Norway, the country near north pole with the view of midnight sun is one of the best destinations for international students to study. The educational institutions in Norway provide high standard of education offering wide range of courses from vocational subjects to postgraduate and doctorate level with modern and safe learning environment. Participatory and research based educational system where the teachers are easily approachable is one of the additional features of the Norwegian educational institutions. Beside education, students can also get lifetime experience, excitements and enjoyment while studying in Norway. Students studying in Norway will definitely be benefited by understanding the Norwegian culture, people, and nature.
Instructions about the method to get admission in Norwegian Universities The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) is responsible for admission in Norway as they determine the minimum requirements to admit international student. Admission Requirements, Application Procedures and Deadlines for submitting application may vary according to university, program chosen, and level of study in Norway.
Admission requirements in Norway varies according to program chosen and the level of study. The requirements for admission are listed with respect to study level below:
General Requirements
General Admission requirements for Undergraduate (Bachelors) level in Norway are:
Specific Requirements
Specific requirements for admission are designed by university itself. These requirements may be in terms of ability and subject matters. There is special admission requirement for some study programs that is usually relating to specialist subjects or fields of study from secondary school. Students are requested to visit the respective university's website where they intend to study and look for University's requirements for their chosen subject because the requirements may vary from subject to subject and university to university. Requirements designed are generally different for every country. For more details about the requirements for your country,
General Requirements
General requirements for Postgraduate (Masters) level admission in Norway are:
Specific Requirements
Different universities have their own specific requirements regarding academic performance, ability, language, etc. To study the specific subject, student may need additional requirements. Students are requested to visit the respective university's website where they intend to study and look for University's requirements for their indented course as the requirements may vary from subject to subject and university to university. International student from different countries have different have different admission requirements designed by NOKUT. For more details about requirement for your country
The application deadlines in Norway for international students is between January 15 to March 15 in general. However, the deadline may vary according to institutions, chosen subjects, and the level of study. So, student are requested to contact respective university or college for further detail on their application deadlines and other requirements.
Documents Required for Admission in Norway
Process to obtain Norwegian Student Visa for international students The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) is the public agency responsible for processing all applications for a student residence permit in Norway. The student intending to study in any educational institutions of Norway for longer than 3 months period must have a residence permit. But this doesn't apply to students from Nordic countries. The requirement of visa and residence permit for students depends upon their nationality.
For International Students from Non-Nordic and Non-EU/EEA Countries, before applying for visa and residence permit, student must have been admitted to full time accredited university studies in Norway. Generally, length undergraduate and post graduate courses are more than 3 months, it is therefore essential to apply and obtain residence permit before entering Norway. Student must submit their application to a Norwegian Foreign Mission in their own country in person. Applications sent by mail or email will not be processed. In some cases the applicant may expect to be called in for an interview. For certain courses whose length is less than 3 month, then the student does not need a residence permit. However, students need a visa before entering into Norway. International students will be granted a residence permit for study purposes if they have been enrolled for full time study at any recognized educational institutions in Norway. Besides, students need to present the proof that they could support their study and life during their stay in Norway. Also, students must be show that they have made health insurance. The application fee to apply for the visa is NOK 1100 (about USD 180). The students from following listed countries are referred as students from Non-Nordic and Non-EU/EEA Countries:
Afghanistan | Albania | Algeria | Angola |
Antigua & Barbuda | Armenia | Azerbaijan | The Bahamas |
Bahrain | Bangladesh> | Barbados | Belarus |
Belize | Benin | Bhutan | Bolivia |
Bosnia-Herzegovina | Botswana | Burkina Faso | Burundi |
Cambodia | Cameroon | Cape Verde | Central African Republic |
Chad | China, People's Rep. (except Hong Kong and Macao) | Colombia | Comoros |
Congo, Democratic Republic | Congo, Republic | Cuba | Djibouti |
Dominica | Dominican Republic | Ecuador | Egypt |
Equatorial Guinea | Eritrea | Ethiopia | Fiji |
Gabon | Gambia | Georgia | Ghana |
Grenada | Guinea | Guinea-Bissau | Guyana |
Haiti | India | Indonesia | Iran |
Iraq | Ivory Coast | Jamaica | Jordan |
Kazakhstan | Kenya | Kiribati | North Korea |
Kuwait | Kyrgyzstan | Laos | Lebanon |
Lesotho | Liberia | Libya | Macedonia |
Madagascar | Malawi | Maldives | Mali |
Marshall Islands | Mauritania | Mauritius | Micronesia |
Moldova | Mongolia | Morocco | Mozambique |
Myanmar (Burma) | Namibia | Nauru | Nepal |
Niger | Nigeria | Northern Mariana Islands | Oman |
Pakistan | Palau Islands | Papua New Guinea | Peru |
The Philippines | Qatar | Russia | Rwanda |
St. Kitts & Nevis | St. Lucia | St. Vincent & the Grenadines | Samoa |
Sao Tome & Principe | Saudi Arabia | Senegal | Seychelles |
Sierra Leone | Solomon Islands | Somalia | South Africa |
Sri Lanka | Sudan | Surinam | Surinam |
Swaziland | Syria | Taiwan | Tajikistan |
Tanzania | Thailand | Timor East | Togo |
International Students from Non-Nordic EU/EEA Countries Visa is not required for international students from Non-Nordic EU/EEA countries who is intending to stay for less than 3 months. But if student's studies take longer than 3 month, then they require to apply for the residence permit within three months of their arrival in Norway. However, they may also apply for residence permit in the embassy or consulate of their own home country before entering Norway. Permits are issued by Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). International students will be granted a residence permit for study purposes if they have been enrolled for full time study at any recognized educational institutions in Norway. Besides, students need to present the proof that they could support their study and life during their stay in Norway. Also, students must be show that they have made health insurance. The application fee to apply for the visa is NOK 1100 (about USD 180).
The students from following listed countries are referred as students from Non-Nordic EU/EEA Countries:
Austria | Belgium | Czech Republic | Cyprus |
Estonia | France | Germany | Greece |
Hungary | Ireland | Italy | Latvia |
Liechtenstein | Lithuania | Luxembourg | Malta |
Netherlands | Poland | Portugal | Slovakia |
Slovenia | Spain | Switzerland | United Kingdom |
International Students from Nordic Countries
Students from Nordic Countries (Iceland, Sweden, Denmark and Finland) are free to study and stay in Norway as long as they want. They do not need to acquire any type of visa or residence permit to stay, work or study in Norway.
Norwegian Universities and Colleges with link to their respective websites
Scholarships and Financial aid available for International Students in Norway Although the education is free for all in Norway by law, it costs to live in Norway. The living cost in Norway is a bit higher than other developed world. Students must plan well to manage their living cost in Norway. Student can work part-time up to 20 hours per week in Norway to support their living cost. However, there are several financial aid and scholarships available for international students in Norway. However the competition is high to obtain these scholarships and financial aid. It depends upon the student's academic background, the country they reside, and the course they choose to get any kind of financial aid and scholarships. There are Norwegian government's national programs as well as various other program offered by private and non-profit making organizations to provide scholarship and other types of funding for international students to support their study and stay in Norway. The Norwegian Center for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU) is a public administrative body under the Ministry of Education and Research in Norway that promotes international cooperation in education and research and also administrates several programs where international students are eligible for financial support. The various scholarship and financial aid programs available in Norway are:
Each year, to promote the internationalization in higher education, the Norwegian government provides full scholarships for 1100 international students. It is provided to 800 international students from developing countries and 300 international students from Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Generally, this scholarship is provided to Masters and Ph. D level courses taught in English. Several universities and universities colleges of Norway are allocated the quota to provide funding to international students. The application deadline for quota scheme scholarship depends upon the institution, level of study and course chosen. It is therefore requested to contact respective institution directly. To learn more about the Quota Scheme, eligibility to apply, and to find out which courses are available under this scheme, visit the website of The Norwegian Center for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU). Norwegian Government Scholarships Norwegian Government Scholarship is provided by Norwegian Government each year to advanced international students and young talented researchers with the aim to promote good relationship and coordination between Norwegian and foreign students. It is provided through the Norwegian International Scholarship Section (IS) of the Research Council. This scholarship is available to all areas of academic studies, including applied and performing arts. This scholarship is not provided for the whole period of completion of degree in Norway, instead it is intended to finance a temporary stay of international student up to one academic year. To learn more about this scholarship, and eligibility to apply, visit the website of International Scholarship Section (IS) of the Research Council of Norway. Beside these scholarships and financial aid programs, various other programs like Norad's Program for Master Studies (NOMA) Fellowship Program for Studies in the High North Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Program The Norwegian State Educational Load fund are available for international students to support their education in Norway.
Living Cost for International Students in Norway Even though, education is free in Norway by law, living cost in Norway is quite expensive in comparison to other popular study abroad destinations. It depends upon the living standard of student how much will it cost to live in Norway. But most of the international students feel it too high to afford goods and services in Norway. It costs at least Norwegian Krone (NOK) 8000, i.e. around US Dollar (USD) 1300 per month to maintain the basic living standard in Norway for foreign students. The estimated expenses for services in Norway are:
Service | Cost per Month in NOK |
---|---|
Food | 2500 |
Accommodation | 1500 |
Transport | 500 |
Communication | 450 |
Books and Supplies | 900 |
Insurance and Health Care | 350 |
Clothing | 550 |
Entertainment | 100 |
Other Expenses | 1150 |
International Students under the age of 30 and with a Valid Student Identity (ID) card are entitled to get reduced fares on public transports. The Student ID card also help foreign student to get certain discounts on theatre, museum and opera tickets. University restaurants and cafeteria also provides foods to international students on the subsidized rate. However, if student manage to cook themselves, then they can expect more savings or less expenses on cafeterias.
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