Norway...

[MadBanners]

Does anyone live in Norway, my Dh has a new job within his company, but it means moving to Norway, Bergen...so I am just after experiences really.

Also some general idea of costs, grocery costs per month, utilities etc.....

Hi,
My partner is from Bergen and I lived there 2001-2004. It is an amazingly beautiful place, but it can be quite a culture shock. Our situations are different though, my partner had a job and all his friends he'd had since pre school and his family and of course he knew the language, whereas I had to find my place and learn the language, and as I moved to be with him, my aim was to integrate and continue with my nursing career.
If you're moving with your husbands company I'm guessing they will fix all the practicalities of visa, work permit etc and fix schools and daycare etc. Schooling, daycare (barnehage) health are all excellent and the people are well taken care of by the state (subsidised childcare, free healthcare (hospital, not GP), great maternity/paternity benefits) as well as a generally forward thinking country where equal rights mean that women can progress as much as men, pay is equal, and there is less divide between rich and poor.
Of course it is not perfect, nowhere is, the weather is shocking, people walk to work 300 days per year is full rain gear which really got to me. They are not tolerant of immigrants, specifically 'non western' immigrants. Cost of living is high (£10 for a pint for example) but wages are high, and the measures the government have in place for families, i.e. subsidised childcare, mean that disposable income for us was way higher than where we are now (Sydney, comparable, because cost of living, property/rent is similar, but huge daycare fees mean that we have no disposable income).
I would go for it, you and your husband have the same cultural benchmarks, and if you don't like it you can come back. I struggled, but it took 4 years to get my education recognised and my partner just didn't get it when I thought things were odd, such as shops closed on sundays, the whole place shutting down for summer etc.
We have the dilemma of where to move back to, England or Norway, I like the idea of my children having the opportunity to become prime minister if they so wish, as I feel that that is possible in Norway, there is no obvious class divide so everyone has a chance and I like that, I also have 2 girls and they would not be held back in Norway for being female or having children etc, but I have a problem with the distaste for foreigners and the endless bureaucracy. To be honest, I think it is a marmite kind of a place, you either love it or you hate it, and you'll never know which unless you try :) Good luck!

Think we will do it, moving about July, gives us some time to save too, we will be moving with a 3 and a 4 year old, the 4 year old would have been due to go to reception in sept, and the younger one into nursery, we are hoping we can manage to get by on his wage alone.....he will be on 430 000 nok, is that good for over there? I am a nurse in the Uk and tbh do not think i would want to nurse over there, i have been thinking of leaving nursing anyway. If i got a job it would be a simple part time evening weekend thing maybe 2-3 days a week at most after about 6 months of being there.

I live not far from Bergen.

Kr 430000 is a pretty average wage and not that much for a family to live on to be honest. Have just checked, the average wage in 2009 was 385000 Remember he will be paying approx 40% tax on what he earns. Rents are high in the Bergen area, expect to pay around 12,000 pr month for a family home, this will be approx 50% of your husband's take home pay. www.finn.no/finn/realestate/lettings/result?areaId=20220

Nursery fees are much lower than in the UK, kr 2330 fixed price for a full place and reduction for siblings. But be aware that if you want a place for your children in August you will need to apply by 1. March. All children over 2 must be offered a nursery place if they apply but it may be on the other side of town - this is a major problem in Bergen.
Child benefit kr 970 pr child pr month.

Groceries are more expensive and the choice is much more limited than in the UK.

I pay kr 2500 pr month for electricity in the winter, but we have a woodburner so only heat the bedrooms with electricity. Prices for water and other utilities depend on the area and I'm not sure what they are like in Bergen.

You will survive fine on your husband's income but you won't be rolling in money.

Feel free to PM me for more info and help with translation of you need it.

Ooh, good luck. Children don't start school until closer to 6 in Norway, so both will be in childcare (barnehage), don't be alarmed that is it later though as it is very different to 'childcare' and more like preschool, with the emphasis on learning through play with educated pre school teachers.
If you don't get a space immediately you should get 'kontantstøtte', but not sure if there is a minimum time needed in Norway. This money enabled me to work part time.
Be prepared not to get a job straight away, my nursing education (degree) took 4 years to get recognised, and like you, didn't even want to be a nurse anyway. But I ended up working as a cleaner in a hospital (Haukeland, the major one in Bergen) which was pretty depressing and spurred me on to get my education accepted!
I would also look into a language course, the main one is Nygård skole, but that can be quite slow going. I went to the university which was great and where I met my friends, also folkeuniversitetet (open university) do courses, all are free of minimal cost I think. Language is really a priority in Norway, people speak great English, but there comes a point when you need information as an 'insider' and language is the key to this. (Trinn 3 is what employers use as a gauge that your Norwegian is up to scratch).

Also, loads pf people with children live in flats, so its worth checking those (I don't know anyone with kids who live in town and have a house!), like previous poster said, finn.no is the best way to find properties.

I just reread my original post, my kids are 2, 4 & 6 and I have no aspirations for them to be prime minister! My point was that if they wanted, and had the ability, there would be no social limitations as in UK, people are by and large equal and I like this about Scandinavia.
Your post also got me thinking about why I had such a hard time adapting to Bergen, education was the main thing and also how this impacted on my sense of identity, compounded by language and a boyfriend who already had his life there. Also the timing was wrong for me, I moved in my 20s from central London, living with friends and with disposable income (pre children!) and it was a culture shock to move to a place where people climb mountains or pick mushrooms at the weekend, I didn't want to do this, I wanted to explore London, go to markets, all day drinking etc. I'd probably adapt much better now :)