Alcohol in Norway: when can you buy beer, where do you buy wine, and what is the drinking age?

Updated 26.09.2026. Facts checked against the Norwegian Directorate of Health, Vinmonopolet, the Norwegian Tax Administration and the police.

Short answer: Beer with up to 4.7 % alcohol is sold in grocery stores until 8 pm on weekdays and 6 pm on Saturdays and the day before public holidays. Wine and spirits are sold only at Vinmonopolet – usually open 10 am–6 pm on weekdays and 10 am–4 pm on Saturdays. On Sundays and public holidays shops do not sell alcohol. The age limit is 18 for beer and wine and 20 for spirits.

Key facts

What applies to you?

• You want to buy beer for the evening: see beer in shops – mind the times.
• You want to buy wine or spirits: see Vinmonopolet.
• It is Sunday or a public holiday: see public holidays – then you can only buy at bars and restaurants.
• You are bringing alcohol into Norway: see the customs allowance.
• You are going to drive: see the drink-driving limit.

When can you buy beer in a shop?

Grocery stores may sell drinks with at most 4.7 % alcohol – ordinary beer, cider and alcopops. Under the Alcohol Act they may not sell after 8 pm on weekdays and after 6 pm on days before Sundays and public holidays, usually Saturdays. On Sundays, public holidays and 1 and 17 May there are no sales. The municipality can set shorter hours (Directorate of Health, checked 26.09.2026).

What beer costs in shops and at pubs is in our guide to food prices.

Vinmonopolet: where do you buy wine and spirits?

Wine, strong beer above 4.7 % and spirits are sold in shops only by Vinmonopolet (Alcohol Act, Directorate of Health). Usual opening hours are Monday–Friday 10 am–6 pm and Saturday 10 am–4 pm, but they vary between stores – check your store at vinmonopolet.no (Vinmonopolet, checked 26.09.2026). Since 2021 all Vinmonopolet stores may stay open until 4 pm on Saturdays.

Vinmonopolet is closed on Sundays and public holidays, 1 and 17 May and Christmas Eve (Directorate of Health). Stores in our directory:

• Vinmonopolet in Oslo
• Vinmonopolet in Bergen
• Vinmonopolet in Trondheim
• Vinmonopolet in Stavanger
• Vinmonopolet in Tromsø
• Vinmonopolet in Ålesund

Video: Vinmonopolet in six minutes (Vinmonopolet, 6:01, in Norwegian)

Age limit: how old do you have to be to buy alcohol?

• 18: to buy or be served drinks with less than 22 % alcohol – beer, wine and cider.
• 20: for drinks with 22 % alcohol or more – spirits.

The limits apply both in shops and in bars and restaurants (Directorate of Health, checked 26.09.2026). Have your ID ready – you may be asked to show it.

How late can bars serve alcohol?

Normal serving hours are 8 am–1 am for beer and wine and 1 pm–midnight for spirits. The municipality can extend them, but beer and wine may never be served between 3 am and 6 am, and spirits never between 3 am and 1 pm. Each municipality sets its own serving hours (Directorate of Health, checked 26.09.2026).

Bars and nightlife: nightlife in Norway and craft bars and pubs.

Why is alcohol so expensive in Norway?

Alcohol and tobacco cost 104 % more than the EU average in 2025 (SSB). One important reason is duty. In 2026 the alcohol duty is NOK 5.41 per volume percent per litre for drinks with 4.7–22 % alcohol and NOK 9.23 for spirits (Norwegian Tax Administration). For drinks with 3.7–4.7 % the duty is NOK 24.20 per litre.

Worked out, that is about NOK 49 in duty on a bottle of wine (0.75 l, 12 %), about NOK 258 on a bottle of spirits (0.7 l, 40 %) and about NOK 12 on half a litre of beer – plus VAT (our example calculation).

Can you buy alcohol on Sundays and public holidays?

Not in shops: grocery stores cannot sell beer, and Vinmonopolet is closed on Sundays and public holidays, 1 and 17 May. On the day before a Sunday or public holiday, beer sales stop at 6 pm. At bars and restaurants with a serving licence you can still buy alcohol within the municipality's serving hours (Directorate of Health). Other shop opening hours are in our guide to opening hours.

How much alcohol can you bring into Norway?

The allowance for alcohol and tobacco, the age limits and tax free are in our guide to tax free and customs allowances. If you bring more than the allowance, you must use the red zone and pay duty.

Drink-driving limit

The blood alcohol limit in Norway is 0.2 per mille. If you drive over the limit, you will usually lose your driving licence; at higher levels you may be fined or imprisoned (police, checked 26.09.2026). More about driving in Norway: AutoPASS, road tolls and driving.

Photos: Vinmonopolet, shops and bars

People also ask

• What time can you buy alcohol in Norway?
• How late can you buy beer on Saturday?
• Can you buy alcohol in Norway on Sunday?
• Where can I buy wine in Norway?
• When is Vinmonopolet open?
• Where is the nearest Vinmonopolet?
• Where to buy alcohol in Oslo?
• What is the drinking age in Norway?
• How old do you have to be to buy beer?
• How old do you have to be to buy spirits?
• How late are bars open?
• Why is alcohol so expensive in Norway?
• How much is the alcohol duty?
• How much alcohol can I bring to Norway?
• What is the drink-driving limit in Norway?

Sources

All links checked 26.09.2026.

• Directorate of Health: sales hours for beer in shops (Alcohol Act § 3-7)
• Directorate of Health: sales hours for Vinmonopolet (§ 3-4)
• Directorate of Health: age limits (§ 1-5)
• Directorate of Health: serving hours (§ 4-4)
• Vinmonopolet
• Vinmonopolet: open until 4 pm on Saturdays (05.03.2021)
• Norwegian Tax Administration: alcohol duty (2026 rates)
• Statistics Norway: comparison of price levels in Europe (19.06.2026)
• Police: alcohol, drugs and roadside checks

Readers' experiences

Did you find Vinmonopolet closed, or miss the beer sales hours? Tell us the city and the time in the comments at the bottom of the page. We use your experiences when we update this guide.