Explore our tours

   160+ reviews

Running Tours in Lofoten (Legal Guide)

If you’re planning a photography workshop in Lofoten or Tromsø and want to transport clients in a van, this guide explains the legal requirements in Norway, what licenses you need, and what actually works in practice.

IMG 6223.JPG 1

Most people assume they can simply rent a 9-seater van at the airport, pick up their clients, and drive them around during the workshop. To be fair — this is how it was done by many workshop organizers for years, even decades — and nobody questioned it.

But that doesn’t mean it was ever properly legal — it just means nobody was actively checking. That has changed. During the winter season 2025/2026, there started to be regular roadside checks both in Lofoten and Tromsø, specifically focused on whether operators actually hold valid transport permits.

So while the setup might feel normal (because you’ve seen others do it), it’s considered passenger transport under Norwegian law — and requires the proper permits to be legal.

This guide is based on real-world experience running guided tours and workshops in Lofoten and Northern Norway and explains the differences between legal requirements in different counties.

What Counts as Paid Passenger Transport in Norway (Photography Workshops & Tours)

In Norway, you are considered to be providing paid passenger transport if:

  • you transport clients as part of a paid service
  • transport is included in your workshop, tour, or itinerary
  • clients are paying for the overall experience (even if transport is not listed separately)

This applies to:

  • photography workshops and tours
  • northern lights photography tours
  • guided hikes with transport
  • multi-day hiking tours
  • hiking workshops
  • private guided/sightseeing tours 
  • multi-day tours in Norway
  • retreats
IMG 6178.JPG 1

When a Photography Workshop Becomes Paid Transport in Norway

The moment you:

  • pick up clients
  • drive them between locations
  • and include that as part of a paid experience

you are no longer just a photographer, guide or workshop leader.

You are providing paid passenger transport in Norway.

It doesn’t matter if:

  • you call it a “photography workshop”
  • the driving is “just part of the experience”
  • you use a normal 5-seater car, a 9-seater van, or something bigger

Legally, it’s about the service you provide — not what you call it.

Basically, as soon as you include transport in your offer in any way, you are stepping into regulated territory.

Some workshop organizers try to work around this by saying that:

  • “transport is not included”
  • “it’s a complementary service”

It might sound creative, but it doesn’t really change anything from a legal point of view.

If transport is part of the overall experience you’re selling — even indirectly — it is still considered paid passenger transport under Norwegian law.

Now, there are different rules depending on the vehicle size, but the core idea stays the same:
 you need the legal right to transport paying passengers in Norway.

No National License in Norway for 9-Seater Tour Transport

One thing that surprises a lot of people is that there is no national license in Norway that allows you to run guided transport with 9-seater vehicles.

Instead, this is handled at a county level.

That means you need permission from each county where your workshop takes place.

Let’s say your guests:

  • fly into Tromsø
  • you run part of the workshop there
  • continue to Senja
  • and then finish in Lofoten

In that case, you are operating in:

  • Troms (Tromsø + Senja)
  • Nordland (Lofoten)

And you need to comply with the rules in both.

Transport Rules for Photography Workshops in Norway: Troms vs Nordland

Each county can decide how strictly it applies transport regulations to tour operators in Norway.

In practice, that means:

  • In Troms, you are generally required to hold a
     drosjeløyve (taxi operator license Norway)
  • In Nordland, there is currently a system where operators can apply for
     dispensasjon fra krav om drosjeløyve (exemption from the taxi license requirement)

So even though it’s the same country, the rules for running multiday tours & photography workshops in Norway with transport can be completely different depending on where you are.

IMG 6172.JPG 1 1 1

Tromsø (Troms): You Need a Taxi Operator License

If you want to run a photography workshop in Tromsø with transport, you are expected to operate under a: drosjeløyve (taxi operator license)

 

How to Get a Drosjeløyve (Taxi License in Norway for Tour Operators)

To get a taxi operator license in Norway, your company needs to:

  • have a registered Norwegian company
  • appoint a transport manager (transportleder)
  • pass a professional competence exam (in Norwegian, in Norway)
  • document financial standing
  • have clean legal and tax history
  • use vehicles approved for commercial passenger transport
  • have proper insurance

The driver also needs a kjøreseddel (driver approval).

 

Why Running Workshops with Transport in Tromsø Is Difficult 

This setup is designed for:

  • taxi companies
  • transport providers
  • larger operations

—not for someone who:

wants to run a photography workshop once or twice a year and drive a van on the side

In practice, this makes it extremely difficult — especially for foreign operators.

  • the exam is in Norwegian
  • vehicles must be tied to the license
  • rental cars are not allowed

Lofoten (Nordland): You Need an Exemption from Taxi License

Lofoten works differently.

In Nordland, there is now a system where you can apply for:

dispensasjon fra krav om drosjeløyve
 (exemption from the taxi operator license)

This was introduced in 2025 and made things more flexible for small operators running guided experiences.

But it’s important to be clear about one thing:

👉 This doesn’t make things easy
👉 It just makes them slightly easier

 

What the Taxi License Exemption in Lofoten Actually Allows 

The exemption removes some of the biggest barriers from the taxi system.

It means:

  • you do not need to pass the taxi operator exam
  • you do not need a full drosjeløyve setup
  • it is possible to use rental vehicles (like 9-seater vans), as long as they are approved within your setup

That’s a big difference compared to Tromsø.

 

What the Lofoten Exemption Does NOT Allow

Even with the exemption, you are still running regulated passenger transport.

So you still need:

  • a Norwegian-registered company
  • proper insurance covering paid passenger transport
  • approval from the county for your specific operation
  • to operate as a guided experience, not just transport

👉  This means it’s slightly easier to obtain the license in Nordland, but still bureaucratically demanding — to the point that most companies running only one or two workshops per year don’t want to go through the process.

Lofoten vs Tromsø: Transport Rules for Photography Workshops in Norway

👉 In simple terms:

  • Nordland (Lofoten) → transport requires exemption from the taxi license requirement issued by Nordland county
  • Troms (Tromsø) → transport requires full taxi licensing issued by Troms county
  • Nordland & Troms →  you effectively need to comply with both systems, which in practice means operating under full taxi licensing

Compared to Tromsø, Lofoten is slightly more accessible for small workshop operators.

But the reality is still:

  • you need a Norwegian company setup
  • you need to go through an application process
  • and you need to operate within a defined framework

The exemption simply removes the most rigid parts of the taxi system (the need for taxi operator license and using a car that is in your ownership )— but it doesn’t remove the other parts.

Cross-County Workshops (Tromsø → Senja → Lofoten)

If you want to operate across both counties with a 9-seater setup, you are effectively pushed into the drosjeløyve system in both counties.

And this is where things start to fall apart in practice.

In Nordland, there is a requirement coming into force from summer 2026 that vehicles operating under a drosjeløyve must be electric (EV).

👉 Which means:

  • you need licensed vehicles
  • those vehicles need to be electric
  • and they need to be approved under your taxi license from both counties

On paper, that might sound doable. But in reality, it becomes nearly impossible, or at least super expensive, when you need to factor in time to charge the cars and pay the guides for charging. Trust us, we have tried that. 

Therefore, if you want to run:

  • Tromsø + Senja + Lofoten workshops

👉 you’re often pushed toward:
 minibuses (16 seats) with a national license

Requirements for the Driver

This is a separate requirement from the taxi license itself, and it doesn’t matter whether your company operates under a drosjeløyve or an exemption from the taxi license requirement.

Every driver or guide who transports paying clients must have a valid kjøreseddel (driver approval).

To get a kjøreseddel, the driver must:

  • pass the taxi driver theory exam (in Norway)
  • have a clean criminal record
  • meet health requirements
  • (in many cases) have a minimum of 4 years of residence in Norway or the EEA

👉 In practice, this means you can’t just bring a guide or photographer and have them drive clients — they need to be approved as a driver as well.

👉 It’s also highly impractical for most foreign operators. The driver typically needs to be physically in Norway to take the exam first, and only then can the application process begin — which can take 4–6 weeks (or longer) before they are legally allowed to drive guests.

Running Photography Workshops in Norway Legally – How We Can Help

If you’re looking to run a workshop in Lofoten and want to do it properly, we’re happy to help.

We run a local company based in Lofoten and can help you design a setup that actually works within the current rules — whether that’s:

  • building your workshop around a legal 9-seater setup in Nordland
  • or helping you figure out how to structure a multi-location workshop

At the moment:

  • we operate 3 minivans (Toyota ProAce)
  • we have the paperwork in place to legally operate two additional rental vehicles
  • and we are currently working on adding a minibus setup with the required licenses

👉 The goal is to be able to:

  • support larger groups
  • and offer setups that can work across county borders

We also cooperate with trusted partners based in Troms, which makes it possible to split the logistics in a way that actually works in practice.

For example:

  • we take care of the Lofoten & Vesterålen part of your itinerary
  • and our partners handle the Troms section — including Senja, Tromsø, or the Lyngen Alps

That way, you can still run a full Northern Norway workshop without running into licensing issues.

So if you’re unsure how to make your workshop idea work in practice, feel free to reach out — it’s much easier to plan it right from the start than to fix it later.

FAQ – Legal Requirements for Photography Workshops in Norway (Transport, Vans & Licenses)

Yes — if your workshop or tour includes transporting clients, you are providing paid passenger transport and need either a license (drosjeløyve) or an exemption (dispensasjon fra krav om drosjeløyve).
Which one applies depends on the county/counties where you plan to operate.

Not without proper paperwork — absolutely not.
In Troms, rental cars are not allowed for paid passenger transport at all under the drosjeløyve system — even if you have the license in place.
In Nordland, it is possible to use rental vehicles, but only if they are included and approved as part of your exemption setup.
Simply renting a car and driving paying clients is not allowed anywhere in Norway.

Hypothetically yes — in practice, it’s nearly impossible with a 9-seater.
You would need to meet the rules in both Troms and Nordland, which don’t align well.
With a minibus, it’s different — those operate under a national license, so cross-county setups are much easier.

No — that doesn’t change anything.
As soon as you cross into Norway and transport paying clients, Norwegian transport regulations apply.
You still need the proper permits, and you cannot use a rental vehicle for paid transport unless it is part of an approved setup.

Still no.
Splitting clients between cars doesn’t avoid the rules — you’re still transporting paying clients and need the proper permits.
This has already been tried by several companies this winter, assuming it might fly under the radar. It didn’t.
👉 Controls quickly picked up on this, and now all vehicles are checked in the same way — regardless of size or setup.

It’s not just the police doing these checks. Controls are also carried out by Statens vegvesen and Arbeidstilsynet, and they became quite common during the winter season 2025/2026.

If you are operating without the proper permits:

  • you can receive a fine (often up to around 70,000 NOK)
  • you may be required to stop the operation immediately
  • your clients will need to arrange alternative transport on the spot

If you are from outside the EU/EEA, there can be additional consequences, including potential expulsion and restrictions on re-entering Norway or other EU/EEA countries.

If you are from an EU/EEA country, the main consequence is typically the fine and being required to stop operating.

You basically have three options:

  • get the proper setup yourself (exemption from the taxi license requirement – dispensasjon fra krav om drosjeløyve), which allows you to transport clients as part of a guided experience
  • partner up with a local transport or guiding provider who already has the permits in place — we’re happy to help, just contact us
  • or remove transport completely and run it as a self-drive experience where clients arrange their own cars

👉 There isn’t really a shortcut — one of these needs to be in place.

Official Resources – Transport Laws & Tour Operator Rules in Norway

    • https://www.transportloyve.no
      You can use this register to verify whether a company is legally allowed to operate under a taxi license in Norway.