Universities in Norway

Study in Norway

Student Visa Requirements

If you are a citizen of a Nordic country then you do not have to apply for a visa or residence permit in order to study in the country, but you should report your move to the National Registry.

If you are a citizen of the EU or part of a country within the European Economic Area (EEA) then you also do not need to apply for a residence permit, although you will need to register with the local police within 3 months of your arrival.

If you are neither of these then you will need to apply for the residence permit, for which the application requirements vary from country to country.

As a general guide, all applicants will need to be able to provide evidence of financial support which is at least NOK116,369 per year along with any tuition fees that need to be paid.

You will also need to provide identification documentation, a confirmation of a place at a Norwegian university and other supporting information depending on the country you are applying from.

Student Accommodation in Norway

Student accommodation in Norway is expensive, as it is one of the highest cost of living countries in the world, but there are plenty of student villages and cities that have been built with students in mind to choose from.

Accommodation can be acquired by getting in touch with the international office at your university, although there are a number of private enterprises if you want more variety.

The price of accommodation depends largely on where and what you want to live in, a single bedroom, city centre apartment can be around €1000 p/month, but rent for a room as part of a houseshare outside the city centre can be as low as €400 p/month.

Applying To Norwegian Universities

In general, the standard for applying to Norwegian universities requires completion of secondary education at an advanced level, and qualifications can be transferred into equivalents to ensure you meet the criteria. For some countries, there may also be at least one year of study at university level also required.

Applications are made directly to universities and each of their admissions criteria may vary depending on the course content and level of study you wish to start. Contact each university separately for information about admissions.

Norwegian Tuition Fees and Finance

Norway prides itself on having free education for all students, regardless of social or economic background.

Despite there being no tuition fees, students will still have to pay a ‘semester fee’ of NOK500 (around €66) per semester which gives them access to university facilities and provides discounts on shops, public transport, cultural activities etc.

Students on the Erasmus exchange programme and EU nationals are not required to pay this semester fee.