Ship & forget

Do I need to fill out a booking form before shipping?

No — that's specifically what we don't make you do. Other Norwegian forwarders (JetCarrier and similar) require you to pre-register every incoming package: seller, category from a cascading dropdown, sub-category, item description, USD price, tracking number, declarations. We don't. Just put your NorShip address in at checkout and ship. We handle the paperwork when the box arrives in Miami.

Optional pre-notification (useful for fragile, high-value, or scheduled shipments) is coming in the dashboard later — but it'll never be required.

Why do you open my packages?

Three reasons, all in your favour:

  1. Extract the receipt. Almost every US retailer puts a packing slip or printed receipt in the box. We file this with Norwegian customs as the declared value — no chasing you for paperwork.
  2. Photograph the contents. You see exactly what arrived, in your dashboard, before it leaves Miami.
  3. Repack tight. US stores ship in oversized boxes with lots of air. Sea freight is priced by volume (dm³), air freight by volumetric weight (cm³÷4500). Repacking into the smallest box that fits saves you 20–50% on the shipping line. We pass that saving directly to you.

Everything happens under warehouse camera and is logged with timestamps in your account.

What if there's no receipt in the package?

We'll hold the package and reach out for documentation — most US stores email a PDF order confirmation you can forward to us at docs@norship.example. If we can't get the receipt within 7 days, we charge a 150 NOK missing documentation fee per package and use the merchant's published list price for customs purposes (which usually means more VAT than necessary).

Easy avoidance: forward your order confirmation email to docs@norship.example as soon as you order. We attach it to your account and it's ready when the box lands.

Can I tell you not to open a specific package?

Yes — flag it in your dashboard before it arrives. We'll leave the box sealed, weigh and measure the outside, and ship as-is. Two trade-offs to know: you'll need to send the receipt separately (the 150 NOK missing-docs fee applies if you don't), and we can't repack tight to save on dimensional shipping cost.

Payment & dispatch

How does payment work? Will my shipment be delayed for invoicing?

No. We use a card-on-file model: at booking you give us a payment method and an estimate of the parcel's size and weight (or paste an Amazon URL and we'll look it up). When the package arrives in Miami we weigh and measure it, and:

  • If actual cost is within ±15% of your estimate → we auto-charge your card and the shipment leaves the same day.
  • If actual cost is outside that range → you get a one-click approval link by email. Most customers click within minutes.

This is the main thing that sets us apart from other Norwegian forwarders: they invoice you after the package arrives in Norway, you pay, then they release — which adds 1–2 days of delay to every shipment. We've designed it so most shipments don't pause at all.

What if I don't know the actual size or weight when I book?

Most customers don't — that's normal for online shopping. Three options:

  1. Paste the Amazon URL (or any major US retailer) and our catalog will auto-fill weight and dimensions for common products.
  2. Use a rough size bucket (small / medium / large / oversize). We'll quote the bucket's midpoint and reconcile on actual weigh-in.
  3. Skip the estimate entirely and we'll invoice on arrival — adds 1–2 days but doesn't require a card on file.

Getting started

What is NorShip?

NorShip is a US-to-Norway parcel forwarder. We give you a free US shipping address, receive your American online orders, consolidate them into one shipment, and forward them to Norway by sea or air — handling customs and VAT on your behalf.

How do I sign up?

Click "Get my US address" anywhere on the site and fill in the two-minute form. We'll email your unique US shipping address right after you submit. No card required.

Is there a monthly fee?

Not on our Free tier: the account, your US address, and 30 days of storage per package are free. You only pay when you ship something to Norway.

NorShip Plus is an optional 399 kr/year (~$39 USD) tier that gets you 25–35% cheaper air freight, 60-day free storage, and Standby booking. Plus pays for itself after about 2–3 air shipments per year.

Can I have more than one delivery address in Norway?

Yes — you can save multiple delivery addresses (home, hytte, office) and pick one at checkout for each shipment.

Shipping & logistics

How long does delivery take?

Air freight: roughly 7–14 days from when your shipment closes in Miami to delivery at your door in Norway.

Sea freight: 4–6 weeks. Customs clearance and Norwegian last-mile delivery are included in both windows.

What's the difference between sea and air?

Air freight is fast and priced by weight (with a volumetric factor of 4.5 — a 13 dm³ box is treated as 3 kg even if it's lighter). Starts at 199 kr for 0–1 kg on Free tier, 139 kr on Plus.

Sea freight is slow and priced by weight or volume in dm³ — whichever is greater. Starts at 199 kr for 0–1 kg / 10 dm³. Same rate for both tiers.

For most shipments above 5 kg, sea is cheaper. For small dense items (electronics, books), air is often comparable. The rate calculator compares both side by side.

How does consolidation save me money?

International shipping has a high fixed cost per package. By holding your packages in Miami until you have 2–5 ready, we ship them as one consignment. You pay the international leg once and we add a small 65 kr fee for each additional package in the same shipment — typically 40–70% cheaper than shipping each separately.

Do you ship anywhere in Norway?

Yes — anywhere PostNord, Bring, or Helthjem delivers. Svalbard has a 499 kr delivery surcharge and longer transit times due to its remote-location customs handling.

Customs & VAT

Do I have to pay Norwegian VAT?

Yes — Norwegian merverdiavgift (MVA) of 25% applies to all imports, from the first krone. The low-value exemption that used to cover items under NOK 350 was abolished and enforcement tightened in January 2024 — there is no longer any value threshold below which VAT is waived. We pre-pay MVA on your behalf using your declared values, so PostNord doesn't hold your package at the door.

Are there customs duties on top of VAT?

For most consumer goods, no — Norway has zero duty on a broad range of categories. Textiles, clothing, and some food products do attract duty. Our customs broker calculates this automatically and includes it in your quote.

What happens if Norwegian customs holds my package?

Rare, but it happens — usually because of an item that needs a permit (cosmetics, medical devices, food). We work with you to provide documentation. If the item must be returned, you pay only the actual return shipping cost.

Items, packing & insurance

What can't I ship?

Standard restricted-goods list applies: lithium batteries above carry-on size, perfumes/aerosols by air, firearms, food, alcohol, prescription drugs, and a few other categories. Full list on our prohibited items page.

Will you open my packages?

Only if you ask. By default we weigh, measure, and photograph the outside. For consolidation we may need to combine boxes, in which case we open them under camera and re-pack into one shipping box.

Is my shipment insured?

All shipments include 1,000 kr of basic carrier coverage. Optional insurance covers up to your full declared value at 1.5% of declared value (minimum 99 kr per shipment, maximum 500,000 kr insured).

Can I return something to the US sender?

Yes — we re-ship via USPS to any US address. Cost is the actual USPS rate plus a 199 kr handling fee. If the package hasn't yet been processed into our shipment, we can return it to the original US sender for a flat 199 kr.

Free vs. Plus

What does NorShip Plus include?

Plus is 399 kr/year (~$39 USD) and includes:

  • 25–35% cheaper air freight in every bracket
  • 60 days of free storage per package (vs 30 on Free)
  • Standby booking — hold packages until you're ready to ship
  • Reduced food & specialty customs clearance fees
  • Priority customer support

Sea freight rates are the same on both tiers — sea is commodity-priced.

When does Plus pay for itself?

Plus saves roughly 60–110 kr per air shipment in the common 1–10 kg brackets. After 2–3 air shipments per year you've recovered the 399 kr subscription cost.

Can I cancel Plus?

Yes, anytime from your dashboard — no PayPal logins or phone calls. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period. Your account drops to Free tier; nothing else changes.

What is Standby booking?

Standby lets you hold packages in our warehouse without committing to a shipment date. We'll automatically include them in the next sea or air consolidation when you give the green light. Useful if you're waiting on a few more orders to arrive before shipping.

Still stuck? Send us a note — we usually reply within one business day.