Can I shop online from abroad without tax in Norway?
No, not tax-free — the old 350-kr threshold is gone, and VAT is due from the first krone. If you shop for under 3,000 kr per item from a VOEC-registered foreign shop, 25% VAT is collected at checkout, and there is no extra fee or duty at the border. If the item is over 3,000 kr, or the seller is not VOEC-registered, the parcel must be customs-cleared with VAT, any customs duty and a carrier fee — three costs instead of one. Here is where people go wrong: VOEC does not cover food, alcohol or tobacco, however cheap the goods are. Gifts from a private person abroad can be tax-free up to 1,000 kr, and on a trip you can bring home goods worth up to 6,000 kr after more than 24 hours away.
📋 The rules
- The old 350-kr threshold is gone
- Under 3,000 kr from a VOEC shop: 25% VAT at checkout
- Over 3,000 kr or non-VOEC: must be customs-cleared
- VOEC does not cover food, alcohol or tobacco
- Gifts from a private person tax-free up to 1,000 kr
🔓 Exceptions
- Travellers can bring goods up to 6,000 kr tax-free after more than 24 hours abroad
- Gifts from private persons abroad are tax-free up to 1,000 kr
- Medicines for personal use have their own rules (up to 3 months' supply from the EEA)
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Failing to clear customs or under-declaring value counts as smuggling, and it can bring additional tax, fines, seizure and in serious cases prison. What people do not see coming is that the bill often arrives without anyone doing anything wrong: if the item is over 3,000 kr, or the seller is not VOEC-registered, the parcel must be cleared, and then VAT, any customs duty and a carrier fee land on top of the price you have already paid. Food, alcohol and tobacco fall outside VOEC in any case and must go through normal clearance — there it does not help that the goods were cheap.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
Can I shop online from abroad tax-free?
No. The old 350-kr threshold is gone, and VAT is due from the first krone. If you buy from a VOEC-registered shop, the 25% is collected at checkout, and then you avoid any charge at the border.
What is VOEC?
A scheme where foreign shops collect 25% VAT at checkout on goods under 3,000 kr, so you avoid charges at the border. If the shop is not VOEC-registered, the parcel must be customs-cleared as normal, however cheap the item is.
What happens if the item is over 3,000 kr?
Then the parcel must be customs-cleared, with VAT, any customs duty and a carrier fee. The limit applies per item, and clearance happens even if the shop is VOEC-registered — VOEC only covers what is under 3,000 kr.
Does VOEC apply to everything?
No. VOEC does not cover food, alcohol or tobacco, which always go through normal customs clearance. Medicines for personal use also have entirely separate rules, with up to 3 months' supply from the EEA.
How much can I bring home from a trip abroad?
Goods up to 6,000 kr tax-free after more than 24 hours abroad, or 3,000 kr if you were away for less than 24 hours. Gifts sent by a private person abroad are different: they are tax-free up to 1,000 kr.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I shop from abroad tax-free norway”
- “350-kr threshold abolished”
- “voec vat 3000 kr”
- “customs clear parcel over 3000”
- “customs online shopping”
- “gift from abroad 1000 kr”