To export fish and fish products from Norway, the exporter must be registered with the Norwegian Seafood Council AS (NSC). Exporters of fish and seafood must be registered pursuant to Act no. 9 of 27 April 1990 with amendments, most recently 17 June 2005, and regulation no. 157 of 22 March 1991 with amendments, most recently 19 August 2005.
The annual registration fee is NOK 15,000 and is payable to the NSC. Exports are also subject to a market fee and a research fee, which are calculated as a percentage of the FOB value of the exported products. The fee varies according to the type of species and product category. Fees are regulated pursuant to regulation § 4. The fees go wholly to financing the activities of the NSC and the Fishery and Aquaculture Industry Research Fund. The fees are collected by the Directorate of Customs and Excise at the time of export. A list of all R&D and export fees can be found here.
In the event that the annual registration fee is not paid in compliance with applicable regulations, the exporter registration will be considered to have lapsed. The export registration is renewed (becomes payable) in December each year. Below you will find further information about registering as a fish exporter and the registration application procedure.
Conditions
In accordance with §3 of the Act relating to the regulation of exports of fish and fish products, only companies that are registered under the provisions of this Act may export fish and fish products. In accordance with the provisions of regulation § 1, companies applying for registration shall be registered provided that the annual fee has been remitted to the NSEC, cf. § 4 sec. 1, para. 1. In extenuating circumstances, the NSE may grant special dispensation from the registration requirement. Individual decisions by the NSC under this paragraph may be appealed to the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs.
Registration
To simplify the registration procedure, the NSC has prepared a registration form. In the event that anything is unclear, please contact the NSC before submitting the form on telephone +47 77 60 33 33.
Annual fee
Upon receipt of the registration form, an invoice for the annual fee of NOK 15,000 will be sent to the applicant. The invoice must be paid before the final registration and allocation of an export number can be completed and the Directorate of Customs and Excise can approve export activities by the company. Exporters registering for the first time are required to pay fees for a two-year period, i.e. NOK 30,000. The fee year is from 1 January to 31 December. No reduction in the fee is given. Approximately one week should be allowed from the date of receipt of the registration form for completion of the registration procedure.
