Norway student visa for Indian students: All you need to know

Students from India can study in Norway at one of the country’s higher education institutions. And whether it's for the scenic beauty or the high quality Nordic innovation and education, Norway can be a great place to study especially for English speakers. Learn how you can study in Norway and what you may need for a successfully completed application.

📝 Table of contents
Application Process Requirements Checklist Fees

✏️ Norwegian study permit application

If you are looking to study in Norway for a program that is longer than 3 months, you will have to apply for a study residence permit.

Indian nationals can apply for a study residence permit, or study permit, in Norway for any of the following types of programs:

• University college
• University
• Vocational school
• Upper secondary school
• Folk high schools
• Bible high schools
• A recognized educational institution

For a university or college, the institution must be on the list of approved and accredited institutions by NOKUT, the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education, for international students

Once you are admitted into a Norwegian educational institution, you can begin the process for a study permit. The process starts with an online application, but Indian students will need to complete and finalize the process in person at a VFS Global Visa Application Centre (VAC) in India.

VFS Global visa application centres (VAC) in India for Norway are located in:

• Bangalore
• Chennai
• Cochin
• Delhi
• Hyderabad
• Kolkata
• Mumbai

VFS Global will require applicants to book an appointment and once you are there, your fingerprints will be taken, as well as a photo, as part of your application submission. Your application is not complete until the VFS Global aspect is complete.

Study residence permits are approved or refused by the Embassy of Norway in India in New Delhi. Not by VFS Global.

Here are the Do’s and Don'ts of a Norwegian study permit¹:

Do’s ✅	Don’ts ❌
Apply for a study permit after admission to an institution in Norway	Apply before having official admission to an institution in Norway
Study full time in Norway	Be self-employed or run your own business in Norway
Work up to 20 hours per week in Norway during your program	Start working until your permit has been granted
Show genuine interest to study in Norway, but also have means, and desire to return to India	Stay in Norway beyond the expiry date of your study permit

Norwegian study permit process

Let’s take a look at the whole process for a study permit in Norway.

1. Apply and be accepted into a higher education program in Norway
2. Identify the type of permit you need
3. Print the document checklist
4. Gather all the documents and information you need per the document checklist
5. Open an account on the Application Portal
6. Register your application on the portal
7. Pay the application fee
8. Submit the online application
9. Await a confirmation email with an attached cover letter
10. Print the cover letter and attach it to your documents
11. Book an appointment at your nearest VFS Global Centre
12. Submit all your documents, passport, your fingerprints and take a photo at your appointment time at the VAC
13. Pay the service fee at the VFS Global Centre VAC
14. Track your application online and check if any additional information is required
15. Check your email or phone number for the decision
16. If approved, you will need to pick up your passport at the VAC

This is the standard process for an application to study full time at a university, college, vocational school or upper secondary education. If you are applying for folk high school or bible high school the process may look slightly different.

In the unfortunate event that your application is rejected, you will be informed of this through a letter that will also outline the reason for the rejection.

🛂 Keep copies of your documents with you when you travel from India, as you will need to show your passport and supporting documentation upon entry into Norway.

Last but not least, when you arrive in Norway, you will need to get a residence card from the police within the first 7 days in the country. To do so you will need to pre-book an appointment through the same Application Portal you used for earlier.²

Norwegian study permit requirements for Indian students

There are a few requirements for Indian students who are applying for a study permit. Overall, the Norwegian authorities are looking for candidates that are able to support themselves and their studies, can show their educational history and can show genuine interest to study in Norway. Let’s dive deeper.

🏦 Norwegian study permit financial requirements

An application is not complete without showing that you can meet the financial requirement required to cover your living expenses in Norway.

You have to show that either:

• You currently hold NOK 126,357/₹11,15,638* per year, or
• You have an annual income of at least NOK 126,357/₹11,15,638*

The annual income can be demonstrated through a combination of income and funds.

Below are any of the documents you can use to show you meet the financial requirements:

• A bank statement in your name in a Norwegian bank
• A statement from the university or educational institution confirming that you have deposited the funds with them into an account specifically for this
• Official statement or documents showing you have received a grant, scholarship or from the State Education Loan Fund (Lånekassen)
• A work contract showing part time employment in Norway that outlines working hours, payment and duration

The study permit approval authorities will want to see that you either have paid your tuition already or have the ability to pay tuition for the first year on top of the living expense requirement. Similar documents to the ones above can be shown to prove you have adequate funds for tuition as well, or a receipt of tuition payment ³

*All INR prices shown are converted at the mid-market exchange rate of NOK 1 = ₹8.83 as of June 8, 2021

🖇️ Documents required for Norwegian study permit

Here is a break down of the documents needed for a typical study permit application⁴:

• A valid passport
• Copies of your passport
• Signed cover letter from the Application Portal
• 2 recent passport size photographs
• Letter of acceptance from an approved Norwegian educational institution
• Evidence of educational history in India
• Evidence of meeting the financial requirements
• Evidence of tuition payment or means for payment
• Proof of accommodation in Norway
• Document checklist printed, completed and signed

⌛ Norwegian student visa processing time

All applications will eventually be assessed by the Embassy of Norway in New Delhi so the processing time can vary depending on where you submit your application and the courier schedules.

That being said, you can check the current processing time on the UDI website. It will provide you the processing time depending on the type of permit, if it is your first time applying or not, and what type of institution you are applying to.⁵

🚨 From Monday, May 3rd 2021, the Embassy of Norway in India and VFS Global Centres are no longer accepting applications for study permits by Indian nationals due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay updated on changes in policies by checking the Embassy of Norway in India.⁶

✔️ Norwegian study permit checklist

Want to make sure you got everything you need? Here is a quick checklist for a Norwegian study permit application from India:

• Proof of acceptance into a Norwegian educational institution
• Successfully registered on the Application Portal
• A completed and submitted online application
• A complete and signed cover letter from the Application Portal
• A valid passport
• Copies of your passport
• 2 recent passport photos
• Transcripts or certificates of educational history in India
• Evidence of meeting the financial requirements
• Evidence of tuition payment or financial support for tuition payment
• Proof of accomodation in Norway
• A completed and signed document checklist
• Payment of application fee
• A booked appointment at the nearest VFS Global Centre in India
• Biometric information registered at VFS Global Centre
• Photo taken at VFS Global Centre
• Documents submitted to VFS Global in-person
• Payment of VFS Global service fee

🗓️ Don’t forget to register for your resident card within 7 days of arriving in Norway.

There may be additional documents and information the Embassy of Norway may need so make sure to put down an email and phone number that you use regularly so they can contact you.

🧾 Norwegian study permit fees

The Norway study permit application fee is NOK 4,900.⁷

This fee is non-refundable and is payable through the Application Portal by Visa or Mastercard, only.

But Indian applicants will also face another fee when submitting their documents to the VFS Global VAC. There is a service charge of €20 per application. ⁸

Norwegian study permit fees in Indian Rupees

How much will a Norwegian study permit set you back in Indian Rupees? Let’s take a look:

	Amount	Amount in INR*
Application fee	NOK 4,900	₹43,263
VFS Service charge	€20	₹1,775
Total		₹45,038

The Indian Rupee costs above are converted at the mid-market exchange rate, which is the rate you see on Google and what Wise uses too. VFS Global, UDI and Visa/Mastercard are likely to set their own exchange rates which may end up charging you more.

*All INR prices shown are converted at the mid-market exchange rate of NOK 1 = ₹8.83 and €1=₹88.74 as of June 8, 2021

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Wise is the easy and fast way to send money abroad. Wise uses smart technology to make global money transfers from India simple and secure online.

So whether you are paying tuition, visa fees or for the next European holiday, try the Wise Android/ iOS app or website to send money directly to bank accounts abroad. Download the award-winning Wise app or use the simple to use website in India.

And if you are already studying overseas, check out Wise multi-currency account and card to get a single international account where you can hold multiple currencies. So whether you need to send, spend, receive or hold different currencies as you travel, you only need one card and account to do it all.

Check out Wise and join the over 10 million people that use Wise for their global money transfers.

🖨 If you found this guide helpful or want to refer to it later, right click on the screen and click ‘Print’, then save it as a PDF

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Sources:

1. Norwegian Study Permit
2. Study Permit Process
3. Financial Requirement
4. Documents needed
5. Processing time
6. COVID Update
7. Application Fee
8. VFS Global Fee

All sources checked as of 1 June, 2021