Visa and Study Permit

Inbound exchange students from outside the EU/EEA must apply for a student permit / visa immediately after they have received their admission letter. Check the UDI website for more information.

• In order to be granted a study permit/visa to Norway as a non-EU student, UDI requires that you show documentation that you have enough money to live on while studying in Norway. How you document financing as an exchange student depends on your citizenship and student status. Please check "Documentation of funds" below for what you need to do.

• Some students do not need a visa to visit Norway because they hold a passport from a country that Norway has a visa exemption agreement with. This also applies if you have a residence permit in an EU/EEA country or if you have a special passport. Check the UDI list of persons who do not need a visa to enter Norway to see which category applies to you.

When applying, you will need the following:

• UiS organisation number: 971 564 679 (click “Search and Verify”)
• UiS contact e-mail: inboundexchange@uis.no
• A credit card to pay the application fee
• Passport number, date of issue and validity
• Date of arrival in Norway/Schengen area (check our semester dates here)
• Information about your marital status and family
• Correspondence address in your home country
• Address in Norway. Use the visiting address of the university, as your correspondence address in Stavanger will be provided on arrival:
  
  The University of Stavanger
  International Office
  Rennebergstien 30
  4021 Stavanger
  Norway

Unfortunately, the International Office cannot assist you directly with the application process to obtain a study permit in Norway. Any questions regarding study permits (visas), should be directed towards the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI).

However, some general guidance is provided below:

Application procedure

1. Go to UDI's website and fill in the necessary
   information to access the specific application process that relates to your nationality.
2. When you fill in the information, it is important to indicate that you are coming to Stavanger as an exchange student (either Erasmus+ or taking part in an exchange between a Norwegian and a foreign higher education institution).
3. The website will tell you whether you need to submit your study permit application from your home country or if you are eligible to submit the application from Norway and where to submit your supporting documents.
4. After you have submitted the application, and paid the application fee, the status of your application can be checked online. When asked to send the application to the reference you listed, please choose “NO”, as this has no relevance to your application.
5. After receiving your study permit/visa, you must book an appointment to register your arrival with the Stavanger Police Station through UDI's Application Portal. You must book the earliest available appointment after your arrival.
   

After arrival

You are required to register at the local immigration office at the Stavanger Police Station within seven days after your arrival in Norway. The registration is by appointment only. The residence card will be sent to you by post. It may take at least ten working days from your appointment with the police until you receive the residence card by post. At the same time, the police will give notice to the Tax Administration that you need a national ID number. Therefore, you do not need to attend the Tax Administration to request this.

More information here.

The study permit is valid for one semester or one year. If you applied for one semester, but extend your stay for one extra semester, then you need to renew your study permit and pay the application fee again.

If the above procedure has changed, please send us an e-mail.

It is your responsibility to check with whether you need a study permit/visa to study in Norway through the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI).

If you do need a study permit/visa to study in Norway, you must submit proof of sufficient funds along with your other application documents in Søknadsweb.

Student not coming through Erasmus+

The amount is determined by UDI and will depend on whether your are staying one or two semesters. The current rate of NOK 151 690 (March 2024, adjusted yearly) is intended to cover living expenses during one academic year. Exchange students must document NOK 68 950 for the autumn semester 2024 and NOK 82 740 for the spring semester 2025.

We ask you to submit proof of funding to us during the application process because it allows us to include a confirmation of sufficient funds in your Admission Letter. You may then use this document when you apply for your study permit/visa, without having to transfer funds to a Norwegian bank account.

Requirements for the proof of funds:

• The document must be in English or Scandinavian language
• The document must be an official copy: scholarship confirmation, bank statement, etc. If you submit an official bank statement, the account must be in your name
• The document must clearly state the amount and the date. The document must not be older than 1 month before submission
• The currency should be in NOK, EUR, or USD

Students coming with an Erasmus+ grant

Please submit documentation showing that you will receive Erasmus+ grant for the entire exchange period in your study permit application. You may also submit this documentation to us in the exchange application portal for a confirmation of funds in your admission letter.

Students coming with other external funding

If you receive a grant as part of a project funded by UiS, you do not need to submit proof of sufficient funds.

• NORPLUS students that are receiving a scholarship do not need to upload documentation to prove sufficent funds.

• Please check if your Letter of Admission provides a confirmation from UiS that you have sufficient financial means to cover your period of studies in Norway before applying for your study permit (visa).

When applying for a study programme at UiS, non-EU/EEA citizens must document their financial ability. This can be documented with one of the followings:

• a recent official bank statement in your own name
• a letter confirming that you are eligible for a scholarship/student loan from your home country
• a sponsor guarantee letter and sponsor's recent official bank statement

The amount required for one academic year is currently of NOK 151 690 (March 2024, adjusted yearly). The amount may be documented in any currency.

This will later be an essential part of the study permit application. Immediately after receiving admission, international master students are requested to transfer this amount to a student deposit account held by UiS.

Immediately after receiving admission, non-EU/EEA citizens need to apply for a study permit. More information about the study permit is available at the UDI's website. Please be aware that the study permit application process may take up to three months.

As a part of the study permit application, this amount must be deposited in a Norwegian bank account as UDI requires financial guarantee for studies in Norway. It is not possible to open a bank account in Norway prior to arrival. Therefore, UiS has an account where the required amount can be deposited.

Generally this amount needs to be transferred to the UiS’ deposit account within 3 weeks after receiving admission. Details about how to transfer the deposit will be available after receiving admission.

Normally you are required to register in person at the local immigration office (Stavanger Police Station) within 7 days after your arrival in Norway. You need to make an appointment on beforehand through the UDI Application Portal.

After the police registration, you will receive a residence card and Norwegian ID number in the mail. The residence permit is usually valid for one year and has to be renewed for the second year of studies. When you are granted a study permit in Norway, you are automatically also granted permission to work up to 20 hours per week and full-time during ordinary holidays.

Once you have received your Norwegian ID number you can open your bank account in Norway and UiS will transfer your deposit money to your account. Before you are able to open your own bank account, you can access your deposit money through a cash card that will be provided upon arrival.