[2] HamKam earned promotion to Eliteserien on 6 November 2021, after a 1–0 win against Stjørdals-Blink.
Start and Aalesund were relegated from the 2020 Eliteserien, while Fredrikstad and Bryne were promoted from the 2020 2. divisjon.
The teams from third to sixth place will take part in the promotion play-offs; these are single leg knockout matches.
The winner of the second round will meet the third-placed team on away ground.
[22] The 14th-placed team, Stjørdals-Blink, took part in a two-legged play-off against the winners of the Second Division play-offs, Hødd, to decide who would play in the First Division next season.