Checklist for U.S. Depositions in Norway

The requirements for taking U.S. depositions in Norway are straightforward and easy to follow using the Planet Depos checklist specific to Norway depositions.

Allowing enough time (roughly between 4-6 weeks is ideal) for scheduling depositions overseas is extremely important because of the logistics associated with the scheduling and planning processes. However, with teams living on-the-ground throughout Europe, we are often able to cover last-minute requests.

Counsel will determine whether their witness is willing to be deposed. If so, both parties can agree to stipulate the oath and begin the process of setting up the deposition.

Norway is a party to The Hague Evidence Convention and requires foreign attorneys to provide advance notice and obtain permission from the Norwegian Central Authority to take depositions of willing witnesses. If you need assistance, contact the Planet Depos International Scheduling Department.

o   For specific information, please consult the U.S. State Department for Judicial Assistance.

Select the deposition services needed:

• U.S.-trained court reporter
• U.S.-trained legal videographer
• Any language interpreter

What is the location of the deposition in Norway?

• Do you need Planet Depos to reserve a conference room for you?

If not participating in person, do you require videoconferencing services? (If not, please skip to the next item on the checklist).

• Do you need a location in Norway?
• Will you need a location in the United States?
• Can you attend from your firm’s videoconference suite?
• Ask about Planet Depos’ Mobile Videoconferencing capabilities!
• Document Production
• Do you need assistance with exhibit printing?

Select your deposition date

• Start time
• End time

Visa Restrictions:

• There is no visa required for travel to Norway for U.S. Citizens at this time; however, your passport must be valid for 90 days beyond your intended period of stay.  It is highly recommended that you have at least 6-months’ validity past the point of your return to the U.S. on your passport for travel to any European country.  For more information, please consult the U.S. State Department or contact Planet Depos’ International Scheduling Department.

Make travel arrangements

• Flight
• Lodging

• • Contact Planet Depos for information about corporate discounts with our partner hotels
• Car rental

Send a protective order to Planet Depos for representatives to sign (if applicable)

Have you filled out the Planet Depos Standing Order Form? It’s an easy process that takes less than 60 seconds and will let us know:

• Transcript turnaround time (regular or expedited)
• Who should receive the rough ASCII and final transcript
• The number of realtime laptops that are needed
• Preferred video format (DVD, MPEG1, Loaded DVD, Synchronized Viewer)

Send out Notice of Deposition to all counsel, your witness, and Planet Depos

Send prep materials to Planet Depos for reporter’s deposition preparation:

• Notice of deposition
• Complaint
• Subpoena
• Previous transcript(s)
• Word index

Obtain emergency contact information for Planet Depos representatives

Provide emergency contact information for counsel

Travel safely to Norway and contact Planet Depos with any questions once you’ve arrived!

Did you know?  The official name of Norway is “Kingdom of Norway.”

Planning for Deposition Travel to Norway

With teams living on-the-ground in Europe, Planet Depos offers 24/7 assistance for all of your Norway deposition needs. Our teams have been covering depositions in Norway for over 15 years, and because of that, we are considered one of the leading experts in anything pertaining to the scheduling process, travel, and document assistance in Norway.

Entry Requirements for Norway
There are no special visas (tourist or business) necessary to enter Norway when traveling from the United States. All travelers to Norway require a passport that shows at least 90 days validity post departure date from Norway. However, from our experiences, Planet Depos always recommends to travel with a passport that has at least 6 months validity. We also recommend that your passport show at least two blank visa pages for any required entry/exit stamps. Most flights from the United States do not require any stopover in another country. As such, you will most likely not need to worry about any special visas for other countries.

For more information, you may also contact the Norwegian Embassy in the United States (21720 34^th St NW Washington DC 20008)

Norwegian Embassy

Flying to Norway
The following are the major international airports in Norway:

• Oslo Airport, Gargermoen (OSL) – Oslo (Oslo Airport)
• Bergen Airport, Flesland (BGO) – Bergen (Bergen Airport)
• Stavanger Airport, Sola (SVG) – Sola (Sola Airport)
• Trondheim Airport, Vaernes (TRD) – Trondheim (Trondheim Airport)

Airlines flying non-stop to Norway include:

• United (www.unitedairlines.com)
• Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com)
• SAS (http://www.flysas.com/en/us/)

Travel to Norway
For updated travel alerts and information, please visit the State Department’s webpage at:

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/norway.html

You can also download the SmartTravel App for your smartphone created by the U.S. Department of State.

Staying in Norway
There are many different locations where U.S. Depositions can be held in Norway. For instance, Oslo is the major metropolis and there are more than enough hotels to choose from for your conference room and lodging needs. Planet Depos has many established business relationships with all major hotels in Norway. We are more than pleased to assist you with your conference room needs and hotel recommendations.

Medical Information for Norway
Because of how modern Norway is, there are many advanced medical facilities in all of the major cities, such as Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, and Trondheim. All are English-friendly. For a list of medical facilities, please go to:

U.S. Embassy – Norway

For updated health information, including health travel alerts and immunizations, please visit Norway specific website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at:

CDC – Norway

Money Matters
Despite most of the rest of Europe using the Euro (€) as its currency, Norway still uses the Kroner (NOK). ATMs can be found almost at every location in the major cities. Many locations accept credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard but rarely accept American Express. U.S. currency can easily be exchanged for the local Kroner.

For up-to-date information on the local conversion rate, please visit a reputable currency converter website such as: http://www.oanda.com/currency/converter, which also provides an app for smartphones.

Weather
Although Norway shares the same latitude as Alaska, Greenland, and Siberia, the weather there is usually quite pleasant. There are four distinct seasons in Norway. Spring, which is from May to mid-June, is when the landscape comes to life in brilliant color. The temperatures can fluctuate wildly depending on the location in the country. June through August is the summer season and is the warmest time of year, with temperatures reaching 77-86 degrees. September through November marks the autumn season for Norway and is notorious for being unpredictable. Some days could be comfortable with no rain and other days overwhelmingly filled with rain and cold temperatures. The winter, which runs from December through February, can be quite cold in the interior regions of Norway; however, the coastal regions, such as Oslo, can be rather mild through the winters.

Websites to Visit
Embassy of the United States in Oslo, Norway:
U.S. Embassy – Norway

Interesting Norwegian Fact
The word “ski” is Norwegian for “piece of wood,” and Norway is the birthplace of modern skiing.