Janice Lozano
Norway is a popular destination for international students, offering diverse programs, a vibrant capital city, stunning natural beauty, and free education for students from the EU/EEA. To become an international student in Norway, you must meet certain entry requirements, including demonstrating English and/or Norwegian language proficiency and having a higher education entrance qualification. You may also need to apply for a residence permit and/or visa, depending on your nationality and the duration of your stay. Additionally, you should be prepared for the cost of living and tuition fees, which can be high, although there are scholarship opportunities available.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Language of instruction | Most undergraduate degrees are taught in Norwegian. However, Masters degrees are generally taught in English. |
| Language requirements | Students must demonstrate English and Norwegian language proficiency. |
| Higher education entrance qualification | Students must have a Higher Education Entrance Qualification (GSU list) |
| Work | Students from the EU/EEA/Switzerland can work alongside their studies without restrictions. Students from outside these areas can work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during holidays. |
| Tuition fees | Students from the EU/EEA/Switzerland do not have to pay tuition fees at public universities. Students from outside these areas do have to pay tuition fees, although there are scholarships and loan options available. |
| Living costs | The estimated living cost for a student is NOK 13,790 per month or NOK 151,690 per year (2024-25). Students must also pay a semester fee of approximately NOK 1,000 per semester to the student welfare organisation. |
| Visas and permits | Students staying for less than three months do not need a permit, but citizens from certain countries require a visitor's visa. Students staying for more than three months require a residence permit. |
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What You'll Learn
Application process and deadlines
Norway has a website dedicated to international students who wish to enrol in an academic programme within its borders. Here, you can find all the degrees on offer, with specific details centralised and neatly organised.
Each institution has its own application rules, criteria, portal and process. Therefore, it is important to visit the official websites of your chosen universities to find out the specific deadlines, requirements and to access the university’s application page.
Applications are typically submitted through the universities’ online application portals. The general steps include: registering an account on the university’s application portal, filling in personal details and uploading required documents, selecting the desired programme and submitting a statement of purpose or motivation letter. Letters of recommendation are usually only required for postgraduate study.
Application deadlines vary by university and programme, but typically, they will be between December and March for the academic year beginning in the autumn. Some universities have pre-qualification deadlines that are earlier than the periods listed above, so be sure to look out for those.
If you are applying to a Norwegian master's programme or an international master's programme, you must apply as an international applicant between 1 February and 1 March.
If you are applying for a PhD, you need to contact the faculty of the specific course to be considered. If the faculty finds that you are qualified, they will give you the opportunity to be admitted. It is possible to apply for singular courses on a PhD level from 1 February, with a deadline of 1 June for the autumn semester and 1 December for the spring semester.
The processing time for a student residence permit can take up to two months, so students should apply well in advance. Students from outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland are required to show proof of funds to obtain a study permit and pay an application fee.
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Entry requirements
To become an international student in Norway, you must meet several entry requirements. Firstly, you need to have a higher education entrance qualification, which is specified in the GSU list (Higher Education Entrance Qualification for foreign applicants). This list outlines the basic education requirements necessary for admission to universities and university colleges in Norway, and may include some higher education after secondary school for certain countries.
Secondly, there are language requirements for both English and Norwegian. While Norwegian universities primarily instruct courses in Norwegian, some courses may be taught in English. Thus, you must demonstrate proficiency in the language your programme will be taught in by providing a language proficiency certificate. Universities usually accept the CEFR C1 level of Norwegian and similar English language tests for English.
Thirdly, you must submit authorised translations of all documents that are not in English, Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish. These documents include your undergraduate/Bachelor's degree or equivalent, which must be at least 3 years of study, including courses equal to at least half a year of full-time studies in a subject relevant to your chosen programme.
In addition to these academic requirements, there are visa and permit considerations. If you plan to stay in Norway for less than three months, you may not need a permit, but citizens from certain countries will require a visitor's visa. For stays exceeding three months, a study permit or residence permit for studies is mandatory, and you must submit your application to a Norwegian embassy or consulate in your country or country of residence within the past six months before arriving. EU/EEA students are exempt from this requirement but must register with the police through a registration scheme for EEA nationals.
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Tuition fees and scholarships
Norway offers free higher education tuition to its citizens and those from the EU/EEA/Switzerland. However, since autumn 2023, Norway has required non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens to pay tuition fees at public institutions. These fees are based on the real cost of the respective study and vary between institutions and study programmes. The tuition fees are adjusted annually.
Students from outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland are required to show proof of funds to obtain a study permit. This also applies to UK citizens, who must fulfil an exemption criterion to be exempted from tuition fees.
International students from outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland generally have to pay tuition fees to obtain their degrees in Norway. All students must also pay a semester fee of about 100 euros per semester to the student welfare organisation, which offers services such as student housing, childcare, sports facilities, and health and food services.
PhD students at public institutions in Norway do not pay tuition fees, but they must finance their living and research expenses. PhD candidates are not eligible for financial aid but can work as research fellows or utilise outside funding like grants and scholarships.
While the Norwegian government does not offer scholarships to degree students, there are still scholarships available for international students who want to study in Norway. Some scholarships depend on your nationality, what you study, or what level you plan to study at. Other schemes, like the Nordplus Student Exchange, help expand student mobility and support collaborative research. Your home country or university might also support students wishing to study abroad.
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Student visas and permits
Norway is an attractive destination for international students, offering diverse programs, a vibrant culture, and stunning natural beauty. For those wishing to join the over 25,000 international students in Norway, it is important to understand the visa and permit requirements.
Firstly, it is important to distinguish between visas and permits. Visas are issued for short-term stays of up to 90 days, while permits are required for longer stays exceeding three months. International students intending to study in Norway for less than three months may not need a permit, but citizens from certain countries may still require a visitor's visa.
For those planning to study in Norway for more than three months, a student residence permit is necessary. This applies to international students from outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland. EU/EEA citizens are exempt from the permit requirement but must register with the police through the registration scheme for EEA nationals. Applications for the student residence permit should generally be submitted from the student's home country before entering Norway. The application must be submitted to a Norwegian embassy or consulate in the applicant's country or country of residence within the past six months before arriving.
To obtain a student residence permit, several documents are required, including an application form with a passport photograph. Additionally, students must meet entry requirements, including demonstrating English and Norwegian language proficiency and providing authorized translations of all documents not in English, Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish.
It is important to note that tuition fees must be paid by students from countries outside the EU/EEA/EFTA at public institutions, although exemptions may apply in certain cases, such as previous studies or work experience in Norway, marriage to Norwegian citizens, or humanitarian reasons.
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Living costs and accommodation
The cost of living in Norway varies depending on the city and location within the city. The estimated living cost for a student is NOK 13,790 per month or NOK 151,690 per year (2024-25). This includes accommodation, food, electricity, transport, and other costs. Students may also have additional costs related to insurance, travel, visa fees, and tuition fees.
For accommodation, students can expect to pay between 36% and 41% of their total living costs. The most popular options are student housing and renting/sharing an apartment. The average cost of renting an apartment varies depending on the city and location within the city. In Oslo, for example, the average monthly rent for a decent apartment is between ₹100,000 and ₹150,000. Students can find more affordable options by sharing a flat or applying for student housing through the student welfare organisation, "Samskipnad". Samskipnad offers secure and reasonably priced housing, but there is competition for these rooms, especially in bigger cities. The student welfare organisation also provides other services such as childcare, sports facilities, health, and food services.
Students can expect to pay between NOK 30 and NOK 60 per semester for a student union fee. Additionally, all students must pay a semester fee of approximately NOK 1,000 per semester to the student welfare organisation.
To save money on living costs, many international students hold part-time jobs while studying in Norway. Students from Nordic/EU/EEA/Switzerland can work alongside their studies, while students from outside these regions can work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during holidays.
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Frequently asked questions
Tuition fees vary, but public universities are free for students from the EU/EEA. Students from outside these areas will have to pay tuition fees, but there are scholarship opportunities and other schemes to help international students attend. Living costs are estimated at NOK 13,790 per month.
Most undergraduate degrees are taught in Norwegian and require a CEFR C1 level of proficiency in the language. However, English is widely spoken, especially in cities like Oslo and Bergen, and some Masters programmes are taught in English.
Visas are issued for up to 90 days. If you plan to stay longer than three months, you will need a residence or study permit. EU/EEA students do not need a permit but must register with the police.
Most universities require a higher education entrance qualification. For applicants with a foreign education, the requirements are specified in a GSU list.
Norway has many great universities, including the University of Oslo, the University of Bergen, and the Arctic University of Tromsø. There are also specialised schools, such as the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the Oslo National Academy of the Arts.
