Select a currency

Search by currency code or name

    Student visa guide

    Norway student visa 2026: cost, requirements and how to apply

    The Study permit (residence permit for studies) costs $579 in fees nobody can skip, up to $2,122 if every situational extra applies.

    By Global Admissions Editorial · Checked against 4 official sources

    How much does a Norway student visa cost in 2026?

    Applying for a student visa in Norway on the Study permit (residence permit for studies) costs $579 in fees you cannot skip: Study permit, applicants over 18 ($579). Situational extras (renewing the study permit for a further year, study permit, applicants under 18 and residence permit for work, applicants over 18) add up to $1,543 more. Tuition, living costs and proof-of-funds sit outside this total. All amounts are US dollars, last checked August 2026.

    Study permit (residence permit for studies) cost breakdown

    Every line the Norway application puts on your card, in US dollars, as of August 2026.

    Study permit, applicants over 18$579
    NOK 5,400, charged for a first permit and for renewals alike UDI: Application fees: work, studies and au pair
    Mandatory total$579
    What the Study permit (residence permit for studies) costs before any optional service.
    Situational extras, only if they apply to you
    Renewing the study permit for a further year$579
    NOK 5,400, the same rate as a first permit UDI: Application fees: work, studies and au pair
    Study permit, applicants under 18$289
    NOK 2,700, half the adult rate, also for renewals UDI: Application fees: work, studies and au pair
    Residence permit for work, applicants over 18$675
    NOK 6,300; the job-seeker permit graduates apply for is a work-immigration permit UDI: Application fees: work, studies and au pair
    If every extra applied$2,122
    Worst case. Most applicants pay none or one of these.

    Amounts are US dollars. Norway bills in its own currency, so the exact charge moves with the exchange rate. The native figures are in the notes column where the fee schedule publishes them.

    Things to watch

    • USD figures use NOK 1 = USD 0.1072 (Norges Bank spot rate, 28 August 2026).
    • Handing your application in at a Visa Application Centre adds a service fee, and a courier fee if the center forwards it to an embassy in another country. UDI does not publish those amounts, so ask the center.
    • Where a Danish or Swedish mission accepts the application on Norway's behalf, the fees of that country apply instead of UDI's.
    • Living costs are proved rather than paid to UDI: NOK 15,488 a month, NOK 170,368 for a full academic year, on top of tuition.
    • Tuition is charged by the institution. Prop. 58 L (2025-2026) puts typical fees at state universities and colleges at roughly NOK 200,000 to NOK 280,000 a year.
    • The application fee is refunded only if you have not yet attended the appointment to hand in your documents, and refunds are handled by the police district or embassy rather than UDI.

    How much bank balance do you need for a Norway student visa?

    For the Study permit (residence permit for studies), Norway asks you to show NOK 170,368 (about $18,265). The accepted form is Money in a Norwegian bank account or your institution's deposit account, and it covers one academic year of living costs, on top of tuition. This is money you show, not money you pay, so it never appears in the fee table above. The figure comes from UDI: Study permit: university college or university, checked August 2026.

    UDI: Study permit: university college or university · checked August 2026

    Norway student visa requirements and documents checklist

    8 documents every applicant provides, 1 more depending on where you apply from.

    DocumentWho needs itWhat it involves
    Admission to a NOKUT-accredited university or university collegeeveryoneThe institution must appear on the list of accredited institutions kept by the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education. Admission to anything outside that list does not support a study permit. source
    Full-time studyeveryoneA study permit for higher education requires a full-time program. Part-time enrollment does not qualify. source
    NOK 170,368 for the academic yeareveryoneThat is NOK 15,488 a month, or NOK 77,440 for an autumn semester and NOK 92,928 for a spring semester on its own. The money must sit in a Norwegian bank account or in the deposit account your institution holds for students. source
    Money for tuition, or proof it is already paideveryoneIf only one semester is paid, you must show the funds for the second semester in a Norwegian account or the institution's deposit account. An exemption from tuition has to be confirmed by the institution itself. source
    Somewhere to liveeveryoneHousing is a separate condition of the permit, alongside admission and money. Student housing offers are usually made after admission, so start that application as soon as you accept your place. source
    Circumstances at home that make return likelyeveryoneUDI assesses whether the situation in your home country makes it probable that you will go back when your studies end. This is a discretionary judgment rather than a document you attach. source
    Biometrics at an embassy or Visa Application CentreeveryoneAfter filing online you hand in your documents in person at the embassy or VFS center named on your application receipt. Some meeting points require an appointment and others accept walk-ins, and UDI cannot book on your behalf. source
    A tuberculosis test after you arriveeveryoneThe test is required if you come from a country on the Norwegian Directorate of Health's list and are staying more than three months. You contact the municipality where you will live, and it carries out the test as soon as possible after arrival. source
    Your country is on the tuberculosis listfor students from 12 countries, India to IndonesiaThe Directorate of Health list, last revised on 3 March 2026, includes Bangladesh, China, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. India moved from the particularly high band to the high band in that revision, which does not change the testing obligation. source

    How to apply for a Norway student visa

    1. Get admitted and sort out housing

      Secure a full-time place at a NOKUT-accredited university or university college and arrange somewhere to live, because both are conditions of the permit rather than things to settle after arrival.

      source
    2. Apply in UDI's application portal and pay NOK 5,400

      You fill in the form online and select the country you are applying from, which decides which embassy or application center handles your papers. The fee is the same NOK 5,400 for a first permit and for every renewal.

      source
    3. Hand in your documents and give biometrics

      The receipt page tells you where to meet. If you choose the wrong meeting place you cannot change it afterwards; you have to file and pay for a new application and ask for the first fee back.

      source
    4. Wait for the decision

      UDI aims to answer every applicant before their studies are due to start, and publishes an interactive waiting-time guide rather than one fixed figure. Waiting times vary between applicants, so someone who applied later can hear back first.

      source
    5. Book a police appointment for your residence card

      Everyone who applied from abroad has to meet the police in Norway so they can photograph you and register your fingerprints for the card. Expect at least 20 working days from that appointment before the card reaches you by post, and do not book trips abroad until it arrives.

      source
    6. Take the tuberculosis test in your municipality

      If your country is on the Directorate of Health list and you are staying more than three months, contact the municipality where you live and test as soon as possible after arrival.

      source
    7. Renew before the permit expires

      Renewals cost the same NOK 5,400, and a renewal filed with an electronic ID by an applicant over 18 needs no appointment at all. File at least one month before expiry to keep your existing rights while UDI decides.

      source

    Norway student visa processing time

    UDI aims to answer every study permit application before the applicant is due to start studying, and publishes an interactive waiting-time guide instead of a single published figure. It warns that waiting times vary, so another applicant getting an answer first means nothing about your case.

    UDI: When should I apply to receive an answer before I start studying? · checked August 2026

    Norway student visa work rights, dependants and what comes after

    Work rights

    A study permit automatically carries permission to work part-time for up to 20 hours a week, remote work included, plus full-time during holidays. You cannot be self-employed or run your own business in Norway on this permit.

    sourcecompare all countries

    Dependants

    A spouse or cohabitant and children can apply to live with you, but as the reference person you must show a total income of at least NOK 368,683 a year before tax, and it must be likely to continue for at least another year. That income can be student loans or grants, or your own funds in a Norwegian account or the institution's deposit account. If you have earned at least 60 credits in the past year and your family member has a job offer in Norway, their income can count towards the threshold as well.

    source

    After graduation

    Graduates can apply for a job-seeker residence permit of up to one year, and the application must be filed before the study permit expires, ideally a month ahead. You must have completed the degree in Norway, be looking for skilled work, and show NOK 28,448 a month, which is NOK 341,373 for a year; former PhD candidates who held a skilled worker permit need only NOK 85,344 whatever the length. The permit allows full-time and part-time work while you search, including jobs that do not require skilled workers.

    sourcecompare all countries

    Language requirement

    UDI sets no language requirement for a study permit at a university or university college. Its conditions are admission to an accredited institution, full-time study, money, housing and likely return, so the language evidence you need is whatever the institution asked for at admission.

    source
    United States
    From $535 all-in
    United Kingdom
    From $1,760 all-in
    Canada
    From $175 all-in
    Australia
    From $2,250 all-in
    Germany
    From $190 all-in
    France
    From $183 all-in

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    How much is the Norway student visa fee?
    The Study permit (residence permit for studies) application charge is $579 (Study permit, applicants over 18). That is also the all-in mandatory total. Optional extras add up to $1,543 on top.
    How much bank balance is required for a Norway student visa?
    NOK 170,368 (about $18,265), held as Money in a Norwegian bank account or your institution's deposit account, covering one academic year of living costs, on top of tuition. It is money you show rather than money you pay, so it is separate from the visa fees. UDI sets the rate at NOK 15,488 a month, and the academic-year figure of NOK 170,368 is eleven times that monthly amount. A single semester is NOK 77,440 for autumn or NOK 92,928 for spring. The money may be your own funds, a student loan, a grant, or a mix, and a part-time job already offered in Norway can count; if you have no Norwegian account you can use your institution's deposit account instead. USD figure at NOK 1 = USD 0.1072, Norges Bank spot rate of 28 August 2026. Source: UDI: Study permit: university college or university (August 2026).
    Can you work on a Norway student visa?
    A study permit automatically carries permission to work part-time for up to 20 hours a week, remote work included, plus full-time during holidays. You cannot be self-employed or run your own business in Norway on this permit. Source: UDI: Study permit: university college or university (August 2026).
    How long does a Norway student visa take?
    UDI aims to answer every study permit application before the applicant is due to start studying, and publishes an interactive waiting-time guide instead of a single published figure. It warns that waiting times vary, so another applicant getting an answer first means nothing about your case. Source: UDI: When should I apply to receive an answer before I start studying? (August 2026).
    Can you bring your family on a Norway student visa?
    A spouse or cohabitant and children can apply to live with you, but as the reference person you must show a total income of at least NOK 368,683 a year before tax, and it must be likely to continue for at least another year. That income can be student loans or grants, or your own funds in a Norwegian account or the institution's deposit account. If you have earned at least 60 credits in the past year and your family member has a job offer in Norway, their income can count towards the threshold as well. Source: UDI: Income requirement in family immigration cases: the reference person has a study permit (August 2026).
    What's not included in the Study permit (residence permit for studies) fee?
    Tuition, living costs and the money you have to show in your account are separate from the fees on this page. Use our cost-of-study calculator at /tools/cost-calculator for a complete budget.
    When are these fees due?
    Application and biometric fees are paid before submission. Health surcharges (UK IHS, Australian OSHC) are paid as part of the visa application. Some fees (Anmeldung in Germany, OFII in France) are paid after arrival.

    Official sources

    Last verified August 2026.