UDI 2010-101 Residence permits for students

1. Introduction

This guideline concerns residence permits for foreign nationals for whom education is the purpose of and grounds for their residence in Norway.

Residence permits are not required to study in Norway for up to three months, cf. the Immigration Act section 55 second paragraph.

Foreign nationals who plan to study in Norway but have other grounds for residing here (for example, a residence permit for family immigration, a residence permit on humanitarian grounds, protection or a permanent residence permit) are not covered by the guideline.

Nor are foreign nationals who plan to study at a folk high school or religion/belief-based school covered by the guideline, cf. the Immigration Regulations section 6-19 second paragraph. Reference is made to UDI 2010-124 Residence permits for students at religion/belief-based schools or folk high schools in this context.

2. Conditions for a first-time residence permit for students

2.1. The purpose must be full-time education

2.1.1. The purpose of the stay is education

It is a condition that education is the purpose of the stay and that it concerns full-time education, cf. the Immigration Regulations section 6-19 first paragraph third sentence. At university/university college and technical college level, this means that the foreign national must take subjects or courses that qualify for full support from the State Educational Loan Fund (Lånekassen). This applies regardless of whether the foreign national intends to finance his/her stay through the State Educational Loan Fund.

Full-time education means that the student must complete 30 credits per semester.

2.1.2. Presence at the educational institution

A study permit is granted when a foreign national who wants to take an education in Norway needs to reside at the place of study in order to take part in compulsory and elective teaching activities. As a rule, students must therefore reside in the same municipality as the place of study.

If there is a great distance between the place of study and place of residence, it is not natural to consider that the student requires a residence permit for study.

2.1.3. Online education

As a rule, residence permits are not granted for admission to online education since there is no need to reside in Norway to complete the education. In such cases, the foreign national can, if necessary, apply for a visitor’s visa to take the exam. If only parts of the education are taken online, a permit can be granted depending on the scope of the online part of the education and the need to be present at the educational institution.

As a general rule, a residence permit is not granted for admission to gathering-based study programmes. A residence permit can be granted if there is a documented need to be present at the study institution outside of the gatherings to an extent that requires a residence permit.

2.2. Admission and the significance of previous studies in Norway

The applicant must have been admitted to an approved educational institution, cf. the Immigration Regulations section 6-19 first paragraph third sentence. Which educational institutions are approved in this context is described in 2.3 below. The fact that a study programme qualifies for support from the State Educational Loan Fund does not necessarily mean that it is approved.

If the applicant has previously held a residence permit for study in Norway, it is a condition for applications for a new first-time study permit that the applicant has had adequate study progress in his or her previous studies in Norway, and that the education pertaining to the new residence permit is a continuation of his or her previous studies in the country. See section 8.1 of this guideline for what is considered as adequate study progress and continuation of previous studies.

Note that it is not a requirement that the study programme to be taken in Norway is a continuation of an education that has already been completed in the applicant’s country of origin.

2.3. Approved educational institutions and study programmes

2.3.1. Universities, university colleges and technical colleges

Residence permits can be granted to study at a university, specialised university institution or university college, cf. the Norwegian Act relating to Universities and University Colleges section 1-2 (external link).

Residence permits may also be granted for a study programme at a technical college when the study programme is approved pursuant to the Vocational Education (external link).

It is NOKUT (the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education) that approves higher education institutions as well as courses of study pursuant to the Act relating to Tertiary Vocational Education. See NOKUT's websites (external link).

Other approved educational institutions and study programmes include full-time studies at the American College of Norway - Østfoldakademiet and the Institute of Marine Research. 

2.3.2. Norwegian courses and tuition in the Norwegian language

A residence permit may be granted for an introductory Norwegian language course for up to one year prior to commencing a study programme for which Norwegian language skills are required.

The Norwegian language course must be held at university college or university level at an approved educational institution. The educational institution must submit a statement confirming that the student meets the admission requirements for the further studies planned and stating whether it is probable that the student will be admitted.

As a rule, residence permits are not granted for an introductory Norwegian language course prior to a study programme at technical college level.

Otherwise, residence permits are not generally granted for tuition in Norwegian. Exceptions can be made on exceptional grounds, for example if the course of study is part of an already commenced study programme in Norwegian or Nordic studies in the applicant’s country of origin.

2.3.3. University and university college summer schools

Residence permits are not required for participation in summer schools for up to three months, cf. the Immigration Act section 55 second paragraph. In such cases, students can stay in Norway on the basis of a visa or stay on a visa-free basis.

Students who will study in Norway for three months or more can be granted a residence permit to attend summer school at university or college level, see point 4.2. The student must apply for a residence permit that covers both the summer school and the further study before entry, see point 5.1.1.

2.3.4. Upper secondary schools

As a rule, residence permits are not granted for attending upper secondary schools.

Exceptions may be made in the following cases:

• in connection with the internationalisation of schools under the auspices of county authorities (exchange students). In such case, it must be documented in the form of a cooperation agreement/ friendship agreement for the reciprocal cultural exchange of students between the county in question and regions/counties in the applicant’s country of origin. This applies to both public upper secondary schools and private upper secondary schools approved in accordance with the Independent Schools Act (external link)

• In connection with international student exchange programmes for up to one academic year through non-profit organisations (exchange students) as FRAM Education, AFS Norway, My Education, Youth for Understanding (YFU), STS High School Foundation (STS), Explorius or Rotary. It is a requirement that the applicant has been admitted to the school.

• If the applicant has document admission to the Red Cross Nordic United World College, Skagerak International School and other schools offering an IB study programme (IB - International Baccalaureate).

• For foreign nationals permanently resident in another Nordic country in accordance with the 'Agreement on Nordic educational cooperation at upper secondary level between Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden' dated 4 March 1992.

• If the applicant is a Russian citizen from the target area (the Barents Region), who will not be studying at a vocational upper secondary school.

• Residence permits may also be granted to study at upper secondary schools provided that the school in question bases its admission of students on specified abilities/skills on the part of the individual applicant, and that the student has been admitted based on his/her possessing such abilities/skills. The abilities/skills concerned must be something other than purely theoretical knowledge. In accordance with this rule, residence permits may be granted for studies at the Norwegian College of Elite Sport (NTG), Barratt Due Institute of Music, or the Bårdar Academy. The list is not exhaustive.

• For applicants who fall under the scope of GI-05/2012 (only available in Norwegian), revised instructions regarding the right of foreign students at Longyearbyen school to take upper secondary education on the Norwegian mainland. The instructions apply to students who have been admitted to Longyearbyen School's upper secondary department.

2.4. Requirement for assured subsistence

It is a requirement that the applicant has assured subsistence, cf. the Immigration Act Section 58. The applicant must have funds corresponding to full support from the State Educational Loan Fund (the State Educational Loan Fund's websites (external link)), see Appendix 1.

If the applicant is to pay tuition fees that exceed the amount normally granted by the State Educational Loan Fund, the amount in question will come in addition to the above-mentioned subsistence requirement.

2.4.1 Personal funds, study loan, grants and employment income

According to first paragraph of section 10-7 of the Immigration Regulations students can prove that they are secured subsistence through

• pension or other fixed periodic benefits

• own funds

• a study loan or grant

• employment income when a specific offer of employment exists

Means of subsistence are also considered to be assured through a combination of the means mentioned above, cf. the second paragraph of section 10-7 of the Immigration Regulations.

When the foreigner has his own funds, the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) may require a specific amount transferred to a Norwegian bank, cf. section 10-7 first paragraph letter c. UDI normally requires students who have their own funds to transfer an amount corresponding to full support (base loan) from the State Educational Loan Fund (Lånekassen) to a Norwegian bank. If the student has transferred a lower amount, only the lower amount is considered own funds.

It must be proven that the funds are at the applicant's disposal. This can be verified by:

• the funds are in a Norwegian account in the applicant's own name

• the amount has been deposited into a deposit account that the educational institution has set up for this purpose

The list is not exhaustive.

If the stay in Norway is to be financed by public support or a grant from the applicant’s country of origin It must be clearly stated where the money comes from, the amount in question (converted into a negotiable currency) and how the money is to be transferred to Norway (including whether as monthly amounts or as a one-off transfer).

Expected income from any part-time or full-time work during holidays can be included in the assessment of whether the subsistence requirement is met  when a specific offer of employment exists, cf. section 10-7 second paragraph.

2.4.2 Bilateral students

For some bilateral students (i.e. students who are to study in Norway under a student exchange agreement between an educational institution in the student’s country of origin and an educational institution in Norway), subsistence can be deemed to be guaranteed if the Norwegian institution declares that the student has the funds required for his/her subsistence. In such case, it is a clear condition that the Norwegian institution knows for certain that the student has a financial arrangement in his/her country of origin that will cover the entire period he/she is to study in Norway. Furthermore, the duration of the student’s stay for educational purposes in Norway should not be more than one year. The Norwegian educational institution must declare in writing that subsistence is guaranteed, either in a separate letter or in the student’s acceptance letter, and it should be stated in the application which financial arrangements the student has.

2.4.3 Exchange students and specific programmes

It is assumed that the following categories of students have sufficient own funds:

• exchange students mediated via FRAM Education, AFS Norway, My Education, Fulbright, Youth for Understanding (YFU), STS High School Foundation (STS), Explorius or Rotary,

• students at the Red Cross Nordic United World College who have documented funds for the payment of school fees.

• students who are going to study at a higher education institution under an exchange scheme under the auspices of the EU, including Erasmus

• students participating in the programmes "North2North" and "BarentsPlus".

2.4.4 Third party guarantees

As a rule, third-party guarantees are not accepted, cf. section 10-7 fourth paragraph of the Immigration Regulations. This applies regardless of whether the guarantor is in Norway or elsewhere.

In exceptional cases, however, it may be accepted that parents living in Norway can guarantee that an applicant will receive board and lodging. The value of board and lodging follows from Appendix 2.  The remaining amount must be the applicant's own funds as mentioned in point 2.4.1 A guarantee from the parents that the applicant will also receive this amount during the school year will not be accepted.

It is a condition that parents who guarantee board and lodging can document income at least corresponding to a minimum of at least 2,5 times the basic amount in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme (G). See Appendix 2. The amount applies as an income requirement from 1 January 2021 as a result of Instruction GI-17/2020.

Guarantees from spouses/cohabitants may be accepted if he/she lives in Norway. There is no requirement for a joint account. Marriage must be documented by a wedding certificate. If the applicant and the guarantor are cohabitants, documentation must be submitted confirming that the cohabitation has been permanent and established for at least two years. The guarantor must be able to document an income equivalent to a minimum of  2,5 times the basic amount in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme (G). 

As a rule, the educational institution in question cannot guarantee that the applicant will have means of subsistence at his/her disposal.

2.5. Accommodation requirement

The student must be ensured accommodation during the period covered by the application, cf. the Immigration Act section 58. Accommodation is deemed to be ensured when the foreign national has the use of a house, apartment, bed-sit, room in halls of residence etc. that satisfies official requirements. If the student is going to rent, he/she must submit a written lease approved by the landlord, housing cooperative or other person responsible for the accommodation, cf. the Immigration Act section 58, cf. the Regulations section 10-12 first and second paragraphs.

If the student’s educational institution states in its letter of acceptance that it will find housing for the student, then this is satisfactory documentation.

If a third party is to guarantee accommodation, it is a condition that a lease between the parties is presented in which it is stated that the applicant will not pay rent. The value of the housing/lodgings will be set at half the value of board and lodging, see Appendix 2.

2.6. Age requirement

The applicant must have reached the age of 15 at the time of the decision in order to be granted a residence permit. Applicants between the ages of 15 and 18 must have the consent of their parents or other person with parental responsibility. Reference is made to section 6-32 first paragraph of the Immigration Regulations.

2.7. Return conditions and the requirement for good conduct on the part of the applicant etc.

A residence permit granted to a student pursuant to the Immigration Regulations section 6-19 is a permit of limited duration that does not form the basis for a permanent residence permit. This entails a clear requirement that the applicant must leave Norway when the permit expires. The immigration authorities shall assess the conditions for the applicant’s return. The probability of the applicant leaving Norway when the permit expires if he/she does not have other grounds for residence in Norway is therefore a key factor in the assessment of whether to grant him/her a residence permit. Both individual circumstances relating to the applicant and general conditions in the applicant's home country will be important in this assessment.

It is also a condition that education is the purpose of the applicant’s stay, cf. the Immigration Regulations section 6-19.

If, on the basis of information about the applicant and general experience with certain regions and countries and groups of applicants, the immigration authorities find it probable that the applicant will not return to his/her country of origin at the end of the stay and/or that he/she has a different purpose for applying for a permit than being a student, the application will be rejected.

Emphasis will be placed on matters such as:

• whether the applicant has previously applied for protection or a residence permit on other grounds

• the applicant’s plan for his/her education in Norway and whether it seems realistic

• previous experience of students in the same situation from the applicant’s home country

• previous experience of any reference persons in Norway

• whether it is legally and practically possible to escort the applicant out of Norway.

• which level will the applicant study at and whether the applicant already has a degree from university or university college

Furthermore, an applicant who otherwise satisfies the conditions for a residence permit can be denied a permit if there are circumstances that constitute grounds for denying the applicant entry to or residence in Norway pursuant to other provisions of the Act, cf. the Immigration Act section 59.

Foreign policy concerns or fundamental national interests may dictate that the application be rejected, cf. the Immigration Act section 126.

3. About research fellows in particular

Doctoral students who are employed at an educational institution (research fellows) shall not be granted a residence permit pursuant to the Immigration Regulations section 6-19 first paragraph. They are deemed to be employees and are assessed pursuant to the Immigration Regulations Section 6-1 (skilled workers).

Doctoral students who are not employed at an educational institution will be assessed pursuant to the Immigration Regulations section 6-19 first paragraph.

4. The content and validity of the permit

4.1. Content of the permit

The permit entitles its holder to be a student at a specific educational institution, cf. the Immigration Regulations section 6-33 first paragraph. That the applicant is a student, and the name of the educational institution shall be stated in the decision.

Students who are granted a first-time permit pursuant to cf. the Immigration Regulations section 6-19 first paragraph, are granted a permit at the same time for part-time work for up to 20 hours per week and full-time work in ordinary holidays, cf. the Immigration Regulations section 6-33 second paragraph. The permit does not entitle the holder to work more than this.

It shall be stated in the decision whether or not the application can be expected to be renewed. Residence permits for exchange students in connection with internationalization in schools under the auspices of the county council or through non-profit organizations cannot be expected to be renewed.

Furthermore, it shall be stated that the permit does not form the basis for a permanent residence permit, cf. the Immigration Regulations section 6-19 fourth paragraph, but that it may form the basis for family immigration, cf. the Immigration Act Section 49, cf. the Regulations Section 9-6 first paragraph.

4.1.1. Students’ right to full-time work for a limited period

People with permits pursuant to the Immigration Regulations section 6-19 can be granted a permit for full-time work for a limited period if

• documentation exists that the work is part of the course of study, cf. the Immigration Regulations section 6-33 second paragraph first sentence, or
• the work is a completely necessary precondition for admission to further education within the same programme option, and a concrete offer of employment has been made, see
• the Immigration Regulations section 6-33 second paragraph second sentence.

If the applicant wants a permit for full-time work, this must be requested in his/her application for a residence permit.

The application must always be accompanied by a statement from the educational institution stating what value the work will have in relation to the education or whether the work is a precondition for admission to further education in the same study programme, see Appendix 4.

The Directorate of Immigration (UDI) will consider whether to grant a permit for full-time work in the residence permit decision.

4.2. Duration of the permit

The main rule is that:

• permits granted up to and including the spring semester are granted until 31 August.
• permits granted up to and including the autumn semester are granted until 28 February.

Deviation from the above-mentioned dates is permitted if the circumstances so require. The duration of the permit shall not extend beyond the period applied for nor beyond the duration of the study period, cf. the Immigration Regulations section 10-16 fifth paragraph.

A residence permit as a student can be granted for up to three years if this is in accordance with a submitted study plan and it is clear that subsistence is ensured for the whole period, cf. the Immigration Regulations section 10-16 third paragraph.

As a rule, the earliest date of entry is three weeks prior to commencement of the study programme, or earlier if necessary due to participation in courses etc. in connection with the studies.

As a general rule, the final entry date shall be set no later than two weeks after studies have commenced, cf. the Regulations section 10-17 first paragraph.

In principle, the duration of the permit is calculated from the date of reporting to the police. If the application is submitted in Norway, the duration of the permit is calculated from the date of the decision, cf. the Regulations section 10-17 second paragraph.

5. Application and case-processing procedures

5.1. Where to submit an application

5.1.1. Main rule: the student shall submit the application from his/her country of origin

As a rule, a first-time residence permit must have been granted prior to entering Norway, cf. the Immigration Act section 56 first paragraph.

The application is submitted by the applicant in person to the Norwegian foreign service mission (embassy/consulate) in the country of which the applicant is a citizen, or at a Norwegian foreign service mission in the country where the applicant has had a residence permit for the last six months, cf. the Immigration Regulations section 10-2 third paragraph.

As a rule, an applicant is not permitted to travel to and submit an application from Norway. Nor is he/she permitted to submit an application at a foreign service mission and then travel to Norway and wait for the result of the Directorate of Immigration’s consideration of the application.

Pursuant to the Immigration Act section 56 sixth paragraph, cf. the Regulations section 10-1 fifth paragraph, if the applicant does not meet the conditions for applying from within Norway, the application shall be rejected on those grounds. The sole basis for the decision in such case will be that the proper application procedure was not complied with (rejection on formal grounds). It will not be considered whether the foreign national otherwise fulfils the conditions for the permit he/she has applied for. After departure, the foreign national must submit a new application through a Norwegian foreign service mission in his/her country of origin.

The above-mentioned rules mean that a foreign national who intends to first attend a summer school (see 2.3.3 above) and then immediately continue on an ordinary study programme is obliged to apply for a residence permit on both grounds prior to entry. It is not permitted to begin summer school and then submit an application for a residence permit for further studies from within Norway.

5.1.2. Exceptions: The application can be submitted from Norway

Certain groups of students are exempt from the requirement that a residence permit must have been granted before entering Norway, cf. the Regulations section 10-1 second paragraph. This applies to applicants who:

• are mediated via FRAM Education, AFS Norway, My Education, Fulbright, Youth for Understanding (YFU), STS High School Foundation (STS), Rotary, Explorius or the Research Council of Norway (NFR);

• have a scholarship from a Norwegian public institution

• are here to study at a higher education institution under an exchange scheme organised by the EU or under a bilateral agreement between a Norwegian and foreign higher education institution.

In addition, students who have competence as skilled workers, cf. the Regulations section 6-1, can submit an application from Norway, cf. the Regulations Section 10-1 first paragraph letter (a). See the guideline about skilled workers for information about who meets the criteria for skilled workers (UDI 2014-018).

To be entitled to submit an application from Norway, it is a condition that ‘the applicant has legal residence and that he/she is not staying in Norway in connection with an asylum application or pending departure after rejection of an asylum application’, cf. the Regulations Section 10-1 third paragraph.

For applicants staying in Norway who have residence permits on other grounds, the provisions of the Immigration Act section 61 seventh paragraph apply.

Applications from Norway must be submitted in person to the police in the district where the student lives, cf. the Immigration Regulations section 10-2 fifth paragraph.

Please note in particular that the police cannot grant a residence permit to skilled workers who submit an application for a study permit from Norway. They can, on request, only consider whether to grant a residence permit during the case processing pursuant to the Immigration Act section 57.

5.2. Fees

To have an application for a residence permit considered, the applicant must pay a fee on submission of the application, cf. the Immigration Act section 89, cf. the Immigration Regulations section 17-10 first paragraph.

For applications submitted on or after 1 June 2016, students participating in the Fulbright programme are not subject to a fee, cf. the Immigration Regulations section 17-10 first paragraph letter i.

6. Application form and other documentation

6.1 The application form

As a rule, applications for residence permits must be submitted online (Application Portal (external link)). In exceptional cases, the UDI form Application for a permit for residence or work must be used (external link to PDF).