Norway student visa (study permit)

You must be admitted to full-time studies at a university college or university on NOKUT’s list of accredited institutions, have somewhere to live, and your circumstances must make it likely that you return home after the studies. For some countries, such as Türkiye, UDI notes that a permit for studies below master’s level may be difficult to obtain, although each case is assessed individually.

You must document at least NOK 15,488 per month, or NOK 170,368 for a full academic year. For a single semester UDI asks for NOK 77,440 in autumn or NOK 92,928 in spring. The money can come from student loans, grants, a part-time job offer in Norway or your own funds, but own funds must sit in a Norwegian bank account or in the deposit account the institution opens for this purpose.

If you pay tuition, you must also show money for it or proof that the fees for the academic year are paid; if only one semester is paid, you must show funds for the second. An exemption from tuition must be confirmed by the institution.

The application fee is NOK 5,400 for applicants over 18 and NOK 2,700 under 18, including renewals, paid online when you register. An external service provider, where used, charges its own service fee.

From abroad the route is the same for all residence permits: register the application in UDI’s portal and pay the fee, then hand in the documents and originals in person at the Norwegian embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence, or at the external service provider it uses. The mission verifies the originals and forwards the case to UDI, which decides. Your passport and originals are returned when the case is finished. Documents not in English or Norwegian need a translation, and for work permits the translation must be made by an authorised translator showing the translator’s name and date.

If you need a visa to travel, the Norwegian mission issues an entry visa (D visa) once the permit is granted. After arrival you must report to the police within seven days to have fingerprints and a photo taken; the police then order your residence card, a plastic card sent by post. Put your name on the letterbox so the card can be delivered, and avoid trips abroad until you have it. You should also report your move to the Norwegian Tax Administration to obtain a Norwegian identification number.

The permit automatically includes the right to work part-time up to 20 hours a week, including remote work, and full-time during holidays, but you may not start working before the permit is granted and you may not run your own business.

Renew the permit before it expires using UDI’s renewal checklist for students. After completing a degree in Norway you can apply for a job-seeker permit of up to one year, at least one month before your study permit runs out. Time as a student does not count towards permanent residence.

If UDI refuses, you can appeal within three weeks of receiving the decision letter. The appeal is free, must be signed and written in English or Norwegian, name the decision and explain what should change, and should contain new information; it can be uploaded through udi.no. If you cannot gather all documents in time, appeal anyway and explain, and you get up to two more weeks. UDI reconsiders the case and sends it to the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) if it maintains the refusal.