🇳🇴 This is the brand hub for SpareBank 1 in Norway. For the bigger picture on near-cashless Norway, the surcharge-free bank ATMs, the orange-Euronet trap, and the no-Bank-of-America-Alliance gap, see the Norway Money Guide. For exact ATM areas, see the Oslo ATM Guide. For card-acceptance and transit, see the Oslo Money Guide. For the largest network, see the DNB guide. Flying in? Oslo Gardermoen (OSL) airport guide.
🎧 Order NOK Before You Fly
You may need almost none in cashless Norway, but a tiny float is handy out in the regions. Insured 2–5 day shipping.
Order NOK → CEI Currency ExchangeWhat SpareBank 1 is, in one paragraph
SpareBank 1 is unusual among the banks on this site because it is not a single company but an alliance. Formed in 1996, it brings together a group of independent Norwegian savings banks (sparebanker) that share a brand, a technology platform, and a product range while remaining locally owned and run. The largest members are SpareBank 1 SR-Bank in the south-west around Stavanger, SpareBank 1 SMN in central Norway around Trondheim, SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge in the north around Tromsø, and SpareBank 1 Østlandet in the east around Hamar, alongside several smaller regional members. Taken together, the alliance is one of the largest banking groups in Norway after DNB, and crucially for travelers its branch and ATM coverage is strongest exactly where DNB is relatively thinner: the western fjord region, the central trøndelag area, and the far north. Like every Norwegian bank, SpareBank 1 adds no operator surcharge on foreign-card withdrawals, and it is a co-owner of Vipps, the mobile-payment app behind much of Norway's cashlessness. For a US traveler, a SpareBank 1 ATM is a surcharge-free way to get kroner, and out in the regions it is often the nearest one.
What SpareBank 1 charges foreign cards
| Fee component | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| SpareBank 1 operator fee (foreign card) | kr 0 | No operator surcharge |
| Exchange rate | Mid-market (interbank) | Visa or Mastercard network |
| Visa / Mastercard network fee | ~1% | Card network, baked into total |
| Your home bank's foreign ATM fee | $2-5 | Your home bank, unless waived (Schwab, Wise) |
| Your home bank's FX conversion fee | 1-3% | Your home bank, unless 0% FX card |
| DCC markup (if accepted) | +4-12% | Always decline. Pick NOK every time the screen offers your home currency. |
SpareBank 1 machines carry the alliance's red "1" mark. Norway has no BoA Alliance partner, so BoA debit pays BoA's 3% anywhere. Avoid the orange Euronet units.
Where SpareBank 1 shines: outside Oslo
The reason to know SpareBank 1 is geography. In Oslo, DNB has the densest network and you will rarely be far from one of its machines. But on the kind of trip that draws people to Norway, the western fjords, the Lofoten islands, the Trondheim and Tromsø regions, the SpareBank 1 member banks often have the strongest local presence. SpareBank 1 SR-Bank dominates the Stavanger and south-west coast; SpareBank 1 SMN covers the Trondheim and central region; SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge is the major bank of the Arctic north. If you are road-tripping the fjords or heading above the Arctic Circle and want a small surcharge-free cash float for a rural bus, a hut, or a remote shop, a SpareBank 1 ATM is frequently the nearest bank option. As everywhere in Norway, decline DCC and skip the orange Euronet machines, and remember that even out here, cards work in most places.
Bank of America customers should note there is no fee-free ATM anywhere in Norway: with no BoA Alliance partner in the country, a BoA card pays its 3 percent non-network fee even at a surcharge-free SpareBank 1 machine. A Wise or Schwab card avoids that.
Where to find SpareBank 1
SpareBank 1 Østlandet
Branches and ATMs across the eastern region (Innlandet and around Oslo). In central Oslo, DNB is denser, but SpareBank 1 machines are present. See the Oslo ATM Guide.
SpareBank 1 SR-Bank (Stavanger)
The dominant bank of the Stavanger region and the south-west coast, the gateway to the Lysefjord and Preikestolen.
SpareBank 1 SMN (Trondheim)
The major bank of the trøndelag region around Trondheim, strong ATM coverage in central Norway.
SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge (Tromsø)
The leading bank of Arctic Norway, with the best coverage in Tromsø, the Lofoten, and the far north, where other banks thin out.
Western Norway
SpareBank 1 member banks across the western fjord country, often the nearest surcharge-free ATM on a fjords road trip.
OSL Gardermoen
Bank ATMs in Gardermoen arrivals are surcharge-free; avoid the orange Euronet machines. See the OSL airport guide.
SpareBank 1 vs DNB: the actual decision
| SpareBank 1 | DNB | |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-card operator fee | kr 0 | kr 0 |
| BoA Global ATM Alliance partner | No (none in Norway) | No (none in Norway) |
| Structure | Alliance of independent savings banks | Single nationwide bank |
| Strongest coverage | Regions: west, central, north | Oslo and nationwide |
| Network size | Large (second after DNB) | Largest in Norway |
| Mobile-pay heritage | Vipps co-owner | Created Vipps |
Decision tree: for cost they are identical (both surcharge-free, neither a BoA Alliance partner), so use whichever machine is nearest. DNB wins in Oslo and for sheer network size; SpareBank 1 is often your closest option out in the fjords, the trøndelag, and the Arctic north. And for most visitors, the real question is whether you need cash at all.
Best card pairing with SpareBank 1
Wise carries the trip; SpareBank 1 is the regional backstop
In near-cashless Norway you will pay for almost everything by card, so a Wise debit card (zero FX markup, real interbank NOK rate) does the heavy lifting. When you do want a little cash out in the regions, a SpareBank 1 ATM is the surcharge-free top-up. Norway has no BoA Alliance partner, so a no-FX-fee card is clearly the best tool.
Get the Wise Card →Charles Schwab Investor Checking
Schwab adds zero foreign-transaction fee and refunds ATM operator fees worldwide, so it also covers you if you are ever stuck at an orange Euronet machine in a remote spot. Combined with SpareBank 1's zero operator fee, it is an effectively free withdrawal. Decline DCC and choose kroner.
Bank of America debit (no Alliance waiver in Norway)
Norway has no BoA Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA card pays its 3 percent non-network fee even at a surcharge-free SpareBank 1 machine. A no-FX-fee card is the better choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does SpareBank 1 charge foreign cards at ATMs?
No operator surcharge, at the interbank rate. You pay only your home-bank fees, which are zero on a Wise or Schwab card. The orange Euronet machines are the ones that charge.
Is SpareBank 1 in the Global ATM Alliance?
No, and no Norwegian bank is. A BoA card pays its 3% non-network fee at SpareBank 1. A no-FX-fee card is the better tool.
What is SpareBank 1, exactly?
An alliance of independent Norwegian savings banks (SR-Bank, SMN, Nord-Norge, Østlandet, and others) sharing a brand and platform. One of Norway's largest groups after DNB, strong in the regions.
Do I even need a SpareBank 1 ATM?
Probably not much; Norway is nearly cashless. It is most useful outside Oslo, where its member banks often have the nearest surcharge-free machine.
Will my US debit card work at SpareBank 1 ATMs?
Yes, with a Visa, Mastercard, Plus, or Cirrus logo. English option, 4-digit PINs. Decline DCC and choose NOK.
How does SpareBank 1 compare with DNB?
Cost-identical (both surcharge-free, neither a BoA partner). DNB is largest and densest in Oslo; SpareBank 1 is often nearest in the fjords, trøndelag, and the north.
The SpareBank 1 + Wise Combo
Surcharge-free SpareBank 1 ATMs out in the regions, plus Wise zero FX markup for everything you tap.
Get the Wise Card →