Where is the best place to exchange Norwegian Kroners? Oslo, Dubai, or Asia

There isn't much of a market for kroner outside Europe....especially not in the far east. And despite your request, you're not going to find an exchange location with a "no fee market rate."....they simply don't exist. You pay a "fee" in the exchange rate itself. A big bank (yes, a bank) will give you the best exchange rate for converting into Euro. Unfortunately, you'll lose a bit again when you convert your Euro back into local currency in the near and far east...you won't get any "beneficial" rates for using Euro, but it'll be far easier to exchange than kroner.

I don't knnow I have been to some places, (Sofia, Ohrid, Macedonia, and Hong Kong) where I exchanged money at the exact market rate, no commission, i even checked xe.com before going there, they gave me exactly the market rate, far better than any bank.

I agree keeping money exchanges to a minimum is a good idea, but where should i convert the NOK to Euro, in Oslo, where everything is expensive, or another EU city, specifically Milan, or Genova, for example?

Exchange Norwegian currency in Norway. Little demand anywhere else. (You'll get better exchange rates than you will outside Europe.)

I agree with other answers; experts advise never to exchange currency outside the origin country. Save it until you hit Oslo.

If you dont want to trust a bank, do as much research by telephone as time allows when you get there to find the best rate. That much currency may be hard to dispose of.

Kai...any rate you see at xe.com is the prime rate....no one gets that except banks. They ALWAYS get you coming and going on exchanges....otherwise, how do they make a profit? They're not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. Currency exchange bureaus are the WORST place to change your currency....anywhere in the world.

I disagree because i often find rates at about 10% of currency exchanges, you are right that they rip you off, but then those are the right ones.

And the same is true for banks, I would say only a minority of banks have near the prime rate.

Here is a test to see who is right?

I found fretex.no, a Norwegian currency exchange selling 1 euro for 9.28NOK at the moment. No fees, or commissions, and they have a shop at the central rail station in Oslo, a place full of touists, 2nd only to the airport. Now, the prime rate is 9.07. Can you find a place to beat that? For example 9.15, or 9.2?

Kai...if you think that's a great rate, then take it. But I would check at a bank as well....since you are the one now in Norway. I notice the Nordea bank at Oslo airport is today selling Euro for 9.08, compared to the official Norsk Bank rate of 9.0365. I repeat.....in 35 years+ of travelling, I have never found a currency exchange location that has given a better rate than a bank.

But don't banks ask for recipets of how the money was earned, and other paperwork like, especially if it's around 1000euro's worth?

You're telling me the bank at Oslo airport has a better rate than 9.2? The prime rate is 9.07 now. If that's the case, I will wait until I have to leave Oslo, and exchange the 10,000 NOK at the airport. That would mean a charge of only 10euro to exhange everything (if you do the math)

The last time I changed kroner in Norway was almost 30 years ago...and I wasn't asked for any paperwork. But I don't know about now. However, their airport site says they are open 24 hours to change money for travellers....I can't imagine they make everyone fill out paperwork....and 1000 Euro isn't a lot of cash. Check out their website at http://www.osl.no/en/osl/services/30_Bank and http://service.nordea.no/currency/rates/dailyRates.htm , the latter of which shows the prime in Norway today at 9.0365 to the Euro.

Oh shoot they are at the wrong Oslo airport, I am flying from Oslo Sandefjord, or TRF, so I guess I will visit their downtown branch, and hope they have the same rates in all their branches, in fact i will call them tomorrow

"Kai...any rate you see at xe.com is the prime rate....no one gets that except banks. They ALWAYS get you coming and going on exchanges....otherwise, how do they make a profit?"

This probably won't help Kai, but for general information, there are a few exceptions, although it's a well-kept secret and not available to everyone. If you have an account in a bank that exclusively serves people affiliated with the US military (ex USAA, Navy Federal Credit Union, Pentagon Federal Credit Union, Armed Forces Bank, etc), you can get the bank-to-bank rate through an ATM withdrawl on most (not all) European currencies, the euro included. You usually pay the standard out-of-network withdrawl fee, but USAA will even refund this for up to 10 withdrawls per month.

Kai, I've never been asked at a bank for proof of how I earned the money I've exchanged--though I admit I haven't done this in a few years. I would be shocked if an amount in the neighborhood of 1000 euros triggered an inquiry though--it's practically spending money these days. Now, if you were talking about tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of euros, then, yes, there would probably be some paperwork.

Regardless of amount, though, be prepared to show a passport. (I did some currency exchange recently in Hong Kong and the PRC and had my passport copied each time.) They didn't ask how I earned the money, though...