NUF - Norwegian-registered foreign enterprise

What is an NUF in Norway, and what are the advantages of choosing it?

NUF stands for Norskregistrert Utenlandsk Foretak (Norwegian-registered foreign enterprise) and is a legal company form that allows local trade in Norway without accounting or residency obligations*.

NUF as a Branch in Norway

An NUF registration functions as a Norwegian branch of a company, which means it is both legally and financially tied to the parent company but subject to Norwegian accounting rules as sales and accounting occur in Norway.

There are no specific requirements for how the foreign company is organized in its home country; there just needs to be a parent company in the home country.

Some of the largest companies in Norway are registered as NUF, proving that it doesn't have to be a limitation when not physically present.

Not Separate Legal Entities

It is important to note that the Norwegian branch (NUF) is not a separate legal entity. This means that the foreign company (parent company) is responsible for the operation of the NUF.

The foreign company also bears all the legal and accounting responsibilities, so the NUF registration should be treated with the same care as the foreign parent company.

No Capital Requirements

There are no capital requirements for registering an NUF, although there may be requirements for the liquidity or possibility of bank guarantee of the parent company when requesting customs credit or similar.

Foretaksregisteret - Obligation to Register or Not

A Norwegian-registered foreign company has an obligation to register in the Foretaksregisteret if it intends to conduct business activities in Norway. There is no clear definition of when there will be commercial activity, but Brønnøysundregistrene has outlined these factors indicating that it is the case if:

• The company has employees in Norway.
• The company enters into agreements/contracts in Norway.
• The company has inventory in Norway.
• The customer perceives that they are dealing with a company in Norway.
• The service is performed in Norway.

A Norwegian-registered foreign company cannot be registered in the Foretaksregisteret if it:

• Only engages in pure capital investment in Norway.
• Participates in Norwegian companies.
• Engages in e-commerce where the trade is not primarily directed at Norwegian customers and the company does not have inventory or employees in Norway.
• Needs an organization number to open a Norwegian bank account (then it is the Central Business Register instead).

*The residency obligation can be fulfilled by a fiscal representative, such as IntraVAT.

Does an NUF registration sound like the perfect solution for your business model?
Then fill out the contact form and we will contact you with more information.