How to Apply for Foreign Marine Scientific Research in Norwegian Maritime Areas
Foreign marine scientific research in Norway’s territorial waters, economic zones and on the continental shelf requires consent from the Directorate of Fisheries.
Application form
Download the application form:
Applications should be addressed to:
The Directorate of Fisheries
PB 185 Sentrum
N-5804 Bergen
Email: postmottak@fiskeridir.no
Important: The application must be sent through official channels, usually via the respective country's embassy in Oslo.
The rules on foreign marine scientific research are based on Part XIII of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, with detailed regulations outlined in the Regulations on foreign marine scientific research (lovdata.no - in Norwegian only).
Any general queries regarding the regulations may be addressed to the Legal Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (regjeringen.no).
Application process
Processing of Applications
The Directorate of Fisheries receives and processes applications for marine scientific research in Norwegian maritime areas.
The Directorate forwards applications concerning research on the continental shelf to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate. In contrast, those involving port call or entry into Norwegian territorial waters are forwarded to the Norwegian Armed Forces. These two agencies decide on this part of the application.
Consent to engage in marine scientific research is considered to be granted when the Directorate of Fisheries has notified the applicant of this. Hence, the Directorate of Fisheries sends Norway's official response to the researching state.
Most applications meet the required conditions and consents are granted.
Obligations and Data Sharing
The researching states must provide the Directorate of Fisheries with final results and conclusions within six months of the cruise. If this is not possible, a preliminary report must be provided instead.
The Directorate publishes expedition reports and research results on this website.