Norway's anti-discrimination law bans ethnicity and nationality questions in job interviews

Norway enforces the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act, which seeks to remove barriers for minorities and women. Section 30 makes it illegal for recruiters to inquire about a candidate’s national origin, ethnicity, religion, immigrant background, language, accent, sexual orientation, political opinions, union affiliation, or plans to have children, both at the interview stage and after hiring. The only permissible language-related query is a skill test directly tied to job requirements.

An exception exists for ethnicity questions when they are essential and must be disclosed in the job posting, such as positions tied to specific religious or political purposes, as explained by SamfunnPrep. Employers may still conduct background checks using publicly available information and must verify the applicant’s right to work in Norway, including work permits or Norwegian ID numbers.