If you are in doubt regarding the application for visa and residence permit, you are advised to contact the nearest Norwegian Embassy/Consulate or check the webpage www.udi.no.
Students from non EU/EEA countries
Students from non EU/EEA countries need a student visa in order to enter Norway. Students are advised to contact the nearest Norwegian Embassy or Consulate for information on procedures immediately after receiving the Letter of Admission. Visa application forms, entitled First Time Residence Permit, Educational Purposes, are also available through your local Norwegian Embassy or Consulate. The processing may take up to 2 - 3 months. Please enclose the Letter of Admission, your study plan, financial documentation and the required fee of NOK 2500. Your application is supposed to be given priority.
Please note that the UDI (Norwegian Directorate of Immigration) requires documentation showing how your stay will be financed. Minimum requirement is NOK 92500 (approximately EUR 10,000) per year.
- Scholarship holders will have this information outlined in the Letter of Admission and do not need to show that they actually have this amount of money
- Self-financing students will receive guidance on the Deposit Scheme for self-financing international students at the University of Stavanger with the Letter of Admission
Once you arrive in Stavanger, you are required to contact the local immigration office at the Stavanger Police Station within 7 days after your arrival in Norway. You will receive a stamped residence permit in your passport. The residence permit lasts one year. We will tell you more about this procedure during Orientation Week.
Exemption from applying for a visa
Students under a bilateral exchange agreement or other nationals of countries with which Norway has signed a visa waiver agreement may apply for a Norwegian residence permit for educational purposes within 7 days after arrival. Please refer to the following circular (How do I apply - last bullet point).
However, applying from your country of origin is recommended, as we have experienced previous students going to Norway on a bilateral agreement have faced difficulties travelling out of their country without having procured a student visa in advance.
Students from EU/EEA countries
Students from EU/EEA countries do not need visa to enter Norway, but they are required to arrange their residence permit at the local immigration office at the Stavanger Police Station within 3 months after their arrival in Norway. They need:
- Copy of passport/ID-card
- Valid insurance or forms E-111/E-128 or European Health Insurance Card
- 2 passport pictures not older than 3 months (a machine is available at Stavanger Police Station)
- Letter of Admission from UiS or any other document that shows that you are enrolled as student at UiS
We will tell you more about this procedure during Orientation Week. The immigration office at Stavanger Police Station is located in Lagårdsveien 6, email post.rogaland@politiet.no, phone (+47) 51 89 90 00. It is open Monday and Friday 08:00 – 14:00, Thursday 08:00 – 17:00.
Exemption from applying for a residence permit
The following categories of students are exempted from applying for a residence permit:
- Students from Nordic countries (Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Island)
-
Students from EU/EEA countries who plan to stay in Norway for a period shorter than 90 days
