Norway has a high-quality education system offering study options at different levels, even for you as an english speaking student. Foreign nationals who wish to study in Norway for longer than three months must apply for a residence permit for students. This article contains information about which studies constitute ground for a residence permit and information on how to apply.
23/02/2009 ::
What studies can a residence permit be granted for?
As a main rule, in order to be granted a residence permit, you must have a place on a full-time course at an officially recognised educational institution at university level. However, there are certain exemptions from this requirement.
Please see link on the right side for information about what studies a residence permit can be granted for and the requirements for obtaining a such permit and for other relevant questions in this regard. Application requirements are the same regardless of whether they are made in Norway or from Australia or New Zealand.
How do I apply?
To apply for a residence permit, you must complete an application form. The application must be submitted from your country of origin or another country where you have been legally resident for at least six months. The application must be submitted to your nearest Norwegian foreign service mission. You will also be informed of the decision regarding your application via the foreign service mission.
Please note that you may not enter the country until your permit has been granted.
Who can apply from within Norway?
You may apply for a residence permit from Norway if you qualify as a skilled worker/specialist, and either:
- Have a residence or work permit lasting three months or more
- Have been granted a visa for three months
- Are entitled to live in Norway for three months without a permit, or
- Have been granted a visa, i.e. a job seeker's visa, for a period of less than three months.
Certain groups of applicants for a study permit are exempt from the requirement that the permit must be granted before entry into Norway. You may apply from within Norway if you:
- Are entering under the auspices of the
- American Field Service (AFS),
- American Scandinavian Student Exchange (ASSE),
- Fulbright,
- Youth for Understanding (YFU),
- STS High School Foundation,
- Rotary or
- Research Council of Norway (NFR)
- Have a a scholarship from the Norwegian Agency for Development Coorperation (Norad) or other Norwegian public institution.
- Will be studying at an institution of higher education within the framework of an exchange scheme under the auspices of the EU or a bilateral agreement between Norway and a foreign institution of higher education.
Students should check with their relevant universities to find out if they are part of bilateral exchange schemes between Australian and Norwegian higher educational institutions.
Applications made from within Norway must be submitted to the police in the district in which you live. However, applying from your country of origin is recommended, as the police often have a long case processing time. If you are required to have a visa and you apply from Norway, you will also incur an additional charge, as you will have to pay the fee for the visa application and the fee for the application for a residence permit for educational purpose.
What must the application include?
- "Application for a residence permit or work permit " x 2, see link
- Passport photo which meets the set requirements, see link
- Certified copy of passport
- Documentation confirming acceptance into a recognised Norwegian educational institution.
- Study plan
- Documentation of financial subsistence. Present requirement is NOK 85.000 per annum or NOK 42.500 for one semester. (AUD 17,340/8,670)
- Documentation confirming accommodation details.
- The application fee is to be paid to the foreign mission upon submission of the application. Please see fee rates.
The letter of admission must contain your name, information about the educational institution, the studies and the level to which you have been admitted, plus the length of the studies.
Eg. documentation of support from the State Educational Loan Fund and/or documentation that the amount of the subsistence requirement has been deposited in a Norwegian bank account in the applicant's name or in the educational institution's name for this purpose.
You have to produce the original documents when you hand in your application. All documents attached to the application have to be translated into English or Norwegian.
As a main rule, it is sufficient that copies of the documents are sent with the application. All photocopied documentation must be certified by a qualified authority as a true copy of the original document.
Processing time
Case processing times vary, but can take up to 2 months for processing of applications which are lodged outside Norway. We urge everyone to allow plenty of time for their application. In order to avoid unnecessary case processing time, it is important to take care when completing the application form and to include all the requested documentation.