There are over 15,000 international students from all over the world benefiting from the Norwegian government free tuition policy. That said, both international and EU students are exempted from paying tuition fees. There are varieties of undergraduate and postgraduate courses available for interested international students. Education in Norway is world class with various undergraduate to postgraduate courses offered for international students to actualize their dream of earning a top quality degree.
Application deadlines
In order to know the application deadlines of universities you are interested in, you need to contact each college or university about their deadlines. The application deadline for international students is between December 1 to December 15 for courses starting in August. Please note that some institutions have different pre-qualification deadlines that might be earlier than the one stated above.
Undergraduate Studies
For undergraduate studies, completion of secondary at advanced level or equivalent to passing an exams at the end of secondary school at a Norwegian school. However, some Norwegian universities would expect students from some countries to have completed at least one year of university before applying. Please check with your country to find out if your country is Included.
Master’s Degree
Admission decisions for post graduate programs are carried out by the university. Most successful students had obtained bachelor’s degree or its equivalent of at least a 3 year duration in a subject that is relevant to the degree program .
Student Permit
For international students travelling to Norway and who wish to stay for more than 3 months will need a student visa. For students from countries outside the EU, you would need to submit your visa application to a Norwegian mission or embassy in your country. In some cases, the applicant may be called for an interview. There is a visa processing fee of $ 430. Due to exchange rates and local administrative issues, this visa processing fee might vary. You should check with your local Norwegian embassy for more information on this.
Application Materials for Visa Processing
- An application form for student residence with a passport photograph.
- A copy of your passport.
- Documentation of admission to an approved educational institution.
The letter of acceptance from the instution must contain the following information:
1. The applicant’s name
2. The name of the institution
3. What course/programme the applicant has been admitted to
4. The duration of the course/programme
The course/programme must be full-time and approved for financial support from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund. This also applies for students who have financing from other sources and do not intend to seek support from the Loan Fund. - A plan of study.
A filled out form stating the progress of your studies. - Documentation of housing.
Approved documentation includes a lease copy for a house, an apartment or a room issued by a private person or company. Apartments/rooms provided by the institution’s own Student Housing organisation must also be documented with a lease copy. - Documentation of subsistence
(loan from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund or deposits in a Norwegian bank). - Subsistence is ensured at NOK 97 850,- for the school year 2014/2015. If you plan to attend an institution/programme/course that has tuition fees, you must also document that you are able to finance this extra cost.
As a general rule, the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration requires the money to be deposited in a Norwegian bank account, and this account must be in the applicant’s name. If the educational institution has set up an account for the students, the student may transfer his/her funds to this account. Documentation in this case should include a statement from the institution confirming that the correct amount is deposited to the account in question, or a bank statement showing a balance for the correct amount.The applicant may apply for part-time work in Norway and submit this as part of the grounds for subsistence. However, the total amount for subsistence will then be higher.As a general rule, financial guarantees from a third person is not accepted, whether this person is a resident in Norway or another country. In special cases financial guarantees from an applicant’s parents may be accepted if they are Norwegian residents.
