Planning Your Trip to Norway - Norway - page 57

is the best approach for anyone who plans to tour extensively outside
the major cities. Some of Norway's most reliable maps are published by
Cappelen.
Passports For Residents of the United States: Whether you're applying in
person or by mail, you can download passport applications from the U.S.
State Department website at http://travel.state.gov . For general infor-
mation, call the National Passport Agency ( & 202/647-0518 ). To find your
regional passport office, either check the U.S. State Department website
or call the National Passport Information Center toll-free number
( & 877/487-2778 ) for automated information.
For Residents of Canada: Passport applications are available at travel
agencies throughout Canada or from the central Passport Office, Depart-
ment of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3
( & 800/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca).
For Residents of the United Kingdom: To pick up an application for a
standard 10-year passport (5-yr. passport for children under 16), visit your
nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency. Alternatively,
contact the United Kingdom Passport Service at & 0870/521-0410 or

search its website at www.ukpa.gov.uk.
For Residents of Ireland: You can apply for a 10-year passport at the
Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 ( & 01/671-
1633; www.irlgov.ie/iveagh). Those under age 18 and over 65 must apply
for a 12 3-year passport. You can also apply at 1A South Mall, Cork

( & 021/272-525 ), or at most main post offices.
For Residents of Australia: You can pick up an application from your
local post office or any branch of Passports Australia, but you must sched-
ule an interview at the passport office to present your application mate-
rials. Call the Australian Passport Information Service at & 131-232, or
visit the government website at www.passports.gov.au.
For Residents of New Zealand: You can pick up a passport application
at any New Zealand Passports Office or download it from their website.
Contact the Passports Office at & 0800/225-050 in New Zealand or 04/
474-8100, or log on to www.passports.govt.nz.
Police Dial & 112 nationwide.
Radio & TV Radio and television broadcasts are in Norwegian. However,
Norwegian National Radio (NRK) has news summaries in English several
times weekly.
Restrooms All terminals, big city squares, and the like have public lava-
tories. In small towns and villages, head for the marketplace. Hygiene
standards are usually adequate. If you patronize the toilets in a privately
run establishment (such as a cafe), it's polite to buy at least a small pastry
or coffee.
Taxes Norway imposes a 19.4% value-added tax (VAT) on most goods
and services, which is figured into your final bill. If you buy goods in any
store bearing the TAX - FREE sign, you're entitled to a cash refund of up to
18.5% on purchases costing over 310NOK ($41). Ask the shop assistant for
a tax-free shopping check, and show your passport to indicate that you're
not a resident of Scandinavia. You may not use the articles purchased

€