Guide To Getting A Norway Student Visa and Study Permit

A Norway Student Visa is required to study in Norway. The Student Visa (also known as the Norway Student Permit) permits the holder to live, study, and work (part-time) in Norway. Every international student planning to study in Norway for an extended period of time must apply for a Norway Student Visa. This covers US citizens, Canadians, and everyone else who can typically visit Norway without a visa.

Eligibility for a Norway Student Visa

To get a Student Visa for Norway, you have to comply with the following requirements:

• You must have been admitted into a Norwegian university or college.
• The university or college must be accredited by the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education’s (NOKUT).
• Your course of study must be full-time.
• You must have enough money to cover your tuition and living expenses. You need at least NOK 123,519 (appx. USD 13,600) per year of living expenses, in addition to the tuition cost. You must keep this in a Norwegian bank account.
• The money can be from your own funds or student loans or grants.
• If you get a part-time job, you can include the money from this toward the required amount.
• You must have found accommodation in Norway.

Norway Student Visa Requirements

The documents you are required to submit when applying for a Norway Student Visa are:

• Your passport. You must also attach copies of the used pages on your passport.
• The Norway Student Visa Application Form. You print this out once you have completed the online application on the Immigration Directorate website.
• Two passport-size pictures of yourself. They have to be taken recently and have a white background.
• The Letter of Admission into the school. The letter must state your name, your course of studies, the level of studies, and the length of the programme.
• Proof you have enough financial means to sustain your stay in Norway. For example:
• Proof you receive grants or funds, such as a Statement of Support from the State Education Loan Fund (Lånekassen).
• The bank statements from a bank account in Norway. You may open a bank account yourself or your university may open one on your behalf.
• A work contract (part-time), which states the hours you will work, your salary, and the duration of the contract.
• Proof you can pay your tuition (if required). E.g. the payment receipt from the university, or show you have the funds through one of the means described above. The tuition money must be in addition to the money you need for living expenses.
• Proof of accommodation. You must prove that you have somewhere to live, if you were to go to Norway to study. For example: Written rental contract, if you are renting
• If your school provides you accommodation, they must state it in the Admission Letter.
• If you apply from a country other than your home country: Proof that you are there legally (I.e. a Residence Permit).
• For minor applicants (15-18 years old):
• Birth certificate
• The Consent Application for a residence permit for children/minors to study in Norway form, which is on the UDI website. Your parents or legal guardians must complete and sign this. Alternatively, they may write a Statement consenting to you studying in Norway and sign it.
• Copy of your parents’ or legal guardians’ passports.
• If only one parent has custody: Document from the relevant public authority, confirming it.
• In the event that one of the parents has passed away: Death certificate.
• The printed checklist of the required documents. You can print this from the website of the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI).

Document guidelines:

• You must hand in the original documents, along with copies of them.
• The documents must be either in English or Norwegian. If they are not, submit a translation of them, along with the original. The translation must be done by a licensed translator.
• You may have to legalize some documents through an Apostille Stamp, such as civil documents.
• Do not forget the checklist print-out.
• Some embassies may ask for additional documents, depending on your country and your specific situation.

How to Apply for a Norway Student Visa?

You have to start the application process for a Norwegian Student Visa online, and then submit your documents at the nearest Norwegian Embassy or Visa Application Center. Here is a more detailed explanation of the process:

• Gather the required documents.
• Complete the online application at the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) website. You have to register an account. If you already have an account, log in with the existing one.
• Pay the Norway Student Visa fee. Online, via your debit/credit card.
• Make an appointment with the nearest Norwegian Embassy or a Visa Application Center in your country.
• Hand in the documents for the Student Visa application.
• The Embassy/VAC will forward your application to the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) in Norway.
• The UDI processes your application and notifies you of the decision.

Remember: Although it is commonly referred to as a “Student Visa”, the official document which the UDI issues, and which allows you to live and study in Norway long-term is a “Norwegian Residence Permit for Studying”.

After you receive the Norway Student Visa

You can travel to Norway and begin your studies once you have received your Student Visa (Residence Permit for Studying).

If you are from a nation that normally requires a Norwegian visa, the UDI will simply give you an entry visa that you can pick up at the Embassy/Visa Application Center and use to come to Norway.

If you are from a nation that does not require a Norwegian visa prior to travel, you can just enter Norway within the deadline.

Can I Apply for a Norwegian Visa From Within Norway?

If you are already in Norway, you can apply for a Norwegian Student Visa only if you are there legally, through another Residence Permit. Similarly to applying from abroad, you have to:

• Gather the required documents.
• Complete the online application at the website of the Directorate of Immigration (UDI).
• Pay the visa fee.
• Hand in the application at the local police station or the local Service Centre for Foreign Workers (SUA), depending on which part of Norway you live in.

Norway Student Visa Fee

The fee for a student visa to Norway is NOK 4,900 (about USD 545). Minors (those under the age of 18) may apply for free.

When you submit your online application on the Directorate of Immigration website, you must pay the amount with your credit/debit card. If you are unable to pay online, you may be able to pay the fee when you submit your application at the Embassy or Visa Application Center.

If you apply at a Visa Application Center, you must also pay a service fee.

Health Insurance for International Students in Norway
If you will stay in Norway for longer than a year, then as an international student, you are eligible to be enrolled under the National Insurance Scheme. This means you are assigned a fastlege (General Practitioner) whom you have to consult for medical treatment.

If the duration of your studies or your Student Residence Permit is less than a year, then you should get private international health insurance.

Duration of Norway Student Visa

A Norwegian Student Visa is usually issued and renewed for the same duration as your studies. When you receive the Study Permit, it will state the duration that it will be valid.

Can I Renew a Norway Student Visa?

Renewing a Norwegian Student Visa requires a fresh online application on the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) website using the same account. Do this three months before your residence permit expires.

You must also schedule an appointment with the local police department to submit the necessary paperwork. You should apply three months in advance because scheduling an appointment may take weeks. To renew your Norway Study Visa, you must not be behind on your studies.

Can I Switch from a Norway Student Visa to a Work Visa?

If you find a work in Norway while studying and match the conditions, you may apply for a Norway Work Visa.

Even if you do not yet have a job, you may be able to apply for a Job Seeker Visa, which will allow you to remain in Norway after graduation while looking for work. However, you must have sufficient funds to cover your stay (NOK 20, 521 or approximately USD 2,280 per month) as well as a degree from a Norwegian university.

Can I Get a Permanent Residence Permit After Student Visa?

No, you cannot switch from a Student Resident Permit into a Permanent Residence Permit, even if you have spent more than three years living in Norway. The time you live in Norway as an international student does not count towards your eligibility for permanent residence. To get a Permanent Residence Permit, you should apply for a Work Visa.

Can I Work With a Norway Student Visa?

With a Student Visa, you can work in Norway for up to 20 hours/week (part-time) during the semester and full-time during the holidays. You do not have to apply for a work permit as it automatically comes with the Student Visa.

However, you cannot be self-employed or run a business while in Norway as an international student.

Can I Have Dependents With a Norway Student Visa?

Yes, if you receive a Norway Student Visa, you can bring your dependent family members with you via a Norway Family Visa. They can apply alongside you or they may come after you have already settled in Norway. The family member you can take with you are:

• Your spouse or registered partner
• Your cohabitant. You must both be over the age of 24, and either be expecting a child together, or you have lived together for at least two years.
• Your children under the age of 18.

Other Types of Study Visas for Norway

Other than pursuing higher education on a Norwegian university, the following Study Visas for Norway are also available:

Norway Study Visa for Upper Secondary School. You must have been accepted into one of the following:

• A Norwegian school through an exchange partnership
• An IB (International Baccalaureate) study program
• Into the Norwegian College of Elite Sport, Barrat Due Institute of Music, or the Bårdar Academy
• Norway Study Visa for Vocational Studies. The vocational school must be included on the list of accredited schools of the
• Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education’s (NOKUT).
• Norway Study Visa for Folk High School. The program must be included on the Norwegian Directorate for Education and
• Training’s list. You must not have held a previous visa to attend a religion/belief-based school or a folk high school.
• Norway Study Visa for a Religious School (Bible School). The school must be authorized by the Adult Education Act. You must not have held a previous visa to attend a religion/belief-based school or a folk high school.
• Norway Student Visa for a University Summer School. To attend a Summer School, you need a short-term Norway Visa.