AWC Oslo - Alcohol in Norway (2024)

FAQs

AWC Oslo - Alcohol in Norway? ›

You have to be 18 years old to buy alcohol (wine, beer) but 20 to purchase hard liquor (anything with an alcohol content of 22%). Most bars and clubs have an age restriction, usually 20-21 years of age.

Alcohol. To buy wine or beer in Norway, the minimum age is 18, 20 for spirits. Beer can be found in most supermarkets, but is only sold before 8 pm on weekdays and 6 pm on Saturdays. For wine, spirits or strong beer, you must visit Vinmonopolet, the state alcohol monopoly shops, found in most large cities and towns.

In Norway, drinking in public is forbidden and punishable by fines. In many places, the police will primarily respond if alcohol is being used to cause disturbance, and drinking in parks is relatively frequent. Police will simply request that the drinker empty the bottle.

“Norway has strict alcohol laws in place to ensure responsible drinking and minimize alcohol-related problems. The state-owned monopoly, Vinmonopolet, plays a crucial role in regulating the availability of alcohol and preventing excessive consumption.”

These taxes make all alcohol relatively much more expensive than you would see in the UK or USA, for example. The reason given by the government is that they want to discourage excessive alcohol consumption. Critics say it's simply a tax grab.

Grocery stores sell beer and cider but are not permitted to sell anything above 4.7% alcohol content, and are only allowed to sell alcohol before 8 PM on weekdays and before 6 PM on Saturdays and not at all on Sundays and some holidays including Ascension Day (Kristi himmelfartsdag), the eves of Christmas (jul) and New ...

There are no restrictions on traveler's checks. The question of how much alcohol can be brought into Norway is of interest to many vacationers. Up to 2 liters of beer, up to 1 liter of spirits (up to 60%), up to 1 liter of wine (up to 22%), or up to 2 liters of wine if no spirits are imported are duty-free.

Aquavit is spelled “akevitt” in Norwegian and is the country's most popular spirit.

Texas-made Tito's Handmade Vodka has secured new distribution deals in Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Finland and Norway.

Yes, A glass of wine in a restaurant is around 70 KR; a cup of Irish Coffee for example is around 80 kr. An OK and cheap bottle of wine in Vinmonopolet (the only store in Norway where you can buy alcohol that is more than 5%) costs around that price too. So as you can see it's a lot more expensive to drink and eat out.

Is it expensive to eat out in Norway? ›

The cost of a trip to Norway can vary greatly, depending on the choices you make about where to stay and what to do. For example, eating out for each meal will definitely increase your Norway vacation cost significantly. Whereas cooking for yourself can lower your budget dramatically.

Not the most expensive anymore

Norway does not top the list of the most expensive countries in Europe, moreover, Oslo is no longer on the top 20 list of the most expensive cities in the world, according to Mercer's exhaustive 2023 cost of living city rankings.

Saudi Arabia is not the only nation that bans alcohol sales: Kuwait has prohibited the sale and purchase of all liquor within its borders since 1965—a move that at the time caused the death or hospitalization of hundreds of citizens as they instead drank perfume and rubbing alcohol, Time reported—and the laws still ...

Alcohol laws are very strict, and penalties from driving under the influence are severe. The legal limit is 0,02% blood alcohol and applies to the driver of any motorized vehicle.

In 2004, Norway became one of the first countries to introduce a national smoking ban. Smoking and vaping are banned in all bars, restaurants, government buildings, and offices, although there is an exemption for some private clubs if no food is served. There is no ban on smoking in vehicles or outdoors.