💻 IT in Oslo and Trondheim: where to look and how to get started as a foreigner
If you are considering the capital region and the ‘technology capital’ for a month or two, this guide will save you time. We will review job sites, the reality of English-speaking teams, work formats, and convenient areas without a car. Finally, we will provide a quick itinerary for the first two weeks.
🔎 Where to look for IT jobs in Oslo and Trondheim?
Start with FINN Jobb (filters by city/format) and Arbeidsplassen/NAV — especially for large employers and state-owned companies.
Look for start-up roles on The Hub (convenient to filter by location and role type) and on the Startuplab Jobs board (lots of product vacancies; you can see ‘On-site/Remote’). For guidance on hubs and co-working spaces in the capital, keep a map from Oslo Business Region handy. In Trondheim, the DIGS and Trondheim Tech Port communities are useful — they often host events and networking opportunities, which can lead to job offers. Subscribe to alerts and save 3–5 ‘anchor’ companies
🗣️ Is English sufficient to start an IT career in these cities?
The level of English in IT is high here: the capital city received a ‘very high’ rating in the EF EPI 2024, confirming that it is comfortable to work in international teams. When starting out, focus on product companies and the start-up ecosystem, where English is more often the primary language. Read the description carefully: clear markers are ‘working language: English,’ international stack holding, and documentation in English. In the public sector and client roles, norsk is often required: an example is a NAV vacancy marked ‘Arbeidsspråk: Norsk.’ It is convenient to filter English-language offers on The Hub and the Startuplab board (there are tags by format).
👩💻 What roles are most often open to foreigners (junior/mid)?
Mostly mid-level in product/cloud/data: backend/frontend, DevOps/SRE, data/BI, ML engineers, product/UX in English-speaking teams. Junior positions are less common, but keep an eye on large private companies, internship tracks and roles in startups through Startuplab and The Hub (internships/graduate positions appear there regularly). For reference, check out The Hub's feed for Trondheim and Startuplab's job listings — even if the location is listed as Oslo, many allow hybrid/remote work. There are junior positions in the public sector, but they often require Norwegian language skills.
🏙️ Which areas are convenient for an IT specialist to live in for a month and have a quick commute?
Oslo.
- Bjørvika/Barcode — walking distance to Oslo S and offices, close to Deichman (main library with late-night access).
- Nydalen — campus area with offices and metro; 10–15 minutes from the centre by T-bane.
- Lysaker/Fornebu — many tech employers; convenient train/bus connections.
- Travel pass: 30-day Ruter for zone 1 — 985 kroner (adult, as of 13 August 2025). Coworking spaces with daily rates — Mesh Youngstorget/Nationaltheatret (day pass), flexible — Regus/Spaces; tech hub Rebel, as well as Oslo Science Park/Startuplab.
Trondheim.
- For NTNU/SINTEF, choose Gløshaugen, Lerkendal, Moholt — you can live without a car and get there using AtB (metro buses/Gråkallbanen tram).
- A 30-day AtB ticket for zone 1 costs 926 kroner (adult, as of 13 August 2025).
- For work — DIGS (community and workspaces) and Trondheim Tech Port events. Evening study/work — the main library and several branches with extended hours (access by agreement until 23:00).
🗺️ Quick route for 2 weeks
- Set up alerts on FINN, NAV, The Hub + 5–7 ‘solid’ companies.
- Book a day pass at Mesh (Oslo) or visit DIGS (Trondheim) — for meetings and focus.
- Buy a 30-day travel pass: Ruter zone 1 — 985 NOK, AtB zone 1 — 926 NOK.
- During interviews, ask about core hours, frequency of office days, and the language of documentation/rituals (retro, demo).
- In the evening, head to Deichman (Oslo) or branches with extended hours (Trondheim) for quiet work.
The capital region and ‘technology capital’ are friendly to engineers and product guys — especially if you're aiming for English-speaking teams and products. Make a short list of companies, set up a routine (co-working + travel), ask questions about the format/language — and in a couple of weeks you will have a clear map of the market and your first interviews lined up.
