How to Apply for International Admission at Norwegian Institutions of Higher Education

Norway has been one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The country popular for the northern lights, splendid nature, vikings, snow, dark winter, midnight sun, salmon, cross country skiing, and the world’s most beautiful democracy is also increasingly being a popular destination of higher education.

Over the decades, Norway is getting more and more attention of the world with successful exploration or off-shore reserves of oil. It is said that oil exploration and extraction had made Norway so rich that many other European counterparts can not compete with Norway in terms of per capita income and provisions of social welfare.

Thanks to Norwegian people who have been keeping the government from introducing tuition fees to foreign students. Sweden, Finland and Denmark – the other Nordic counterparts have already introduced tuition fees to non-EU/EEA students.

So, the deal is – you could certainly be interested in enrolling into the programs of study aimed to international students in Norway. Do not forget that you can study for free, get quality education, live in one of the most beautiful country with the most humble people, and get chance to settle in Norway as a skilled worker.

Please have a strong and compelling reason if you are applying for a program on bachelor's level or below in Norway. Aspirants from Nepal are generally declined a study permit for study programmes below the master's level.

Step 1: Choose the study program

The deal is simple. You need to visit https://www.studyinnorway.no to select the study program for your level and field of interest. The website will display the number of international degrees available in Norway for the chosen level and field of study. For example, as of July 2021, The website displays the list consisting of 4 degrees programs provided by various institutions of higher education (universities and universities of applied sciences) related to education when one selects master ‘level’ and education ‘subject area’.

Next, you need to click on the individual programs to learn more about them. By now you will have the best overview of the study programs offered by the respective institutions of higher education. You can visit the program websites, or the websites of the universities to learn more on admission requirements, and admission procedures. By assessing own interests, requirements, and chances of admission, you will be able to choose the study program to apply for.

Remember, as of July 2021, you can apply for getting enrolled at multiple programs at multiple institutions of higher institutions in Norway. There has been a talk in government level to introduce centralized admission system even for the foreign students.

Step 2: Collect documents

In Norway, the documents are mostly the prime factors in determining your fit and aptitude for getting enrolled in the study program that takes certain number of students in the semester it is being conducted.

You should have already checked the admission requirements for the study program of your interest. Your second step will be collecting the documents. You might take English Proficiency Test / GRE or GMAT. You might want to get the final diploma if you have not received it already. In Nepal, some students get provisional certificate if the convocation ceremony has not taken place. You might need to show special work performance like arts, or music / dance to getting a place in relevant programs of study.

You might need to write a motivation statement as well.

Some institutions of higher education also demand experience letter if you have worked under salary or voluntarily. If there is a scholarship, you might need to collect reference letter(s) from the professor(s) under whom you might have studied / worked in an academic institution.

You need to have a bank account in your name that contains equivalent amount of at least NOK 126,357 – which is an official estimate as the annual living cost for a student in Norway.

There is not harm if you develop you resume in PDF. All the documents are better submitted in PDF format.

Step 3: Apply Online

The application system to getting enrolled in international study programmes in Norway is popularly called Søknadsweb. Each institution of higher education has its own system of Søknadsweb. Generally you first need to select the institution of higher education from Soknadsweb. Then, you need to create an account as international student. What you need is an email address that you will use in future occassions throughout the process of admission.

Very few institutions of higher education could have different system of online application.

Please provide correct details with proper care in spellings, dates, phone numbers while you are applying online. The most important concern is – please get all documents ready and requirements fulfilled. Remember to complete the application and uploading of required documents by the deadline(s) of respective institutions of higher education.

As mentioned earlier, the application opening months in Norway range from October to December and Application Deadline months range from November to March. The general rule is – if you are applying from outside Norway, the early deadlines apply.

As mentioned earlier, you are free to apply for multiple programs of study in Norway at multiple institutions of higher education. This actually increases your chance of getting admission.

Please be aware that some master’s programs are conducted part-time and some are conducted online. Those which are conducted part-time does not generally permit to enroll students from outside EU/EEA. If they are enrolled in part-time master’s programmes, they need to apply for tourist visa for certain physical meetings / sessions of study placed at various slots throughout the 3-4 years period of part-time study.

Step 4: Get a Decision

Applicants from outside EU/EEA generally get decisions in April every year. Study places at institutions of higher education in Norway are getting increasingly competitive.

If everything favours you and you are selected, please confirm the offer by logging into Søknadsweb and clicking ‘Yes’. Some other institutions need you to print the agreement, sign and email the signed document.

In Søknadsweb, you will be able to download the admission letter. Some other institutions will email the admission letter to the selected student.