Ocean and Air Shipping from Norway to India

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Updated on 15 Mar 2022

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Norway and India signed a bilateral trade pact in January 2019. It aimed to boost the $1.2 billion of trade between both nations. If your business is already importing from Norway to India, or you’re looking to begin, this page will be of use.

It features guidance on how to ship freight from Norway to India more easily and successfully. Details about customs clearance, and the airports and seaports in both countries, are also included.

What Are Your Options for Shipping Freight From Norway to India?

Goods can be transported from Norway to India as air or ocean freight. Each has upsides and downsides, which we’ll outline on this page to help you choose which is best for your business.

Ocean Freight From Norway to India

Less than Container Load (LCL): Your goods will share a shipping container with other products if you choose LCL shipping. It best suits the needs of businesses with small consignments that aren’t urgently needed in India.

Full Container Load (FCL): You get exclusive use and transportation of a shipping container from Norway to India when you choose FCL shipping. You are not required to fill the container with goods. FCL is usually the fastest and sometimes the least expensive form of ocean shipping, especially for large consignments of goods.

Air Freight from Norway to India

Air shipping is easily the fastest way to ship freight from Norway to India. It is also the most expensive.

How Much Does it Cost to Ship Cargo From Norway to India?

The shipping quote you receive from a freight forwarder will be based on:
The distance between Oslo and your chosen port of arrival in India
The nature of the freight to be shipped
Whether you wish to use LCL ocean shipping, FCL ocean shipping, or air freight
The weight, volume, and size of your shipment

Please note that if your consignment weighs 35 kg or under, you should approach international couriers for a quote. Freight forwarders don’t handle such light loads.

If your consignment weighs over 35 kg but no more than 100 kg, it’s worth getting a quote for both ocean and air freight from Norway to India. They are likely to be similar, in which case, choosing the fastest mode of shipping—air freight—usually makes sense.

For a heavier consignment (weighing over 100 kg) you are almost certain to find that ocean shipping will be the most cost-efficient form of transit. Air shipping is expensive for heavy goods.

How Long Does it Take to Ship Cargo From Norway to India?

Mechanical chronometer to represent the transit time of shipments with Shipa Freight

Freight forwarders are highly likely to use Oslo’s international airport or seaport as the departure point for your shipment to India. Air freight is the quickest way to transport commodities from Scandinavia to the Sub-Continent. Five to eight days will usually be required to complete a shipment. Shipping a container from Norway to India by sea will take considerably longer—as much as 48 days in some cases.

How Long Does It Take to Ship Cargo by Sea From Norway to India?

You should allow up to 48 days for a freight forwarder to move your ocean shipping container from Norway to India. That’s the time it typically takes an LCL shipment from Oslo to Chennai.

How Long Does It Take to Ship Cargo by Air From Norway to India?

Five to eight days is normally the time required for air shipments from Norway to India. All consignments will be shipped aboard indirect flights as there are no direct services between Oslo and any of India’s international airports.

Customs Clearance in Norway and India

Customs officials in both Norway and India will hold any commercial-goods shipment that is not accompanied by the following documents:

Commercial Invoice
Packing List
Certificate of Origin
Letter of Credit or other payment terms (depends on the contract between the parties involved)
Bill of Lading for ocean freight or Airway Bill for air freight (Shipa Freight can supply this)

Examples of these documents can be found on this documents list page we’ve created. Certificates, permits, and licenses could also be needed, depending on the nature of the goods being shipped.

Every export from Norway to India will be subject to customs checks. The rules and regulations involved are complex. Often, businesses will engage the services of a freight forwarder to handle the process. It’s worth considering, as a good forwarder will ensure your goods comply with the rules and help you avoid unnecessary delays.

Should You Choose Ocean or Air Shipping From Norway to India?

Ocean Freight

If you’re working to a flexible delivery deadline and/or your consignment is very large, ocean shipping is likely to be the best mode of transportation. When you choose ocean shipping, a freight forwarder will arrange for your goods to be shipped from port to port by an ocean carrier as containerized cargo.

The majority of goods will ship in a 20ft or 40ft container. Your sea freight can share a shipping container with products belonging to other shippers (LCL shipping), or get exclusive use of a container (FCL). Both LCL and FCL have pros and cons worth being aware of. We summarize them below:

Considerations for LCL Freight Shipping

Your business might find LCL is the best way to ship if:

Your freight occupies six standard pallets or fewer
Your goods can be shipped safely in a shared container
You only want to pay for the container space your goods occupy, rather than an entire container
Your delivery deadline isn’t urgent
You cannot send your goods as air freight

LCL shipping could be best avoided if:

You are shipping fruit, flowers, or other delicates or perishables that won’t survive weeks at sea
You don’t want your consignment moved or handled more frequently than necessary
Your goods cannot safely share a container with products from other shippers
You want the quickest way to ship your goods to India (FCL shipping is often faster, and air shipping is always faster)

Considerations for FCL Freight Shipping

FCL is often used by shippers who:

Want to be able to accurately predict when their goods will reach the consignee
Want a container exclusively for their sea freight
Need to seal their shipping container ahead of transit to Oslo and onward shipping to India

Air Freight

You should seriously consider air shipping your cargo from Norway to India if:

You want the quickest mode of shipping—perhaps because your goods have a short shelf-life
Your consignment fills no more than four standard pallets
Your goods are high-value and need the stringent security applied by airlines and airports
Your supplier in Norway and consignee in India are based nearer an airport than a seaport
You want to pay a lower insurance premium (ocean freight is typically more expensive to insure than air cargo)

Ocean Cargo Port Guide

Cargo Port of Origin in Norway

Oslo

Port Facts:

Norway’s largest port
A major ocean freight facility in Scandinavia
Over 50% of Norwegians live within three hours of the port
Infrastructure includes a 665-meter quayside and four container cranes

Owned By: Oslo Ports Authority.

Annual Container Volume: >260,000 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: NOOSL.

Cargo Ports of Arrival in India

Mormugao

Port Facts:

Located in West India near Vasco da Gama
The South Central Railway connects the port to the hinterland in Maharashtra and Karnataka
Liquid chemicals, sugar, and fertilizers are among the top imports
Road links to Margao, Dandeli, and elsewhere in Karnataka help the swift distribution of goods

Owned By: Mormugao Port Trust.

Annual Container Volume: >20,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INMRM.

Chennai

Port Facts:

Originally called Madras Port
Situated on India’s east coast in the Bay of Bengal
The second-biggest ocean freight processing facility in India
Over 15.7 million TEUs were processed here from April 2018 to March 2019

Owned By: Chennai Port Trust, Ministry of Shipping.

Annual Container Volume: >15.7 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INMAA.

Nhava Sheva

Port Facts:

India’s busiest port
Located on the Arabian Sea in Western India
Built to relieve pressure on the Port of Mumbai, which is just 64 km away
Over half of India’s containerized freight is handled here
Ideal for imports bound for Rasayani, Karjat, Nashik, Pune, and elsewhere in Maharashtra

Owned By: Government of India.

Annual Container Volume: >5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INNSA.

Mundra

Port Facts:

Privately-owned, state-of-the-art port
Regarded as a gateway to Northwest India
Among the world’s top-50 busiest container handling facilities
Close to Bhuj, Rajkot, and Pakistan

Owned By: Adani Group.

Annual Container Volume: >4 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INMUN.

Haldia

Port Facts:

India’s most easterly port, located close to the border with Bangladesh
Has impressive environmentally-friendly credentials
Machinery is powered by eco-friendly bio-diesel
Used by many shippers as an alternative port to Kolkata

Owned By: Kolkata Port Trust.

Annual Container Volume: >150,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INHAL.

Other Destination Ports in India

In addition to the gateways mentioned above, your freight can also be shipped to these ports in India:

Pipavav
Cochin
Tuticorin
Kattupalli
Krishnapatnam
Hazira
Visakhapatnam
Kolkata

Flying Your Freight: Airport Guide

Airports of Origin in Norway

Oslo

Airport Facts:

Scandinavia’s second-busiest airport
35 kilometers outside of Oslo
Best port of origin for suppliers and manufacturers all over Norway
All shipments will be routed to India via indirect flights

India Airports Served: None.

Oslo to India Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA CODE: OSL.