How You Pay for Ferries in Norway: The Bottom Line for Tourists
Most car ferries in Norway operate on a simple drive-on, camera-based payment system called AutoPASS for Ferries. The key detail for visitors is that you pay for the vehicle, not the people inside it. How you are charged depends entirely on how you are travelling.
- On foot or with a bicycle: You travel for free. On the vast majority of Norwegian road ferries, there is no charge for foot passengers or cyclists. You simply walk or wheel your bike aboard.
- With a Norwegian rental car: You do nothing. The car is already registered in the AutoPASS system by the hire company. You drive on and off the ferry, and the company will pass the full, undiscounted fare on to you later, often with an administrative fee.
- With your own foreign-registered car: You can simply drive on. A camera will read your number plate and an invoice for the full fare, plus a small invoicing fee, will be sent to your home address by post. This is handled by a service called EPASS24. It is not fare evasion; it is a standard payment method.
For visitors making a long road trip with their own car, setting up an AutoPASS for Ferry prepayment agreement online can unlock a 50% discount on most routes. This is the main way tourists can save money, but it requires planning and an advance payment.
Understanding Your Payment Options: A Side-by-Side Comparison
When your vehicle boards a ferry, the AutoPASS system automatically identifies it and assigns a charge. You have four ways to settle that charge, each with different costs and benefits. Understanding these is the key to managing your travel budget.
| Payment Method | Discount | Extra Fees | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do Nothing (Invoice by Post) | None (Full Price) | NOK 35 invoice fee per bill | Short trips with your own foreign-registered car where the hassle of setup outweighs the savings. |
| FerryPay | None (Full Price) | None | Tourists with their own car who want the convenience of automatic payment without an invoice fee, but do not travel enough to benefit from the prepayment discount. |
| AutoPASS Tag Agreement | Approx. 10% | Requires a physical tag in your car | Primarily for Norwegian residents and businesses. Not a practical option for most short-term tourists. |
| AutoPASS for Ferry Prepayment Agreement | 50% for private vehicles | Requires a significant advance payment into a ferry account | Tourists with their own car on a longer road trip involving many ferry crossings. This offers the largest savings. |
The Four Payment Methods Explained
1. The Default: Invoice by Post
If you arrive in your own car with no prior arrangements, this is what happens. A camera records your number plate, and weeks later, you will receive an invoice by post from EPASS24, which manages payments for foreign vehicles. You will be charged the full standard fare for your vehicle's size, plus an invoicing fee of NOK 35. This is a perfectly acceptable way to pay and requires no action from you before you travel.
2. The Prepayment Agreement: Securing a 50% Discount
This is the most economical option for those taking multiple ferries. By signing up for an AutoPASS for Ferry prepayment agreement at autopassferje.no, private cars and motorhomes receive a 50% discount on the fare for each crossing. Business vehicles get a 40% discount.
To get this discount, you must first register your vehicle and make an advance payment into your ferry account. This is not a fee, but a balance that your discounted ferry journeys are deducted from. The prepayment amount is based on your vehicle's length. For 2026, the amount for a standard vehicle up to 8 metres long is NOK 2,200. This might seem a large initial outlay, but if you anticipate spending more than NOK 1,100 on full-price ferry tickets, it immediately starts saving you money. You simply register your car's details and a credit card online, and the system works automatically using number plate recognition.
3. FerryPay: Simple, Full-Price Automatic Payments
FerryPay is a straightforward alternative for visitors in their own cars who want to avoid posted invoices but don't want to commit to a large prepayment. You register your vehicle and credit card on the AutoPASS for Ferries website. When you use a ferry, your card is automatically charged the full, undiscounted fare. You pay the same price as you would with an invoice, but you avoid the NOK 35 invoicing fee. It offers convenience but no savings.
4. The AutoPASS Tag: Mostly for Residents
An AutoPASS tag is a small electronic device fitted to the windscreen, primarily used for Norwegian road tolls. When linked to a ferry agreement, it provides a 10% discount. However, because it requires a physical tag to be mailed to you and is mainly integrated with the Norwegian toll system, it is generally not a practical solution for international tourists on a short holiday.
Specific Advice for Your Travel Style
Driving a Norwegian Rental Car
This is the simplest scenario. All rental cars registered in Norway are already linked to the AutoPASS system. The hire company is the account holder. When you drive onto a ferry, the charge is automatically assigned to the vehicle. The rental company will then bill you for all your ferry and road toll charges when you return the car. Critically, they will almost always charge you the full, undiscounted rate, and may add their own service charge on top. You cannot register a rental car for a private 50% discount prepayment agreement, as the vehicle is not yours.
Driving Your Own Foreign-Registered Car
Your choice depends on the length of your trip. For a journey with just a few ferry crossings, the simplest option is to do nothing and pay the full-price invoice sent by EPASS24. For a longer tour involving numerous ferries, the 50% discount from the prepayment agreement is very attractive. You can set this up online before you leave home via autopassferje.no. Remember to register the correct length of your vehicle, especially if you have a roof box, caravan or trailer, as pricing is based on total length.
Travelling as a Foot Passenger or with a Bicycle
On almost all routes that are part of the national road network, travel is free. You do not need a ticket or any kind of pass. You just board, find a seat in the passenger lounge, and disembark at your destination. This makes ferry-hopping between coastal communities an excellent and economical way to travel without a car.