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If you’re planning on moving from the UK to another country, you might like to consider relocating to Norway. Deemed as the best country to reside in by the UN Development program, there are plenty of reasons why moving to Norway might be the best decision you’ll ever make.

Norway is rich with staggering and natural landscapes that flaunt stunning mountain peaks and fjords while offering its residents a high quality of living at the same time. Aside from this, it also has some of the best global winter sports that you’ll enjoy and have access to whenever you can.

If you plan to move to Norway, it’s best to consider a Schengen visa. A Schengen visa allows non-Schengen residents to freely travel to Norway and other nearby countries in the Schengen area without visa-free travel agreements. You may also have to apply for a visa for a worker, especially if you can see yourself furthering your career in the country. Having a visa is essential, particularly if you’re moving to Norway for permanent residence or in hopes of advancing your studies and career.

Whatever your intentions are, moving to a new country can be quite an exciting and dauntless experience to go through. That said, it’s important that you do prior research about the things you can expect before relocating. Here are some of them.

1. Opening a bank account can be tough.

You can expect that opening a bank account in Norway can be a real challenge, especially if you don’t have a permanent Norwegian address or ID number in the country. The dilemma here is that before renting a place in Norway, you would first need a bank account, and to get an ID number, you will have to require an address. This situation can be quite frustrating, so you may need to depend on an overseas bank account during your first few months of stay in the country.

2. It doesn’t snow that much.

It was mentioned earlier that Norway is home to some of the best winter sports globally, but the truth of the matter is that snow doesn’t usually come to Norway until late winter. In fact, Trondheim tends to be snowless up until December, and even if snow does fall, it usually doesn’t last as long as you’d typically expect on the ground. Even so, it’s a different story for rural and mountain areas!

3. Getting a place to live is costly.

Before moving to Norway, you may have already had your eyes set on the best place to live; regardless, funding it can still prove to be difficult for you.

Renting a house, apartment, or room in Norway typically requires you to splurge cash. Many landlords tend to require deposits that are equal to three months’ worth of rent, alongside the first month’s rent in advance before they agree to sign a contract.

4. Cash is on its way out.

Despite the recently-launched banknotes, the country is – in fact – on its way to becoming a cashless society.

For so long, residents have been using credit and debit cards to pay even for the most minimal of purchases. This is only intensified by the steady growth of mobile payment services, which paved the way for market traders and small businesses to accept digital payments and cashless transactions. While cash is still accepted in most parts of the country, you can expect this not to persist for much longer.

5. Beer is prohibited after 8 pm.

Unlike in other countries, you aren’t allowed to buy beer when it’s past eight in the evening. Norway maintains strict alcohol regulations, with supermarkets being allowed to sell beers that have at least 4.7% alcohol content up to 8 pm on weekdays, 6 pm every Saturday, and never on Sundays.

However, stronger wines and beers can still be purchased from Vinmonopolet, though they tend to have shorter opening hours than supermarkets.

6. Get ready to adjust your everyday routine.

Norwegians usually eat a light lunch early in the day, somewhere between 11 am and noon. Some canteens are also open until 12 noon, with the majority closing by 1 pm.

Moreover, dinners are also eaten between the hours of 4 to 6 pm, and restaurants tend to be at their busiest from 5 to 7 pm. If this is the case in the cities, you can expect to find a place to dine in after 9 pm, especially in smaller towns.