HOW TO PLAN AN ELOPEMENT IN NORWAY

Elopements are rising in popularity within newly engaged couples, and it is not hard to believe since eloping has many benefits compared to traditional weddings. One of the main benefits that elopements have is that they allow you to get married in the location of your choice

and enjoy with your partner everything it has to offer.

So, traveling to the destination of your choice to get married sounds great, but the world is a huge place, and if you do not usually think about what place you want to visit, you might be a bit lost or overwhelmed by the vast number of places you can elope to.

Luckily for you, we have the perfect place for your elopement! Do you love winter sports? Have you been thinking about a winter elopement? Do you enjoy outdoor activities in beautiful sceneries such as mountain ranges and magical forests? If your answer to any of these questions was yes,

then Norway is the perfect elopement location for you.

If Norway sounds like an exciting place to elope to or you had already thought about it when planning your elopement, here you will find everything you need to know to plan an elopement in Norway. You will find the best way to get here, the legal requirements to get married,

and even a list of amazing and gorgeous places to elope to in Norway.

Documentation needed to travel to Norway.

Eloping usually involves leaving your country of origin, so immigration and customs will be something you will have to face, so it is useful to know what you need to prepare in terms of documentation. If you want to elope to Norway or any foreign country, you must know the requirements to enter the country.

If you are from the EU, you are in luck. Norway is part of the Schengen zone, which allows borderless travel between Norway and the other countries in the Schengen area. Now, if you live outside of the Schengen region, you might need to apply for a visa to visit Norway for your elopement. However, US residents can enter Norway without a visa and stay for as much as 90 days.

When you should visit Norway.

The time of the year is an important aspect to consider when planning an elopement, especially in countries known for their cold weather, such as Norway. Although you might enjoy the cold and dream about a winter elopement, you will want to know what weather to expect during your elopement.

If you are not a fan of winter eloping, then you might be wondering what months have the gentler weather. During June, July, and August, the weather is very gentle, the days are long, the midday sun is great, and the skies are clear. This kind of weather is perfect for couples that are looking forward to hiking during their elopement, camping, mountain biking, or doing some climbing.

So, if that is your kind of thing, consider those three summer months.

However, one thing to consider is that June, July, and August are the preferred months for tourists, so flights and overall costs of traveling might be higher during those months. If you do not want to deal with packed-up flights or expensive travel, you can go for the other months with gentle weather. May and September still have moderate temperatures and are great for outdoor activities,

so you can still do all those fun activities mentioned before.

But if winter elopements are your dream, then Norway is also the perfect choice. Norway in the winter can be cold, especially up north, but it does not mean it is not possible to elope during those chilly months. This type of weather can be great for different elopement activities.

Winter in Norway will give you skiing, snowy nights, a winter wonderland, sledding, and beautiful scenery. Yeah, that is right; winter in Norway is also beautiful, especially when the skies light up with the gorgeous aurora borealis. This amazing natural phenomenon can be seen during September through April,

with the full aurora season being December to February.

Traveling to and around Norway.

Most countries have regular flights to Norway, mostly to Oslo, but also to other urban areas around Norway. One of the more than 50 airports in the country will be somewhat near to your elopement location, and you will not have any trouble finding flights. You can even get to the northernmost areas of Norway through the air, so this is not a big problem. SAS, Widerøe, and Norwegian are the three biggest airlines in Norway, with flights all around the country.

When moving around Norway, you will find it quite easy, thanks to the high-level public transportation services and easy-to-navigate streets. Public transportation is a great choice to get to where you want to go, mainly through the rail line network that connects multiple urban, rural, and tourist areas. It is an affordable and efficient way to move around, and it also allows you to get to places

that are located further away.

If you do not want to move around Norway on public transport, you can also rent a car so you can drive around the country. And if you are thinking about going to a far-off location for your elopement, boats and ships are also an option to get to the location of our dreams.

Legal requirements to get married in Norway.

When going on an elopement, couples must decide whether they want to get legally married in the country they are eloping to or just doing it in their country of origin and travel to their destination for a symbolic wedding. This depends mostly on what kind of requirements must be met

to get married in the country of choice.

Norway allows non-residents to get married easily since only a bit of paperwork must be presented ahead of time to get legally married over there. This paperwork is explained in detail on the website of the Norwegian Tax Authority, and in some cases, can be filed by your wedding planner if you decide so.

If you do not want to deal with bureaucracy, paperwork, and mountains of documents, then, by all means, get legally married in your country of origin. This will make it much easier to plan your elopement; it will avoid any stress and make your elopement more enjoyable. You can do the protocol required to get married where you live and opt for a symbolic ceremony in Norway.

Best locations for elopements in Norway.

Now that we have explained all the legalities and prerequisites needed to get married in Norway, as well as all the things this beautiful county has to offer, we can start talking about specific locations to elope to with your partner. Norway is diverse in terms of sceneries, cultures, geography, and traditions, so there is a lot to choose from, and these 12 locations are not everything that Norway has to offer, so if you are enjoying these ideas, keep looking into more amazing locations for your elopement adventure.

1. Hardangerfjord

This place must be on your top locations to elope to. If you love mountain ranges and clear, beautiful water bodies, then you will love Hardangerfjord since it is an amazing, beautiful, and huge fjord that will be great scenery for some epic photographs. Eloping here during the summer is an amazing choice.

2. Lofoten

This beautiful work of art that nature has given to us is a great place for adventurous couples. Lofoten is an archipelago with many islands to visit, full of fishing towns and locations to kayak, climbing, and hiking. Not only is it great if you love water bodies, but there are also big peaks to climb that go into the sky and make for some amazing elopement pictures.

3. Geirangerfjord

Another beautiful fjord, great for some outdoor activities during your elopement. It is considered a world legacy by UNESCO because of its natural beauty. A perfect place for kayaking and hiking with your partner.

4. Kjeragbolten

The Kjerag Mountain offers an unbelievable climbing experience from May to September. It is a 6 hour, 11km climb up an 800m peak, which might be intimidating but worth it regardless since the views are priceless.

5. Setesdal

This location is another great place for some climbing action during summertime, and it also offers some skiing and snowboarding opportunities during the winter.

6. Senja

On the Arctic Circle, you will find the second biggest island in Norway, Senja. It is a gorgeous place with mountains that rise from the sea and up to the skies, with great places to watch

the aurora borealis during the winter.

7. Aurland

Yet another amazing location in western Norway’s fjords, home to quiet and peaceful waters, along with green slopes that go across the scenery.

8. Stryn

In this municipality, you will find deep lakes and blue ice formations with

unbelievable peaks and beautiful green valleys.

9. Vesterålen

Very up north, this archipelago is a yearlong home to whales and orcas, mostly during the colder months. It is a great place for couples that love sea life.

10. Svalbard

If you are looking for far-off locations with diverse wildlife, then consider Svalbard,

home to polar bears, foxes, and several raindeers.

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