, and a fee is added.

When driving in the winter season in Norway you must be aware that special rules apply. Regulations for use of studded winter tyres in Bergen requires that you pay a fee for driving (in Norwegian) in the Bergen area. 

If you want easy access to a car once in a while, you may use Bildeleringen’s cars (in Norwegian).

The most efficient way to get around Bergen is on a bike. City bikes are a good supplement to public transport.

Parking at NHH

NHH has available parking lots for employees and guests. Access is restricted. Guests who need access during office hours must contact NHH’s Service Centre via an intercom on arrival at the parking lot barrier. There is no parking fee.

As an employee at NHH, you will need to register your car. Electric vehicles can be charged for free using Zaptec's mobile app at the main campus, but these spots may only be used for the time it takes to fully charge your car.

All staff, faculty members and PhD candidates will receive an access chip, which allows access to NHH. Entry to NHH after hours will require the use of a corresponding PIN code.

The access chip can be picked up at the Service Centre on your first working day.

If you are in need of IT support, please send an email to helpdesk@nhh.no.

New staff members at NHH are given a standard PC or laptop for work use. Any special hardware or software in addition to the standard PC may be covered by annuum (personal research account), research project funding or other related funding.

All IT related equipment including software has to be purchased through NHH, and it remains the property of NHH. Items that are purchased privately will not be reimbursed. Please refer to further information on regulations (In Norwegian) for the purchase of IT related equipment.

Paraplyen (login) is NHH’s intranet website.  It includes internal news and messages, upcoming events, various support related information and other information such as rules and regulations, procedures and application forms (such as for funding etc.). You will also find the Employee Handbook here. Please use the search option for specific information. To be able to access Paraplyen from outside NHH you will need to login with a username (your NHH email address) and a password (the same password that you use when you login to your user account at NHH).

On your first day of work you will be able to log into your employee email account and NHH intranet (Paraplyen).  Due to safety reason, it is very important that you change your temporary password.   

 The system offers external access to resources like the m-drive (private folder on the server), common file areas, webmail and the NHH travel and expense reimbursement system (Agresso). The service also gives access to library databases and more.

On campus, you can also connect to the wireless network Eduroam.

Other topics that might be useful are available in the web page work support for faculty.

Cellphones are used for many services in Norway, and it is recommended that you obtain a Norwegian cellphone number at an early stage since. If you choose to get a top-up-card, it is possible to get this before you receive your Norwegian ID number.

Buying a top-up-card is the easiest option to get a Norwegian cellphone number at an early stage. If your cellphone works in Norway you can buy a new SIM card with any Norwegian telephone number and insert it into your existing phone. Once registered, you can top it up with credit from supermarkets, petrol stations, newsagents and online.

If you are planning on staying in Norway for an extended period of time, it may be better to enter in to a contract. This involves paying a monthly fee to a mobile network provider, which often contains a certain amount of minutes, SMS messages and mobile data. This requires that you have obtained your Norwegian ID number and bank account.

You should notify the Post by filling out a form about your address in Norway as soon as possible. The most convenient would be to hand it in at a post office or in-store post office for verification of identity. If you have a temporary address to begin with, you will be required to notify NHH, The National Registry and the Post about your new address. 

With Digipost you can receive your mail digitally from other people, businesses, and the public sector. Keep your mail as long as you wish and have it available everywhere. 

The academic year at NHH starts in mid-August and ends in mid-June the year after. In addition to teaching and research, NHH will host several conferences and seminars both at an institutional and departmental level.

NHH tend to be very quiet during holidays. The main holiday periods in Norway are:

• Summer holidays: from mid-June to mid-August
• Christmas holidays: from mid-December until the beginning of January
• Easter holidays: from Monday after Palm Sunday to Easter Monday

Please be aware that Norwegian bank holidays may be different from the bank holidays in your home country.

It is expected that faculty members spend normal working hours at NHH, although you are encouraged to participate at external conferences, and on spending time building your academic networks on a national and international level.

Any period of leave away from NHH that exceeds three weeks requires the approval of the Head of Department and Rector. Applications for leave should be sent to your Head of Department well in advance of the leave. This does not apply to faculty members who have already been granted sabbatical leave.

In Norway, the state and local authorities have a responsibility for ensuring that all Norway's inhabitants have access to certain fundamental goods, such as schools and health services.

In effect, this means that you, as an employee at NHH, as a main rule will have access to various social benefits.

If your stay in Norway exceeds six months, you will be automatically assigned a regular general practitioner. However, this may take several months. To speed up the process, you may contact the Fastlege Office at 23 32 70 00 once you have received your Norwegian national identity number. Until you have been assigned a regular GP, you may contact the Out-of-hours medical service or visit the nearest Emergency room - Bergen legevakt (in Norwegian).

You should notify the Administration Manager at your department in case of illness, or other situations that prevent you from carrying out regular work at the department.You will be required to fill out a notification of sickness on Agresso Web. The administrative staff at your department can assist you in doing this.

For periods of illness lasting longer than eight consecutive days, you will be required to obtain a sick note from your general practitioner. Contact the Service Centre if you have not been allocated general practitioner.

The Euraxess webpage will also give a good overview over health care in Norway.

Emergency numbers

• 110 for the fire department
• 112 for the police
• 113 for the ambulance
• 1412 is the emergency number for the hearing-impaired

Tuberculosis Test

Norwegian law requires that all foreign nationals from countries where there is a high occurrence of tuberculosis, who will be residing in Norway more than three months, must be tested.

If required, you should be examined before starting your assignment at NHH. The examination is done at Smittevernkontoret in Bergen. You can book an appointment by sending an email to: smittevernet@bergen.kommune.no. You will receive documentation when you have had your check-up, and the examination is free of charge.

For HSE topics, please refer to the «your employment at NHH” section.

NHH has entered into a service agreement with Berg-Hansen travel agency for all travelling done on behalf of NHH. Please contact the admin. staff at your department for further assistance.

NHH has also entered into an agreement with Eurocard (login). You can use this credit card to book and pay trips and other expenses made on behalf of NHH.

Please contact the admin. staff in your department to get help to order your business cards.

Read more about the NHH brand and templates (login).

When new in Norway, learning the language may be beneficial to both you and your family members. Permanent faculty at NHH are expected to have sufficient Norwegian and English language skills to enable them to communicate satisfactorily with students, staff and external contacts.

Permanent faculty who lack Norwegian or other Scandinavian language skills are expected to achieve a command of Norwegian to intermediate level B1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR) within three years of permanent employment, and shall, if necessary, complete an approved course in Norwegian.

Read more in NHH’s Employee handbook

NHH offers Norwegian courses that are open to all students, staff, faculty and their partners, spanning from no prior knowledge of the language to level B1-B2. These are NOR10, NOR11 and ELE426. The registration deadline is 1 February in spring, and 1 September in autumn.

Go to the registration form

Forms submitted after the deadline will not be processed.

Canvas is NHH's Learning Management System (LMS). 

You will find two canteens at the NHH main campus; one in the service building (entrance C), and one smaller café in the new wing (entrance A).  

There is also a staff canteen next to the smaller café in the new wing(opening hours from 11.00-13.00).

Visit the “Sammen” site for opening hours and this week’s menu.

NHH has a strong strategic emphasis on quality in teaching, and has developed a variety of tools to help strengthen the competence in teaching at NHH.

NHH faculty members normally teach at bachelor, master and/or PhD-level. The teaching load will be dependent on your employment conditions. For each course, faculty members have the responsibility for all pre-course preparation, administration during courses, examination and grading.

Whereas there is a certain degree of flexibility related to PhD courses, a full bachelor and master is normally 45 contact hours, made of up lectures, visiting speakers, exercises etc. A contact hour is 45 minutes. Some of the contact hours may be used for independent student assignments and problem solving. Class usually runs 2 x 45 minutes, with a 15 minute break in between.

Canvas is NHH's Learning Management System (LMS). 

In Norway, both teaching and examinations are subject to quite strict regulations, and it is important that you are in close contact with the course responsible at your department when planning your teaching.

NHH uses WISEflow both for home assignments and for school exams.

Your department might provide a Teaching Assistant (TA) for faculty members responsible for large master courses. This role is carried out by the department’s PhD Research Scholars as part of their compulsory workload. The workload in relation to the TA-role is determined by the department, in agreement with the faculty member. Large bachelor courses may also get TA support, provided by master students hired by the department.

At NHH, the departments invite internal and external national and international guest speakers to present in the seminar series. Faculty members, including PhD candidates, will be able to meet with the guest speakers while they visit NHH.

You are encouraged to attend and present your research at a variety of other seminars and workshops. These occasions will enable you to gain valuable feedback from your peers.

Faculty members are also expected to attend the internal seminars for faculty and staff at their departments. As well as receiving an update and being able to discuss activities, events and processes for your department, this is your opportunity to contribute to the development and realization of future goals for the department.

Go to NHH Calender

The NHH webpage for research support will give you useful information about funding, data, ethics, bonuses etc.

NHH’s funds offer grants to faculty members and PhD research scholars for participation at conferences, normally when presenting a paper. The funds might also cover expenses related to research leaves (sabbaticals) at institutions abroad. Be aware of the deadlines for application.

Researchers with a permanent position and post docs/assistant professors at NHH may also on a yearly basis be eligible for funding through NHH’s “Småforsk”.

Most faculty members obtain a certain amount of research budget (annuum) throughout their time of employment at NHH. Annuum is individual, but not private. It can be used to cover research-related expenses such as travels, books, publication subscriptions, representation etc. It can also be used to cover IT-equipment which exceeds the costs covered by the department. Items purchased from the annuum is NHH property.

This annuum consist of publication bonuses, bonuses for having been principal supervisor for PhD candidates and other such activities, as well as grants from research projects. Female faculty members in non-tenured, internally funded positions will receive a special “qualification annuum” of NOK 25,000.

NHH provides generous incentives for submission of research in selected top journals, through its publication bonus scheme (login). Up to NOK 200 000 can be awarded if sole authored for publications in journals that are on both lists (NHH and Financial Times). Employees with permanent employment as well as temporary employees with a main position at NHH, including PhDs and postdocs, are eligible for a publication bonus. 

If a publication has more than one author and all authors are employed by NHH, bonuses are distributed evenly amongst them.

Faculty members must have listed NHH as their affiliation in all externally published research to be eligible for the NHH publication bonus scheme.

In addition, there is a publication bonus for publication in the top finance journals awarded by the Norwegian Finance Initiative (NFI) set up by Norges Bank Investment Management. Please contact the Office for Research Administration for more information about the bonus programs.

Each year, NHH admits new PhD research scholars/candidates. The departments will allocate each PhD candidate a mentor/principal supervisor within their field of interest prior to, or soon after, their start at NHH.

If a mentor is appointed initially, a principal supervisor is appointed by the end of the first year in the PhD programme (replacing the mentor). The principal supervisor is later joined by one or two other members to form the supervisory committee for the student. The principal supervisor will chair this committee.

Faculty members are usually expected to supervise a certain number of master’s theses each year. A master’s thesis is normally written by two students and is equivalent to one full semester of work. Your department allocates supervisors according to topics.

Most departments at NHH have their own working paper series. All working papers written by faculty members should be approved by the Head or Deputy Head of their department before inclusion in the series.  Paper manuscripts that are ready to be issued should be sent electronically to the department’s administrative team.

NHH is engaged in education, research and dissemination in the field of economics and business administration. Agreements with several major Norwegian businesses provide the opportunity for NHH to develop the knowledge and competence that is needed and desired by both business and society as a whole.

As well as presenting their research and submitting articles for publication, NHH faculty are expected to market their academic achievements with a link to profile pages under the department pages on the NHH website. This profile page will include areas of research and teaching, articles and publications. Please make sure that the information on your profile page is up to date at all times. 

Faculty members in permanent positions are entitled to apply for sabbatical leave with full pay in order to carry out research work. You will be able to use this time to further your own research, develop new research projects, as well as establish research partnerships with other schools/universities or organizations nationally and internationally.

In order to qualify for this leave, you are required to have worked in your position at NHH for six semesters for six months’ leave, and 12 semesters for 12 months’ leave.  Female Associate Professors need to work only half of these periods in order to qualify for the two first years of sabbatical leave.

A condition for being granted a research leave is also that the applicant has had a normal teaching load in the period after date of commencement/previous research leave.

It is also required that you have produced a minimum of three publication points for 12 months leave, and 1,5 publication points for six months leave, prior to the application. 

Faculty members are required to submit a satisfactory plan for the research to be carried out during the sabbatical leave. They are also expected to assist the department in finding arrangements for teaching to be taken over during the period of absence.

The deadlines for applications for sabbatical leave are 15th March and 15th October every year. For both deadlines, the application will apply to sabbatical leave to be taken from the second and/or the third semester after the deadline.

You are required to deliver a status report to your department following your sabbatical leave.

There is a strong quality culture at NHH, and all employees are expected to contribute to high quality in all the school’s activities. This means that its research, teaching and dissemination activities must be relevant, and of a high academic standard, and that the administrative support functions must be efficient and characterized by a high level of expertise.

All members of the academic and administrative staff shall contribute to NHH maintaining its high ethical standards. The principle of free and independent research is the basis for all NHH activities. Academic freedom must be exercised within ethical limits and in a manner that serves the interests of the discipline, NHH and society as a whole. The school’s organizational culture and working environment are characterized by the ability and will to advance NHH’s common goals and ambitions.

NHH has designed a set of guidelines to enhance the impact that our values and ethical standards should have on our daily conduct. 

Familiarize yourself with the general guidelines, common tools and procedures that will provide everyone working at NHH with a safe, sound working environment.

NHH’s preparedness plan contains contact information, notification lists, fire safety instructions and checklists that can be used in various emergency situations at NHH. In addition, “Sikresiden.no” provides you with advice on what you should do in emergency situations and what preventive measures you can take.

It is NHH’s aim to ensure that students and staff are not harassed in any way in their working environment. Here you will find information about what harassment is and who to contact if you have been the victim of harassment.

The NHH regulations can be found in the Employee Handbook and here you will also find the HSE Manual.

NHH is positive towards employees being active and sharing their knowledge and skills for the benefit of society, also outside of their main position. NHH regulations apply to paid and unpaid work carried out in addition to regular positions at NHH.

NHH encourages transparency in relation to external assignments. Faculty members are required to consider whether the external work in question can be carried out in accordance with NHH’s interests. In cases of doubt, this should be discussed with the Head of Department.

Employees are also obligated to report work performed and offices held in addition to their position at NHH. 

All employees at NHH are entitled to 25 days’ holiday each calendar year. Faculty members are asked to plan their holidays for periods that are free from the academic activities for which they are responsible. You should inform your department administration about your holiday plans.

Holiday pay is a percentage of the salary you earned last year and is calculated according to an agreement between the unions and the state. Holiday pay is paid out in June, regardless of when you actually take time off. You will receive holiday pay for a number of days based on when you started working at NHH in the previous year. 

The Finance and Accounting Office will give further information about holiday pay around March/April of your first year at NHH.

Please refer to the Employee Handbook for information about formal rights and obligations regarding holidays.

You should notify the Administration Manager at the department by telephone in case of illness, or other situations that prevent you from carrying out regular work at the department.

For illness up to eight (8) consecutive days, you will be required to fill out a notification of sickness (“egenmelding”) on Agresso Web. The administrative staff at your department can assist you in doing this.

For periods of illness lasting longer than eight (8) consecutive days, you will be required to obtain a sick note from your doctor/general practitioner. Contact the Office of Human Resources or the Service Centre if you have not been allocated a doctor/general practitioner.

Contact the Administration Manager at your department for further assistance in relation to periods of sickness, or if you need to take leave of absence in cases of more serious/prolonged illness.

Employees at NHH are members of The Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK). SPK also provide insurance and housing loans. Contribution to the monthly premium to SPK is 2% of gross salary.

Read more about public occupational pensions at SPK's website.

NHH Unions’ mandate is to safeguard your interests and ensure that you have the right to participate in decision making.

They have two roles: a collective role where they participate in meetings with the management and are included in the decision-making processes, and a role where they represent the union members in individual cases.

Unions are active in the following different areas:

• Taking care of members' interests in central and local wage settlements (every second year)
• Developing requirements for new labour agreements
• Providing help during labour disputes etc.
• Representing members in association with job appointments
• Keeping members informed on relevant wage and work questions

The role of the safety representative is to safeguard employees’ interests in matters relating to the physical and psychosocial working environment.

NHH general employee regulations state that a full faculty position at NHH normally consists of 40% teaching and supervising, 40% research, and 20% administration. For temporary positions such as Assistant Professor, these percentages may vary.

As a faculty member at NHH, you are encouraged to actively participate in the international research community and present your research at conferences and invited faculty seminars at other institutions.

You are further expected to communicate and represent your research through internal and external media channels, and to the wider community. Faculty members are also required to conduct themselves as good citizens of their department and NHH, by being present at NHH and positively contributing to the research environment and overall community within their department and at NHH.

Faculty members must follow the general employee regulations that apply to all NHH employees. The regulations can be found in the Employee Handbook (login), when logged in via the secure NHH server.

Småbruket is NHH's cabin for employees. All employees, permanent or temporary, are entitled to use it.

NHH's company sports team is run using funds from the working environment committee and all NHH employees are therefore members. Especially the orienteering team at NHH is very active.

NHH employees have the option of exercising at Sammen sport centre at a reduced price. The Lehmkuhlhallen gym is right next to the school. Information about gyms, prices and services can be found on Sammen´s website.

If you require special glasses for computer work, NHH covers all expenses for eye examinations, lenses and up to NOK 1,000 for frames. If you have been employed at NHH less than six months, you must get an approval from the HR department prior to purchasing your glasses.

As an employee at NHH and as such, also a member of the Norwegian Public Sector Pension Fund, you are eligible for a housing loan with a favourable interest rate. It is quite common to purchase your own house instead of renting. If you consider buying a property, you must have established your financial standing with your bank first.

At NHH you will have access to free parking at both NHHs campuses. Please fill in the form to register your vehicle.