Immigration before arrival for full-degree students

Follow the information in the document sent to you from the Admissions Office. Make sure to complete the following to get the necessary financial documents for your study permit:

• Transfer the deposit to INN (if you do not have a Norwegian Bank Account). You can only transfer the deposit for yourself.
  • If you want to bring your family to Norway, you have to document the remaining amount differently. It is not possible to use the INN deposit account for this matter.
• Pay the tuition fee or apply for exemption from the tuition fee.

For the deposit, the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) (external link) strictly enforces this rule. When it comes to study permits, they will, in most cases, not accept other means of documentation, such as a bank statement from a bank in your home country or financial guarantees from relatives or other third parties. If the UDI does not accept the documentation, it will affect the residence permit application for both

• the final result (the residence permit/visa application might be denied), and,
• the processing time (the length of the processing time of the application will be much longer than average, which is two months).

As a result, you will not obtain your residence permit/visa in time to start your studies.

Online application

Complete the application form for a "study permit" (external link) according to one's citizenship, and upload the necessary documents. You will need to create a user in the UDI portal.

• INN’s organisational number is 918108467

In-person application

In some countries, Norway does not have a VFS Visa Application Centre for study permit applications. In such instances, the VFS Visa Application Centre, consulate, or embassy of another country (often Denmark) accepts applications for Norway and forwards them to the UDI. 

When you reach the "how to apply" stage of the study permit, you can find out whether this applies to you (external link). If so, you must download and complete the application for your study permit before booking an appointment. You pay the application fee at your appointment. 

Want to bring your family to Norway?

Please note that UDI does not guarantee that family immigration applications will be processed together with study permit applications. The processing time for family immigration is 6-12 months. In many instances, the student must arrive in Norway before their family, anywhere from a few weeks to a few months/almost a year. 

In some cases, the family member(s) might be eligible to apply for an entry visa (D-visa) while they wait for a decision on their family immigration residence permit application. Please note that it is illegal to work and earn wages and one does not have the same rights to health services on a D-visa. Information on this entry visa is available on UDI's webpage (external link).

When you submit an online application and complete the appointment with the VFS Centre, your application is sent to the UDI. The Embassies/Consulates/VFS centres/others are not processing your application; the UDI is responsible for that.

If you have any questions regarding your application, you can contact UDI by phone or email. Their contact information can be found on their webpage (external link). 

• To gain information about your case, you must provide the DUF number (case number).

Upon arrival in Norway, you will have to register with the Police. This appointment is free. For detailed information on what happens after arrival, view our immigration after arrival webpages.

Be assigned or apply for an appointment?

It depends on which campus you are enrolled in.

Enrolled in Campus Lillehammer

If you are enrolled in Campus Lillehammer, you must book the appointment yourself. The closest Police Station is located in Hamar. View the information at the bottom of this drop-down list.

Enrolled in Campus Evenstad and Hamar

For international students who are new to Norway and enrolled in one of our English degrees, the International Office will book your Police appointment. 

• The appointments will be announced after arrival. If you decide to book the appointment yourself, please inform the International Office.
• In some instances, you might have to book the appointment yourself. The International Office will inform you if this is the case.

If you are enrolled in a Norwegian-taught degree or currently residing in Norway, you will need to book an appointment yourself (if needed).

How to book a Police appointment

You can book an appointment on the same webpage where you submitted your study permit application. Log in to the UDI portal and follow the instructions. A booking confirmation will be sent to you by email. If you experience issues booking, close down the form and try again later.