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Dating In Norway: Everything You Need To Know (Tips)

Written by Benjamin Simard

Last updated on April 15th, 2022

Table of contents:

What Is It Like Dating A Norwegian Woman?
How Do You Impress A Norwegian Woman?
Will Dating In Norway End In Marriage?
Best Places To Find Dates In Norway?

As a foreigner in Norway, Norwegians may come across as cold and distant, especially if you’re from extroverted countries like the U.S., Canada, or the U.K. The locals in Norway just want to go about their business without ‘unnecessary’ small talk. The country is a lot like its other Scandinavian neighbors, where people don’t expect you to be suddenly interested in strangers. So, most Norwegians keep to their small circle of friends. Norway is located in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic Island of the archipelago of Svalbard and Jan Mayen form part of Norway. The mainland territory comprises the most northern and western portions of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The latest UN data shows that there are currently about 5,465,144 living in Norway. For comparison, the Norwegian population is around 1/8 of California’s population. The majority of the Norwegians are educated and independent at an early stage, and there is not much difference between men and women. Thus, you can argue the country’s economy is in the hands of a highly educated population. The country is also fairly small in landmass, with a total area of 385,207 square kilometers. Norway has one of the most thriving economies in the world, however, controlled by government spending and taxes.

In 2019, Oslo, the Norwegian capital, was ranked the third city in a list of Europe’s 50 best cities for singles. A 52.9% of the single-person households were recorded in the Norwegian capital, which is one of the highest proportions in Europe. And about 31% of residents in Oslo say they use dating apps – a huge number of ‘shy’ singles. Norway is one of the smallest countries in Europe where you can find that huge number of singles. Your chances of finding a single Norwegian woman improve when you stay closer to major cities like Oslo. Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, or Kristiansand. According to Big 7 Travel, a global website that lists the best towns for finding dates in Europe, Oslo is one of the best to visit if you are looking for someone special to date, either for an evening or even long term. Demographically, there are about 2.72 million men and 2.67 million women currently living in Norway, according to Statista. Thus in Norway, you find more single men than women, and there are more male single-person households than there are female single-person households.

Hence, it explains why single women in Norway are scarce and why dating can be difficult for men, especially foreigners. But with a better understanding of where and how to approach a Norwegian woman, you’ll enjoy one of the best dating experiences in Europe. Regarding looks and appearances, Norwegian women are mostly slender, tall, and fitness enthusiasts. They have small chins and have pale white skin. Contrary to the stereotype, blonde hair isn’t the only dominating hair color in the country. There are many Norwegian women with brunette, black, and sandy blonde hair. An accurate stereotype, however, is that Norwegians are pretty conformists, especially regarding how they dress. You can pretty much find 20 out of 40 people in a train station dressed in the same way and with almost all the women styling their hairs the same way. An interesting thing about the Norweigan people is that they are super tolerant. And even though they don’t like small talks, they do like mingling with foreigners who share some of their ways and culture (Other People From Scandinavia), especially during major celebrations.

What Is It Like Dating A Norwegian Woman?

When you visit Norway, one of the first impressions you’ll get is that Norwegians are cold and distant. Everyone is about their business and will only engage a stranger if there’s a relevant reason. Norwegians, in general, aren’t used to small talks and might not be too eager to engage in one with a stranger. They are, however, polite and will reply when spoken to, but that’s the best you can expect – a reply. Although, the interesting thing is that all those seemingly standoffish attitude goes down with the sun. A Norwegian woman WILL talk to you when she’s enjoying a drink at a bar or nightclub. Not only will she talk to you, but she’ll also try to “pick you up” if she fancies you. Drinking is a huge part of the lifestyle in Norway, and that’s the only time you can break the ice with a Norwegian woman when you meet her for the first time. Also, Norwegian women don’t play unnecessary dating games; if she wants you, there’ll be no mixed signals. Expressing her feelings later on is where the confusion comes. If she’s playing the “hard to get” game, it’s either because you approached her at the wrong place and time or she doesn’t like you at all.

However, the last thing to expect from your new Norwegian girlfriend is “I love you.” That comes LATER on. Norwegians don’t throw the word love around as people do in most other European and North American counties. A Brit will call a stranger “love” as a pet name even before knowing a thing about the person. You can bet that a Norwegian woman will find it super awkward if you called her love when you’ve only just met. That said, dating and sex are super casual for Norwegians. They don’t see dating as a big deal, and most certainly, they don’t think they have to date you to have sex with you. Their attitude towards dating is pretty much the same as when it comes to marriage. Norwegians marry later on in their lives. In 2020, the average Norwegian man married at the age of 39, while the average Norwegian woman marries at the age of 36. What comes first for most locals in Norway is career and accomplishments. Family and children are often secondary.

While dating and sex are taken lightly with zero stigmas attached to who’s instigating, marriage and committed relationships are taken very seriously. Most Norwegians don’t make long-term friends outside their small circle, often dating back to grade school because they tend not to move far from where the city they were born. Another reason is that if a Norwegian considers you a friend, you are also more of a partner, and you won’t have to question their loyalty. While this is a generalization, it is mostly accurate. Expats who made friends in Norway keep confirming it. Norwegian women are very independent and don’t expect much from men. What they do expect is to be treated as equals. Women’s inclusiveness in Norway pretty much started in 1913 (when women were allowed their voting rights), so Norway is one of the leading European countries when it comes to equal rights between men and women. Say anything sexist to a Norwegian woman, and that could be the last conversation she’ll have with you.

How Do You Impress A Norwegian Woman?

To impress a Norwegian woman is to be straightforward, polite, and confident. While that might sound inefficient and a default answer to the question, it is pretty much that simple for the Norwegians. Pickup lines and grandiose charming moves are a waste of time if you’re trying to impress a single Norwegian woman. Since they are mostly used to blunt straightforwardness, approaching a Norwegian woman with a pickup line will often tell that you’re not being yourself. The rule or culture is to be polite in your manner but brutally direct with what you think and want. And your best option for success with a Norwegian woman is over drinks. If you met her during the day, suggest meeting her at a bar she’s comfortable with. When you meet up, drop all those macho approaches recommended on YouTube. If she feels like you’re talking to her as “the weaker gender,” she’ll get on the defensive, and all your chances go down the drain.

In most countries, the usual dating etiquette is to go on multiple dates (often three and above) before sex. But in Norway, the reverse is the case. Norwegians take dating seriously, and they’ll only do dinner nights with someone they are intimate with – not a stranger trying to get to know them. You don’t ask a Norwegian woman out on a dinner date; you ask to meet up for drinks. And if anything is going to come out of the “date,” it often starts with sex, i.e., you can expect sex after the first or second date. Also, if you wake up next to your Norwegian ‘hook up’ after a hot evening – whatever happened the previous night is pretty much in the past. Even if she decides to stay a little before leaving, it doesn’t mean that the sex will lead to anything more than that. When sex leads to dinner, it’s becoming an intimate relationship. A couple of more dinners, sex, and hanging out makes you a couple.

A Norwegian woman won’t expect you to ask her to be your girlfriend, but if she’s having multiple dinners with you, then you’re pretty much her boyfriend. While this might be the norm everywhere else, the difference with Norwegian women is that they might not necessarily make it dramatic. Or, to put it differently – the casualness of the sex is not always the same as dating. In most other countries, when a date to get to the sex stage, you are into something serious, while with Norwegian women, you can classify it as more of a maybe. Another point worth mentioning regarding dinners is that you can expect a Norwegian woman to insist on splitting the bill or even offer to pay for the whole cost. Norwegian women are generally liberal-minded and will take the initiative if she likes you. There’s no stigma in Norway about women approaching men. There’s also no pressure attached to dating, but if you want a serious relationship with a Norwegian woman, you’ll have better luck with older women (over 35) than with the under 25s. The next section fully explains the reason why.

Will Dating In Norway End In Marriage?

Norway is economically buoyant, and a majority of the population maintains a high standard of living. People buying their first house in their 20s isn’t uncommon, but it’s not because of the country’s economic strength alone. Norwegians are notorious for putting their career and independence first before marriage and kids. They don’t even see marriage as the end goal of dating, which is a major contribution to the current marriage rate in the country. Also, unlike other countries where women often get married for socio-economic reasons, the average Norwegian woman marries after she feels accomplished enough. Nordic women are equally financially independent as their men, so your financial strength might not always impress her. And since there are several government benefits in favor of single mothers, a kid with a Nordic woman won’t make her consider marriage likewise.

Most Norwegians get married in their middle and late 30s because they spend their 20s pursuing their careers and enjoying the best of independent life. Norwegians, like other Scandinavian countries, aren’t big on marriage, especially early marriage. The average Nordic couple has three kids, whether married or not. Paternal leave is given to fathers to care for their kids while mothers can go back to work. This is a common trend in the country that has remained for a long time. Nevertheless, like their neighbors, the Swedes, the chances of ending up in marriage with your 20-something-year-old Nordic girlfriend is very slim. Even the 30-somethings aren’t all looking to get married. A lot of Norwegians wait till their 40s to get married, and a lot more never do get married. The safest move is to make your intentions known at the early stages of the relationship. If she isn’t looking to get married, you’ll know it – no games.

While Norwegians marry super late, they’re not so big on divorce compared to their neighbors in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. The country has one of the fairly lowest divorce rates in Europe. Norwegians love their personal independence, but they are also usually committed in their marriages. A typical Norwegian is conservative about marriage and will often stick with one marriage partner. It’s very unlikely to find practices like ‘open marriages’ in Norway. The popular belief and practice are to remain faithful to one spouse, so cheating and affairs are always frowned at. But divorce isn’t a societal taboo, and people remarry too. In 2020, there were about 10.1 divorces per thousand married couples as well as separated men, and 9.3 divorces per thousand married and separated women, according to Statista. Perhaps, the divorce rate is low because their marriage rate is low, since, in 2020, there were only about 13,840 contracted marriages in the country, according to Databank.

Best Places To Find Dates In Norway?

Although Norwegians are generally reserved and shy around strangers, they are very friendly and super sociable in the ‘right settings.’ There are better chances of meeting single women in big cities like Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim. Norwegians have a strong drinking culture, and that’s usually the only time they aren’t reserved and shy for small talks. If you’re in Oslo, to meet a bubbling crowd of diverse Norwegian locals, head to Lawo at Universitetsgata 26, Ingensteds at Brenneriveien 9, Herr Nilsen at C. J. Hambros plass 5, Jæger at Grensen 9, and Skaugum at Solligaten 2. Other great places to find dates in Oslo include Blå at Brenneriveien 9C, Nox at Henrik Ibsens Gate 100, The Villa at Møllergata 23, Oslo Mekaniske Verksted at Tøyenbekken 34, Kulturhuset at Youngs Gate 6, Dattera til Hagen at Grønland 10, Stratos at Youngstorget 2, Café Sara at Hausmanns Gate 29, Aye Aye Club at Storgata 9, Dr. Jekyll’s Pub at Klingenberggata 4, and Parkteatret at Olaf Ryes plass 11. If you’re looking for a one-night stand, you’ll have better luck at Oslo nightclubs than their bars.

Bergen is another great city to find dates in Norway. It’s is a busy city, and those that’ll rather go out for fun than scroll through dating apps can also be found in bars and nightclubs. However, to improve your chances of a one-night stand, you should choose any of the bars or nightclubs closer to where you stay in town. To meet a great number of girls that are out to party in Bergen, head down to Ricks AS at Chr. Michelsens Gate 10, Inside Live & Rock Cafe at Vaskerelvsmauet 7, Landmark at Rasmus Meyers allé 5, and Vaskeriet at Magnus Barfots gate 4. You can as well check out Østre at Østre Skostredet 3, Sjøboden Bergen at Bryggen 29, Apollon at Nygårdsgaten 2A, Hectors Hybel at Vaskerelven 14, Logehaven at Øvre Ole Bulls plass 6, and Kråken at Vaskerelven 6. There are tons of nightclubs and bars in Bergen, but the ones above are some of the most vibrant. Suppose none of them is closer to you. In that case, you can try Vaskeriet at Magnus Barfots Gate 4, Magic Ice Bar at C. Sundts gate 50, Last Monkey at Bankgaten 6, The Library Bar at Vetrlidsallmenningen 2, No Stress at Hollendergaten 11.

If you’re in Trondheim or anywhere close to the city, there are fantastic bars and nightclubs you’ll want to check out to find fun-loving Norwegian women. The city has a total population of 210,000, which might seem small but is one of the most populated cities in the country. Head down to Downtown at Nordre gate 28, Diskoteket at Carl Johans gate 3, The Mint at Nordre gate 21, Studio 26 at Nordre gate 26, Fire Fine at Verftsgata 2B, Moskus at Olav Tryggvasons Gate 5, Trondhjem Mikrobryggeri at Prinsens gate 39, and Fru Lundgreen at Kjøpmannsgata 50. You can also check out Barmuda Solsiden at 9 TMV-Kaia, Three Lions English Pub at 12 b Brattørgata, Provincialen at Kongens gate 3, Heidi’s Bier Bar at 7042, TMV-Kaia 17, Bar Circus at lav Tryggvasons gate 27. That said, irrespective of which city, bar, or nightclub you’re in, what matters is to be relaxed and straightforward. With a couple of drinks, if a Norwegian woman likes, you won’t have to say much.