Travel Money Guides

Travel Money in Norway

Written by Chloe Stevens | 2 Jan 2020

What is the local currency in Norway?

The currency of Norway is the Kroner (NOK). One Norwegian Kroner is 0.08452 GBP (as of Dec 2nd).

 

History of the Norwegian Kroner

  • The kroner was introduced in 1875, which replaced the Norwegian speciedaler. In making the transition to krone, Norway joined the Scandinavian Monetary Union, which had been established in 1873.
  • This Union persisted until 1914; after its suspension, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark decided to keep the names of their respective currencies.
  • In December 1992 the Norges Bank (the central bank of Norway) discarded the fixed exchange rate, due to heavy speculation against the Kroner. The restatement of the exchange rate led to a shortfall of approximately 2 billion Kroner for foreign coinage reserves of the Norwegian Central Bank.

 

Do I tip whilst in Norway?

In Norway, tipping is not compulsory. It is, however, usual for Norwegians to leave a tip in restaurants and bars if they feel they had been given satisfactory service. A 5-15% tip would be recommended. With regards to hotel staff or taxi drivers, tipping is not expected.  

View our tipping guide for more help on tipping abroad.

 

Using cash in Norway

When travelling, our experts would recommend always bringing a small amount of cash with you on every trip, for initial taxi transfers or hotel deposits etc. The rest of your travel money should be put onto a Caxton multi-currency card, for safe and secure spending.

Cash is no longer king in Norway, as almost all establishments accept credit/debit cards, making even more sense to bring a prepaid card on your travels.

Most international banks and money outlets now charge a fee for using ATM machines, as do most card providers. Taking a travel pre-paid card and a credit card is recommended as Caxton do not charge for international ATM use regardless of sum or number of times, (but check with your card provider about charges.)

We would recommend still bringing your bank card on your trip as a backup option, however, to be aware of . Tell your bank you are travelling before you go so as not to have your transaction identified as fraudulent but be prepared for fees and high exchange rates.

All major cards are accepted widely in Norway at key tourist hubs.

 

What happens if I have my wallet stolen whilst in Norway?

Norway is known to be a safe country with friendly and helpful people, but this shouldn’t stop you from being smart whilst you travel. If the majority of your cash is on a prepaid card, this will be automatically protected. However, in case the worse happens, here are the list of major debit/credit card ‘lost and stolen’ numbers:

HSBC/First Direct - +44 1442 422929

Natwest - +44 1268 500 813

Lloyds - +44 1702 278270

Barclays - +442476842099

Santander - +44 1908 237 963

 

What can I do with spare Kroner?

Whilst in Norway, you may as well spend any remaining Kroner, if only small amount, on some traditional Norwegian souvenirs, such as:
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