If you fulfill the requirements for one of the following criteria, you may be exempt from paying tuition fees.
Citizens from EU/EEA countries and Switzerland are exempt from paying tuition fees.
Documentation requirements:
- Copy of your passport or national ID card
Anyone with a permanent residence permit in Norway is exempt from paying tuition fees.
Documentation requirements:
- Copy of your passport or national ID card
- Copy of your residence card
- Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
Anyone who is granted protection (asylum) in Norway is exempt from paying tuition fees.
Documentation requirements:
- Copy of your passport or national ID card
- Copy of your residence card
- Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
Anyone who is married to, or cohabiting with, and have joint children with a Norwegian citizen is exempt from paying tuition fees. Both you and your spouse/cohabiting partner must live in Norway.
Documentation requirements (Married to or in a legal partnership with a Norwegian citizen):
- Copy of your passport or national ID card
- Copy of your residence card
- Copy of your marriage certificate from the Norwegian Tax Administration or from the foreign authority who officiated the wedding
- Copy of the residence certificate (bostedsattest) for you and your spouse/legal partner
- Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
Documentation requirements (Cohabiting with a Norwegian you have children with):
- Copy of your passport or national ID card
- Copy of your residence card
- Copy of the residence certificate (bostedsattest) for you, your cohabitating partner and your child
- Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
Anyone who has a right of residence as a family member of an EU/EEA citizen is exempt from paying tuition fees. The EU/EEA citizen must have grounds for residence in Norway other than studying.
Documentation requirements:
- Copy of your passport or national ID card
- Copy of your residence card
- Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
- Copy of the registration certificate for your family member
During a transitional period that lasted until 2020, the United Kingdom was to be treated as if it were still a member of the EU and the EEA.
If you are a citizen of the United Kingdom, who were entitled to reside in Norway in accordance with the EEA agreement before the end of the transition period (31.12.2020), you are exempt to pay tuition fees. You must also have stayed in Norway.
If you came to Norway on 1 January 2021 or later, you are not exempt from the tuition fees.
Documentation requirements:
- Copy of your passport or national ID card
- Copy of your registration certificate
Anyone with a residence permit because of family immigration may be exempt from paying tuition fees. The person the student has been reunited with must either be a Norwegian citizen or a foreign national with a reason for residence in Norway other than studying.
Documentation requirements:
- Copy of your passport or national ID card
- Copy of your residence card
- Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
- Copy of the residence card or registration certificate for your family member
Anyone who has lived in and has had continuous full-time employment in Norway for at least 24 months immediately prior to commencing studies, may be exempt from paying tuition fees. The person must have had a residence permit as an employee and paid tax to Norway during this period.
There must be no breaks during the accrual period or between the accrual period and the period in which you start your studies. Nevertheless, exceptions may be made for breaks of up to one year in connection with illness or childbirth.
Stays due to ordinary five-week holidays per year will be accepted as part of the accrual period of 24 months.
Maternity leave and leave for occasional care of children whilst employed may be included as part of the accrual period of 24 months.
Au-pair work is not considered full-time employment and does therefore not give exemptions from paying tuition fees.
Documentation requirements:
- Copy of your passport or national ID card
- Copy of your residence card
- Confirmation(s) from employer(s) showing that you have had continuous full-time employment in Norway for at least 24 months immediately prior to commencing the study programme (start and finish dates). The confirmation(s) must show the role percentage and start and finish dates of the employment. An employment contract is not considered sufficient documentation.
- Documentation showing that you have paid tax in Norway for the last 24 months immediately prior to commencing studies. This could include copies of the tax return, payslips or corresponding documentation.
- Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
Anyone who has been living and undertaking continuous studies in Norway during a period of at least three years, and has completed studies corresponding to at least three years of full-time studies (equivalent to 180 credits), is exempt from paying tuition fees.
There should be no break between the studies you have completed in Norway and the new study programme you are planning to attend.
Nevertheless, exceptions may be made for breaks of up to one year in connection with illness or childbirth. During that period, you cannot have received loans or grants for education from Lånekassen, public support schemes in other countries (e.g. Centrala studiestödsnämnden and Uddannelsesstyrelsen), or from Norwegian public support schemes for development, e.g. Norad, the Norwegian Programme for Development, Research and Education (NUFU), the Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED).
Documentation requirements:
- Copy of your passport or national ID card
- Copy of your residence card
- Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
- Copy of transcripts of records or diplomas for education completed in Norway
If you have accepted an offer of admission, you may provide the relevant documents and apply for exemption.
You must apply for an exemption within 14 days after you have received an offer of admission.