Study permit

International students with citizenship outside the EU/EEA/ Swiss area must have a study permit to enter and stay in Norway for the duration of their studies.

Application procedures and requirements vary depending on your country of citizenship. Detailed, country-specific information is provided on The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)'s website.

Requirements of the student to obtain a study permit:

• Pay an application fee (to the UDI)
• You must have a confirmation of Admission
• You must study full-time
• Documentation of sufficient funding
• Documentation that you have the money to pay tuition fees, or a receipt that they have been paid
• Somewhere to live (housing contract)
• The circumstances in your home country must indicate that it is likely that you can return home when you have completed your studies

In order to approve your application for a study permit/ resident permit the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration must see confirmation that you are admitted as a student to a Norwegian higher education institution. Your Confirmation of Admission is provided for this purpose.

You will need to provide the university's corporate ID number / organisation number when your apply for your study permit. Nord University's organisation number is 970 940 243.

In order to apply for a study permit in Norway, you must have funds equivalent to NOK 151 690​ for the academic year 2024/2025, w​hich is the amount the Norwegian Government deems sufficient to cover one year of food, housing and other living expenses.

If you are going to be a student for only one semester in Norway, you must document NOK 68 950 for the autumn semester and NOK NOK 82 740 for the spring semester. Note that the amount varies from year to year. Please check with The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration for the correct amount. 

Documentation

To document that you have sufficient funds, you must demonstrate that you have deposited the amount into a Norwegian bank account in your name, or in an account that Nord University has opened for this purpose.

You may only open a Norwegian bank account in person in Norway, and you must have a Norwegian ID-number from the National Registry.

Unless you have access to a Norwegian bank account, we recommend that you make use of university's holding account. Read more below.

Nord University has created a holding account for self-funded international students from outside the EU/EEA who do not hold their own Norwegian bank account. The account is in Nord University's name and your funds are identified by your name and applicant number.

Who can use the account?

Applicants from outside the EU/EEA who have accepted their offer of admission from Nord University and are applying for a study permit in Norway can use the account. The University does not accept deposits from students or other individuals applying for other types of immigration permits, eg. family immigration.

Making a deposit

• Apply for deposit account.​
• You may deposit funds as soon as you receive your Offer of Admission, prior to applying for your study permit. 
• The University does not accept deposits after June 1. Allow several days for your transfer to arrive in the account.
• Mark your deposit with your name and applicant number (found on your Confirmation of Admission letter).

• You may transfer euros or US dollars but the final sum must correspond to no less than NOK 151 690 upon deposit.
• If you are going to be a student for only one semester in Norway, you must document NOK 68 950 for the autumn semester and NOK 82 740 for the spring semester. You may transfer in euros or US dollars.
• Nord University does not accept larger deposits in connection with applications for other types of residency permits, eg. family immigration. Please contact UDI if you have questions about documenting funds for a permit other than a study permit.

Confirmation of deposit

Once you have completed the transfer, you will receive an email from the​ International Office at Nord University confirming that your funds have been received.          

Interest

Your funds will not earn interest while in the holding account. Please read the information about accessing your funds carefully (see below).

Deposits for permits and housing

You may not use the funds deposited in our holding account to pay your deposit for student housing. Please contact StudentiNord (the student welfare organisation) for more information about how to pay your housing deposit.

You may not use the funds deposited in our holding account as documentation for tuition fees.

Release of funds

Once you have arrived in Norway and obtained an identification number from the National Registry at the tax office, you will be able to open a Norwegian bank account.

Important: the International Office is unable to release funds from the holding account before you have opened your own bank account, nor will the office have any power to hasten the procedure with your application for an ID- number with the National Registry. 

Withdrawal from studies

If, for any reason, you withdraw from your studies at the institution, your deposit will be returned to the account it was transferred from.

If your application for a study permit in Norway is rejected for any reason, your funds will be returned to the account they were transferred from.

If this happens, Nord University will transfer the same sum that you transferred to the holding account.  Please be aware that the  final sum returned to you may vary as a result of the following:

• Changes in the exchange rates before or during transfer.
• Fees charged by foreign banks. The university's bank does not charge fees for return of funds.

Please allow around 4 weeks for return of funds.

You must renew your residence permit before your current expires. Please find information regarding the process and requirements on UDI’s website.

You must register the application online and book an appointment with the police at least three months before your residence permit expires.

When renewing your residence permit, you must document a “form for statement on study progress and part-time work permit, filled in by your educational institution”. Please contact your study advisor at faculty for this report.

If you have to pay tuition fees, you must also have money to cover this or document in your study permit application that your tuition fees for the academic year 2024/2025 have already been paid.