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From the official sources

Fishing rules in Norway for visitors

What the Directorate of Fisheries, Norwegian Customs and Visit Norway say about sea fishing, king crab and taking fish home.

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Private fishing trip in an open boat, for all skill levels
Tromso Explorer · 4 hours Private fishing trip in an open boat, for all skill levels
★ 5.0 (27) from €371
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Private fishing trip in a cabin boat
Tromso Explorer · 5 hours Private fishing trip in a cabin boat
★ 5.0 (1) from €418
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See which fishing trips still have places on your dates

On a guided trip from Tromsø the crew handles most of the rules for you: the tackle, the fishing spot and what happens to the catch. Two rules still concern you directly. You may not take part in catching king crab yourself, and fish leaving Norway in your luggage falls under a quota. This page collects the rules with their sources, as of October 2026.

The rules at a glance

TopicWhat the source saysSource
Licence at sea “Fishing permits or other licences are not required either for deep sea fishing or fishing from the shore.” Visit Norway
Tackle “Use handheld tackle only.” Directorate of Fisheries
Selling fish “It is illegal to sell your catch.” Directorate of Fisheries
Minimum sizes You must follow the regulations on minimum fish sizes; the table of sizes is published in Norwegian on lovdata.no. Directorate of Fisheries
Halibut “Release all halibut above 2 metres long.” Halibut is also protected during part of the year. Directorate of Fisheries
Cod, closed season From 1 January to 30 April in 14 areas between Lindesnes and the Swedish border, in the south of Norway. Tromsø is not one of them. Directorate of Fisheries
King crab “Tourists are not permitted to take part directly in catching king crab.” A quota for the tourist fishing industry exists only in Finnmark. Directorate of Fisheries
Driving a boat A boating licence is required for leisure boats of 8 to 15 metres or with more than 25 hp, for people born in 1980 or later. Directorate of Fisheries
Taking fish home From 1 January 2026: 15 kg of fish per person, up to twice per calendar year. From 1 January 2027: 10 kg. Applies from the age of 12, to fish from a registered tourist fishing business, with a personal document from that business. Norwegian Customs
Lakes and rivers Freshwater fishing needs a licence. For salmon, sea trout and Arctic char, anyone aged 18 or over also pays the national fishing fee and buys a fishing card. Visit Norway, Norwegian Environment Agency

Sources: Directorate of Fisheries (Fiskeridirektoratet), “Sea angling in Norway, regulations”, fiskeridir.no, last changed 26 May 2026 · Norwegian Customs (Tolletaten), “Fish quota”, toll.no, updated 3 June 2026 · Visit Norway, visitnorway.com · Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet), miljodirektoratet.no. Rules change; check the official pages before you travel.

Private trips with export papers

Boat, group, rods and what happens to the fish, trip by trip. Open a card for the full details.

Private fishing trip in an open boat, for all skill levels
Tromso Explorer

Private fishing trip in an open boat, for all skill levels

  • Duration: 4 hours
  • Boat & group: Open boat Kværnø 575 · Private, your group only
  • Rods: Equipment and bait for your group
  • Your catch: Yours to keep, export papers included

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from €371 ★ 5.0 (27 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full trip details

Highlights

  • Private boat for your group
  • Export papers for your fish included
  • Flotation suits and life jackets

About this trip

Tromso Explorer takes only your group out in an open boat, a Kværnø 575, from Skattøra Marina. Pickup is included. You get flotation suits, life jackets, fishing equipment and bait, plus snacks, drinks and photos.

The operator includes the export papers for the fish you keep. One reviewer reports a halibut that was released again.

What’s included

  • Pickup
  • Flotation suits and life jackets
  • Fishing equipment and bait
  • Snacks and drinks
  • Photos
  • Export papers for fish

Meeting point

Pickup in Tromsø; the boat leaves from Skattøra Marina

Not suitable for

  • People under 140 cm
  • People prone to seasickness

Taken from the operator’s product page on the booking platform.

Private fishing trip in a cabin boat
Tromso Explorer

Private fishing trip in a cabin boat

  • Duration: 5 hours
  • Boat & group: Cabin boat Mørebas 9500 · Private, your group only
  • Rods: Equipment and bait for your group
  • Your catch: Yours to keep, export papers included

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from €418 ★ 5.0 (1 review)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full trip details

Highlights

  • Private cabin boat for your group, five hours
  • Export papers for your fish included
  • Fuel, equipment, bait, snacks and drinks included

About this trip

The larger boat of Tromso Explorer takes only your group out for five hours from Skattøra Marina. Flotation suits, fishing equipment and bait, snacks, drinks and fuel are included, and so are the export papers for the fish you keep.

The boat is described elsewhere as a Mørebas 9500 with a heated cabin and a toilet; the booking page does not repeat that, so check it there if a warm cabin matters to you.

What’s included

  • Flotation suits
  • Fishing equipment and bait
  • Snacks and drinks
  • Fuel
  • Export papers for fish

Meeting point

Skattøra Marina, Tromsø

Not suitable for

  • People under 140 cm
  • People prone to seasickness

Taken from the operator’s product page on the booking platform.

What this means on a guided trip

On the shared boats from Tromsø you fish with the operator’s rods, at spots the crew chooses, and most of the catch is cooked and eaten on board. You need no licence for that. Selling fish is not allowed for anyone fishing as a visitor, and the minimum sizes apply to every fish you keep. How each boat handles the catch is on our page about fjord fishing trips.

King crab

The Directorate of Fisheries is clear that tourists may not take part directly in catching king crab, and that the tourist fishing quota for king crab is limited to Finnmark, further east. The king crab tours from Tromsø work within that: the crew owns and sets the pots, you help haul them and handle the crab on deck, and the crab is eaten on board. The tours are compared on our page about king crab tours.

Halibut

Halibut longer than two metres must be released, and the species is protected for part of the year; the Directorate’s page does not give the dates. On the private open boat out of Tromsø, one guest describes a halibut of 76 kg that was photographed and released again.

Taking fish home

Norwegian Customs allows 15 kg of fish per person in 2026, up to twice per calendar year, and 10 kg from 1 January 2027, for travellers aged 12 or over. The quota is tied to fish from a registered tourist fishing business, documented personally for you. On the shared boats the question rarely comes up, because the catch is eaten on board. Tromso Explorer, a registered tourist fishing business, includes the export papers on its private trips, listed below.

From the private boats

Guests of the private open boat on the fish they kept and the halibut they let go.

“Great! We caught five cod weighing about 3 kg each and a 76 kg halibut, which kept us busy for quite a while until we finally reeled it in. After the photo shoot, we released it safely.”
els · Belgium · March 2026 · translated review Private open boat · Tromso Explorer
“Highly recommend, it’s private tour, so you can fishing all the trip and the guide is very nice and professional. […] Also can help clean the fish to bring to your home.”
Stefan · Slovakia · April 2026 Private open boat · Tromso Explorer

Reviews by guests after their trip, from GetYourGuide.

FAQ

Do I need a fishing licence to fish in the sea near Tromsø?

No. Visit Norway states that no permit or licence is required for deep sea fishing or for fishing from the shore. The Directorate of Fisheries asks you to use handheld tackle only.

How much fish can I take home from Norway?

According to Norwegian Customs, from 1 January 2026 each person aged 12 or over may export 15 kg of fish, up to twice per calendar year, and from 1 January 2027 the limit is 10 kg. It applies to fish from a registered tourist fishing business, with a personal document from that business.

Can tourists fish for king crab?

Not directly. The Directorate of Fisheries states that tourists are not permitted to take part directly in catching king crab. On the tours from Tromsø the crew handles the pots and guests help haul them.

Can I sell the fish I catch?

No. The Directorate of Fisheries states that it is illegal to sell your catch.

Related on this site

King crab tours

What you do at the pots and what you eat.

Fjord fishing trips

What each boat does with the catch.

Ice fishing

Sea fjord or lake, and when a licence matters.