Moving from Norway to Vietnam
A practical guide to shipping your home from Oslo to Hai Phong or Ho Chi Minh City, and clearing Vietnamese customs with your work permit in hand.
Moving from Norway to Vietnam, in one honest summary.
A move from Norway to Vietnam is a long deep sea container haul from Oslo, usually routed via a Northern European hub, around to Southeast Asia. Northern arrivals clear at Hai Phong, which serves Hanoi, while southern arrivals come into Cat Lai near Ho Chi Minh City. For a typical two to three bedroom home in 2026, budget roughly EUR 6,500 to EUR 14,000 door to door, driven mainly by your volume and whether you share a container or take a full one.
The thing that surprises people is how much Vietnamese customs ties your shipment to your work status. Used household goods are admitted with relief for foreigners who hold a valid work permit and the right residence document, but Vietnam restricts or bars the import of used electronics, used appliances and used clothing in commercial form, so an old television or fridge can be refused. The shipment is best timed to arrive after your work permit and temporary residence card are issued.
Plan on eight to twelve weeks door to door, since the long ocean route and the routing out of Norway both add time. Book early, keep a clear inventory, and make sure your employer paperwork and residence documents are ready before the vessel reaches a Vietnamese port.
What it costs in 2026, by home size and method.
These are indicative 2026 ranges in euros for the Norway to Vietnam lane, door to door. Volume, season, the routing out of Norway, and delivery within Vietnam move the final number most.
Shared container means your goods travel as part load and share space with other shipments, which is cheaper but slower because it waits to consolidate. A full container is faster and more secure once volume passes roughly a one bedroom home. Summer is the peak season and prices rise from June to September.
- +Lowest cost for small volumes
- +Good for partial moves and boxes
- −Slower, waits to consolidate
- −Extra handling at the groupage depot
- +Sole use, sealed at your door
- +Right size for a one to two bed home
- +Cleaner customs with a single inventory
- −Some unused space for smaller loads
- +Fits a three to four bed household
- +Best value per cubic metre
- −Overkill below a two bed volume
- +Days, not weeks
- +Ideal for a first essentials box
- −Costly for full households
- −Strict weight and size limits
Get moving quotes for Norway to Vietnam.
Tell us your home size and timing and we put your Norway to Vietnam move in front of vetted international movers who run this lane. Free, no obligation.
A realistic schedule for this route.
A realistic schedule from first quote to final delivery on the Norway to Vietnam route. Customs depends on your work permit and residence card, so align the shipment with those dates.
Get quotes and book
Request a binding pre move survey from movers who run the Asia lanes. Book early for summer sailings and to schedule the routing out of Oslo to the connecting hub.
Sort documents
Line up your passport, work permit, temporary residence card or visa, and a clear inventory. Vietnamese clearance leans heavily on your employment and residence paperwork, so get it in order.
Pack and load
Packers wrap and inventory everything and load the container, which is sealed at your door. You keep a copy of the signed inventory.
Ocean transit
The container sails from Oslo, usually via a Northern European hub, on the long route to Hai Phong for the north or Cat Lai for the south. Port to port ocean time is commonly six to nine weeks depending on routing and transshipment.
Customs and delivery
Vietnamese customs check your goods against your work permit and residence document. With the file in order, clearance proceeds, and the mover trucks your shipment to your address and unpacks.
Bringing used household goods into Vietnam.
Vietnam admits used household goods and personal effects for foreigners who are relocating with a valid work permit and the right residence status. Clearance is handled by the General Department of Vietnam Customs, and the paperwork is closely tied to your employer and your immigration documents. A common requirement is your work permit, your passport with a valid visa or temporary residence card, a detailed packing list in English, and the bill of lading or air waybill.
The big catch on this route is restricted categories. Vietnam controls or prohibits the import of used electronics, used household appliances and used clothing in commercial quantities to protect local markets and limit electronic waste, so older televisions, fridges and similar items may be refused or held. Plan around this and consider replacing bulky old appliances rather than shipping them.
Firearms, certain media and printed matter, and some plants and foods carry their own controls or bans. Vehicles can be imported but face significant taxes and registration steps and are best treated as a separate project. Pets travel under Vietnamese veterinary import rules and need a health certificate and current vaccinations arranged well ahead.
The routes in for this corridor.
Most people moving from Norway to Vietnam arrive for work, so residence usually flows from a job. Each route is summarised in two sentences. None of this is immigration advice, so confirm with official Vietnamese sources before you commit.
Foreigners working in Vietnam need a work permit sponsored by an employer, which then supports a temporary residence card for longer stays. The card, issued by the immigration authority, is what lets you settle and underpins your household goods clearance.
People who invest in or run a company in Vietnam can obtain an investor visa and residence tied to the business. Conditions depend on the size and form of the investment.
Spouses and close family of Vietnamese citizens or of foreign residents can obtain residence on that basis. The sponsoring relative's status shapes the documents and conditions.
Vietnam offers electronic and longer validity visas useful for extended stays, though these do not by themselves grant the right to local employment. Check the current categories and durations before relying on one.
How to pick a mover for this route, without the guesswork.
We do not rank or recommend individual companies. We teach you the criteria that separate a safe international move from an expensive mistake, then put your request in front of vetted movers who run this lane.
Look first for membership of FIDI or IAM, the two international moving networks whose members are audited for financial stability and quality. A mover that runs the Norway to Vietnam lane regularly will understand the routing out of Oslo, the work permit linked customs file, and the restricted item rules on used electronics and appliances, which a generalist often does not.
Insist on a binding pre move survey, in person or by video, so the quote reflects your real volume rather than a guess. Get the scope in writing: who packs, who handles customs paperwork at each end, what insurance covers, and what the destination delivery charge includes. Compare like for like, because the cheapest headline number often hides charges that appear later.
Check the insurance terms and the claims record, read recent reviews from people who moved on the same route, and confirm the mover carries marine or transit cover that pays replacement value, not a token figure by weight. When you are ready, the quote form below puts your move in front of vetted movers who run this corridor, with no obligation.
Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Norway to Vietnam?
As an indicative 2026 range, a one bedroom home runs roughly EUR 3,500 to EUR 9,000 and a two to three bedroom home roughly EUR 6,000 to EUR 14,000 door to door, depending on shared versus full container, the routing out of Norway, and delivery within Vietnam.
How long does shipping take from Norway to Vietnam?
Plan on eight to twelve weeks door to door for a full container, with ocean transit of about six to nine weeks from Oslo via a Northern European hub to Hai Phong or Cat Lai, plus packing, customs and delivery. Shared loads take longer because they wait to consolidate.
Can I bring used electronics and appliances to Vietnam?
Often no. Vietnam restricts or prohibits the import of used electronics, used appliances and used clothing in commercial form, so older televisions, fridges and similar items can be refused. Many movers advise replacing bulky old appliances rather than shipping them.
Which port will my shipment arrive at?
Shipments for the north usually clear at Hai Phong, which serves Hanoi, and shipments for the south come into Cat Lai near Ho Chi Minh City. Your mover routes based on your destination city and the sailing schedule.
Do I need a work permit to clear my goods?
In practice yes for most movers. Vietnamese customs ties used household goods relief to your work permit and residence status, so the shipment is best timed to arrive after your work permit and temporary residence card are issued.
When should I start planning the move?
Begin ten to fourteen weeks ahead, and earlier for summer sailings. The real deadline is having your work permit and residence document in place so customs clearance is not held up.
Last reviewed: 29 March 2026. We refresh this guide as costs, customs, and visa rules change.