Studying in Norway: The Complete Guide for International Students

Studying in Norway: The Complete Guide for International Students

You have an admission letter from a Norwegian university and a deadline staring back at you. Before you can register for classes, you have to clear immigration, prove you can pay for the year, find a room in a tight market, and untangle which ID number lets you do what. This guide walks the process in the order you will actually hit it, with the official sources to check each number yourself — because the amounts below change every academic year.

Most of what follows assumes you are a non-EEA national, the group with the most paperwork. EEA/EFTA students register rather than apply for a permit, and have fewer hoops; where that difference matters, it is flagged.

Step 1: Apply for a study permit (UDI)

Non-EEA/EFTA students need a study permit (studietillatelse) from UDI (Utlendingsdirektoratet — the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration). You apply after you have an offer of admission to an approved full-time programme.

1. Pay your tuition deposit and get written admission from the institution.
2. Register and pay the application fee in UDI's online application portal.
3. Document your funds (see Step 2) and book an appointment to hand in documents at a Norwegian embassy, VFS centre, or the police if you are already in Norway.
4. Wait for a decision. If you applied from abroad, book an appointment with the police to order your residence card; if you applied in Norway you may get it without a new appointment. The card arrives by post.

A study permit normally also gives you the right to work part-time (Step 6). Processing times vary by country and season — check your case type on UDI's study permit FAQ and apply as early as your admission allows.

Step 2: The subsistence (funds) requirement

UDI will not grant the permit unless you can show you can support yourself. For the 2026/2027 school year, a university or university-college student must document NOK 170,368 (about NOK 15,488 per month) to live on. For a single semester the documented amount is NOK 77,440 (autumn) or NOK 92,928 (spring). Folk high school students show a lower NOK 130,745 for the year.

These figures are updated annually. Verify the current amount on the UDI study permit page before you transfer anything.

The money can come from your own savings, a student loan or grant, or a part-time job offer in Norway — often a combination. UDI usually wants the funds in a Norwegian bank account or, before you have one, in the deposit account of the educational institution you will attend. Moving a large sum from home is where a service like Wise pays off: the mid-market exchange rate and transparent fee can save meaningfully versus a traditional bank wire on a five-figure transfer.

Step 3: ID numbers — D-number vs national identity number

Norway runs your whole adult life off an ID number, and which one you get depends on how long you stay.

If you are granted a study permit of at least six months, the immigration authorities notify the National Population Register and you are automatically registered as a resident and assigned a national identity number — you do not report the move yourself. If you instead hold a D-number and will stay at least six consecutive months, you must report a move to Norway to Skatteetaten (the Norwegian Tax Administration) yourself: within 30 days of the D-number being assigned you can submit the notification form (RF-1401) with documentation; after 30 days you must book a new ID check in person at a tax office that carries them out. See Skatteetaten's "Move to Norway" page. Full detail on the shorter-stay number is in our D-number guide.

Step 4: Tuition fees

Since the autumn 2023 semester, degree-seeking students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland normally pay tuition at public Norwegian universities — a major change from the long era of free higher education. Amounts vary widely by institution and programme, so there is no single national figure; get the exact cost from your university's admissions office.

Exemptions still exist. Exchange students, doctoral candidates, and students arriving through Erasmus Mundus, NORPART, NORHED, Fulbright, or StAR (Students At Risk) are normally exempt at public institutions. Confirm your status on Study in Norway's tuition page.

Step 5: Student housing

Apply for housing the day you accept your offer — rooms go fast and allocation is largely first-come, first-served, though international students often get some priority for applying early.

• SiO — the student welfare organisation for Oslo and the surrounding area. Rents typically include water, electricity, and internet.
• Sammen — the equivalent for Bergen and much of western Norway.
• Most other cities have their own studentsamskipnad (student welfare body) tied to the local university.

Rooms in these networks are cheaper than the private market and usually all-inclusive on utilities. If you miss out, the private rental market is your fallback — start with our guide to finding an apartment in Norway.

Step 6: Working while you study

A study permit automatically includes the right to work up to 20 hours per week during term, plus full-time during holidays — you do not apply separately. You cannot be self-employed or run a business. If full-time work is part of your study plan, you can request it in writing, either when you apply or later.

To get paid, you need a tax deduction card (skattekort) from Skatteetaten and a Norwegian bank account.

Step 7: Bank account and BankID

Opening an account needs your ID number (D-number or national identity number) and usually your residence card and address registration. Once you have an account, push to get BankID — Norway's electronic ID — because it logs you into tax, health, housing, and government portals. Compare what student-friendly banks offer in our Norway bank account guide.

Step 8: Healthcare

Your healthcare rights hinge on membership of the National Insurance Scheme (folketrygden), administered by NAV.

• Staying a full year or more: you generally become a member and are entitled to subsidised public healthcare on the same terms as residents.
• Staying under a year: you are usually not a member by default, but you can apply for voluntary membership, which gives you health services on an equal footing with residents.
• EU/EEA/Switzerland students: bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) — it documents your entitlement during your stay.

A fastlege (regular GP) is assigned only to people registered as residents with a national identity number; D-number holders are not assigned one but are still entitled to necessary medical treatment. Details on how the system fits together are in our Norwegian healthcare guide, and the official rules are on Helsenorge.

Cost of living for students

Beyond tuition, Study in Norway and UDI peg student living costs at roughly NOK 15,488 per month (about NOK 170,368 per year) for 2026/2027 — the same benchmark UDI uses for the subsistence requirement. Oslo and Bergen run higher than smaller university towns. Student housing and the campus samskipnad canteens are the main ways to keep that number down.

Common problems and fixes

• "My funds proof was rejected." UDI wants the money accessible and in the right place — typically a Norwegian account or a designated deposit account, not a screenshot of a home-country balance. Read the funds instructions on your specific application type before transferring.
• "I have a D-number but can't get a GP." Expected. A fastlege requires a national identity number, which means being registered as a resident for a stay of 6+ months (automatic with a study permit of at least six months; D-number holders must report a move to Norway themselves). Until then you are still entitled to necessary treatment — you just pay and, where eligible, claim back via Helfo.
• "No housing offer came through." You likely applied too late or to only one provider. Apply to your city's samskipnad the moment you accept admission, and line up a private fallback early.
• "I assumed studying in Norway is free." Not anymore for non-EEA degree students since autumn 2023. Budget for tuition and confirm the exact amount with your institution, not a forum post.
• "Healthcare costs caught me off guard on a short stay." Under one year you are not automatically insured. Apply for voluntary National Insurance membership, or arrange private cover, before you arrive.

Your next step

Open the UDI study permit page, confirm this year's exact subsistence figure for your programme type, and start the online application the same week your admission letter arrives — the funds proof and document appointment are the parts that take longest, and everything else (housing, bank account, residence card) waits on them.