The 17-year-old, who claimed titles this year in the Toyota Racing Series, Formula Renault Eurocup and Formula Renault NEC, makes the move after competing in the final round of the 2016 Euro F3 series and the Macau Grand Prix with Carlin.

It continues his relationship with the team, which has so far provided title success in the 2015 MSA Formula series (now British Formula 4) and race wins in a half-season in the '16 BRDC British F3 Championship.

"I'm very excited to be joining Carlin and can't wait to contest the Formula 3 European Championship," said Norris.

"My aim is simple and the same as at the start of every season - I want to win the championship title outright.

"Although it's my rookie F3 season, I'm totally confident with the package - the team and Volkswagen [engine supplier].

"I believe I have what it takes to challenge for the title in my first full season of F3 racing, especially after the pace we showed at Hockenheim and Macau.

"There will be a couple of tracks totally new to me but this year in Renault I learned the tracks quickly.

"It'll be my third season racing for Carlin - I feel very comfortable and at ease with them and we all get along very well."

Team boss Trevor Carlin added: "We are very pleased and proud that Lando and his management have chosen to stay with the team for a third season, and I'd like to thank them for the trust they've placed in our FIA F3 team after two very promising outings in Hockenheim and Macau.

"Lando is an incredibly exciting young driver and has already shown in his short career his talent, dedication and work ethic."

Norris joins Ferdinand Habsburg and Jehan Daruvala in the Carlin line-up, and all three will contest the TRS in New Zealand over January and February.

This trio has been joined in Carlin's line-up this week in testing at Valencia by Honda protege Tadasuke Makino - the Japanese F3 ace tested last month with Prema Powerteam.

It is understood that Makino is likely to switch to European F3 in 2017, and that Carlin is one of the teams that could run him.

Carlin is moving on to Barcelona for more testing on Thursday and Friday of this week.