Norway travel money: NOK, cards, cash rights and banknotes

Norwegian kroner and banknotes

Norway’s currency is NOK, the Norwegian krone. Its current banknote series has denominations of 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 kroner. A Norwegian “kr” price is not a Swedish SEK amount. Identify a banknote by the design as well as its value, particularly when using cash kept from an earlier trip. The NOK profile provides the official note illustrations and history.

Your right to pay cash

Since 1 October 2024, consumers have a right to pay cash where a business regularly sells goods or services and another payment method is available at the premises or immediately nearby. The issuer’s guidance excludes vending machines, unstaffed premises, premises open only to a limited group and payments above NOK 20,000. Change must be offered if available, unless the note is clearly disproportionate to the purchase. More than 25 coins of one denomination need not be accepted. These conditions mean that legal tender does not guarantee cash payment at every transport machine or other point of sale.

Keep a second payment method

Norges Bank recommends several payment methods, physical cards and some cash in smaller denominations for disruptions. Apply that to your route: confirm accepted cards with the providers you will use, know your PIN, and keep a second usable payment method separate. Choose your cash buffer from likely cash purchases and withdrawal access. Norwegian contingency advice about domestic BankAxept cards is not a promise that a visitor’s international card will work offline.

The current 1,000 NOK note is still valid

On 29 April 2026, Norges Bank stopped banks ordering new 1,000-kroner banknotes. Its decision explicitly keeps the current note valid, so holders do not have to exchange it. This is different from the older Series VII note with Edvard Munch, which is withdrawn. A valid high-denomination note may still be inconvenient for a small purchase when the seller cannot reasonably provide change.

Redeeming withdrawn notes

As checked on 12 October 2026, Norges Bank redeems withdrawn Norwegian cash at face value without its own exchange fee and currently applies no time limit. The cash-counter option covers Series VII notes only, up to NOK 7,000, at Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Tromsø; bring photo ID and check opening arrangements. Postal submissions or delivery for account payment follow different documentation rules. A foreign receiving account must accept NOK, and recipient or intermediary bank charges can apply. This service redeems withdrawn Norwegian cash; it is not a service for converting valid notes or foreign currency.

NOK or home-currency payment?

Norway’s Consumer Council advises travellers to choose the destination’s local currency rather than an offered merchant or ATM conversion. Applying that guidance to an international visitor here means NOK. For a specific comparison, divide the NOK price by your card’s rate expressed as NOK per one home-currency unit, then include separately charged issuer costs under its terms. Compare with the offered home-currency total in the card/ATM calculator. The calculator models your inputs; it does not know a provider tariff or promise which option will be cheaper.

Compare ATM charges

Check your card’s withdrawal limits and charges, plus any fee displayed by the ATM before you confirm. Decide the NOK cash amount from your itinerary and the payment methods you have checked. When comparing one withdrawal with several, hold the total cash amount constant; otherwise extra spending can be mistaken for a fee difference. Consider the practical effect of carrying cash separately from the arithmetic.

Save your NOK travel budget

Use your actual booking totals and your own estimates for accommodation, food, transport and activities. Daily costs are for the whole group; add one-off costs once. Include prepaid bookings in the cost categories and also mark their already-paid amount. Choose an optional reserve for unpaid costs, then allocate cash in NOK when decided. Separate SEK and NOK stops on a cross-border itinerary. Save explicitly and download an offline conversion card before leaving a connection; its dated reference rate does not update or include your card’s fees.

At the payment screen

If offered conversion into your home currency, compare its rate and markup with your card terms. Choosing local currency avoids that particular conversion service.

Before you leave

Tick what you have prepared. Progress is saved only in this browser.

• Confirm NOK on booking quotes and keep SEK amounts in separate stops.Your own travel budget →
• Check payment methods and carry a physical backup card.Pay by card →
• Use the official designs to identify banknotes left from an older trip.Banknotes and currency history →
• Compare DCC in your home currency with NOK payment under your card terms.Banknotes and currency history →
• Review issuer and ATM charges while keeping the total cash amount constant.Withdraw cash →
• Save your budget and download a dated offline NOK card.Pocket conversion card →