Shops open on Sunday in Norway: groceries, pharmacies and what is open

Updated 30 September 2026. Facts checked against Lovdata, the chains’ own websites and the County Governor.

Short answer: most shops in Norway are closed on Sundays. You can still shop at grocery stores and kiosks with a sales area of up to 100 m², petrol stations up to 150 m², garden centres and florists, cafés and restaurants, campsite shops in season and duty-free shops at the airport. Large supermarkets and shopping centres stay closed, except on the last three Sundays before Christmas Eve (2 pm–8 pm). A few pharmacies in the biggest cities open on Sundays. Shops do not sell beer on Sundays, and Vinmonopolet is closed.

Key facts

What do you need?

• Food on a Sunday: see grocery stores that are open.
• Medicine: see pharmacies open on Sunday.
• Clothes or a shopping centre: see shopping centres and Sundays in December.
• You are visiting Oslo: see Oslo on a Sunday.
• Beer or wine: see alcohol on Sundays.

Why are shops closed on Sundays in Norway?

Every ordinary Sunday is a public holiday under the Public Holidays Act (helligdagsfredloven § 2). Section 5 says that shops selling goods to consumers must stay closed on public holidays. The law lists twelve exceptions. These are the ones that matter when you need to shop:

• shops that mainly sell kiosk goods or groceries and have a sales area of no more than 100 m²;
• petrol stations with a sales area of no more than 150 m²;
• shops at campsites during the camping season;
• sales from cafés and restaurants;
• shops that mainly sell flowers, plants and garden goods;
• shops that mainly sell local crafts and souvenirs;
• duty-free shops in airport terminals;
• shops in areas the County Governor has approved as typical tourist destinations.

The sales area is the floor space where goods are on display; storage and staff rooms do not count. A shop must be able to document its size and keep the documentation on site (Lovdata, checked 30.09.2026).

Which grocery stores are open on Sunday?

Only small stores can open, so on a Sunday you shop at neighbourhood stores and kiosks, not at the big supermarkets.

• Joker: 240 Joker stores open on Sundays. Most open in the morning and stay open into the evening, but hours differ from store to store (joker.no, updated 27.10.2025).
• Bunnpris: the chain keeps its own list of Sunday-open stores on bunnpris.no (checked 30.09.2026).
• Supermarkets: most Kiwi, Rema 1000, Coop and Meny stores are larger than 100 m² and must close. A few have a separate Sunday section under 100 m², for example Extra søndagsåpent in Sandnes.
• Self-service stores: some small stores open without staff, using an app or a card. They follow the same 100 m² rule. Check the opening hours on the listing.

Tip: search for «søndagsåpen» (Norwegian for “open on Sunday”) plus your neighbourhood, or use the listings below. Every listing shows the opening hours.

Kiosks and petrol stations

Kiosks fall under the same 100 m² rule as grocery stores, so kiosk chains such as Narvesen and 7-Eleven may open on Sundays. Petrol stations may open if the sales area is no more than 150 m² (§ 5 no. 2). Expect a smaller range and higher prices than in a supermarket.

Which pharmacies are open on Sunday?

Most pharmacies close on Sundays, but the largest cities have pharmacies that open.

• Oslo: Vitusapotek Jernbanetorget, just outside Oslo Central Station, is open 24 hours every day. Vitusapotek also opens on Sundays at Byporten, at Oslo Airport and in Sandvika.
• Other cities: Vitusapotek has Sunday-open pharmacies in Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, Kristiansand and Tromsø.

Sunday hours differ from pharmacy to pharmacy (vitusapotek.no, checked 30.09.2026), so check before you go. For urgent medical help, call the out-of-hours service (legevakt) on 116 117. More: healthcare in Norway.

Bakeries, cafés and restaurants

Cafés and restaurants are exempt from the closing rule (§ 5 no. 5), so bakeries with seating may open and sell bread and pastries on Sundays. See bakeries in Oslo and cafés in Oslo; each listing shows the opening hours.

Florists and garden centres

Shops that mainly sell flowers, plants and garden goods may open on Sundays (§ 5 no. 9), so garden centres can stay open. Check the hours of each shop: florists and garden centres in Oslo.

Are shopping centres open on Sunday?

No. Shopping centres and clothing, electronics and furniture stores close on Sundays and public holidays. Inside a shopping centre, a small grocery store, a kiosk or a café may still open if it meets one of the exceptions. The other exception is the last three Sundays before Christmas Eve, see below.

Sunday shopping in December

All shops may open on the last three Sundays before Christmas Eve between 2 pm and 8 pm (§ 5, third paragraph). In 2026 these are 6, 13 and 20 December. Each shop decides whether to open. Opening hours at Christmas and on other holidays: what is open on public holidays.

Oslo on a Sunday: what is open?

Oslo is not a “typical tourist destination” under the law. The city applied for Sunday opening on Karl Johans gate and the side streets, but the County Governor rejected the application on 29 October 2025, because the area is in the middle of the city centre (HK-nytt, 29.10.2025). Shops in the centre follow the normal rules. On a Sunday you will find:

• small grocery stores and kiosks around Oslo Central Station and in the neighbourhoods;
• a 24-hour pharmacy at Jernbanetorget;
• cafés and restaurants.

Can you buy beer or wine on Sunday?

Not in shops. Beer and other drinks with up to 4.7 % alcohol cannot be sold on Sundays, public holidays, 1 May and 17 May (Alcohol Act § 3-7), and Vinmonopolet is closed. Bars and restaurants with a licence can serve alcohol on Sundays. Times and rules: alcohol in Norway.

Tips for visitors

• Do your shopping on Saturday. On Saturdays shops stop selling beer at 3 pm unless the municipality has extended the time (to 6 pm at the latest) (Alcohol Act § 3-7).
• Small Sunday stores cost more than supermarkets. See food prices in Norway.
• Campsite shops are often open during the season.
• Duty-free shops at the airport may open: tax free and customs allowances.

Sunday-open stores and pharmacies in our directory

The listings show addresses and opening hours, including Sundays. All stores: Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger; pharmacies: Oslo, Bergen.

People also ask

• Are shops open on Sunday in Norway?
• Are Rema 1000 and Kiwi open on Sunday?
• Why is everything closed on Sunday in Norway?
• Which pharmacy is open on Sunday in Oslo?
• Are shopping centres open on Sunday?
• When can shops open on Sundays before Christmas?
• Can you buy beer on a Sunday in Norway?
• Are the shops on Karl Johans gate open on Sunday?
• Are bakeries open on Sunday?
• Are garden centres open on Sunday?

Sources

All links checked on 30.09.2026.

• Lovdata: Public Holidays Act (last amended 01.06.2021), § 2 and § 5 (Norwegian)
• Lovdata: Alcohol Act § 3-7, sales hours for beer (Norwegian)
• Joker: over 200 Joker stores open on Sundays (updated 27.10.2025, Norwegian)
• Bunnpris: Sunday-open stores (Norwegian)
• Vitusapotek: pharmacies open on Sunday (Norwegian)
• Vitusapotek: 24-hour pharmacy (Norwegian)
• HK-nytt: Karl Johan will not get Sunday opening (29.10.2025, Norwegian)
• FriFagbevegelse: Oslo city council voted for Sunday-open shops (19.12.2024, Norwegian)

Reader experiences

Do you know a Sunday-open store that is missing from our directory, or have the opening hours changed? Tell us in the comments at the bottom of the page and we will update the listing.