Who Can Study in Norway: Eligibility for 2027
Your nationality, degree level and language skills shape what Norway looks like for you. The rules aren’t complicated, but they are dramatically different depending on which side of the EU/EEA line you fall on.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
7 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
The EU/EEA split — this changes everything
Before you look at grades, language tests or anything else, answer one question: are you a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland? Your answer determines tuition, work rights, visa requirements and more. Norway’s higher education system treats these two groups fundamentally differently.
- No tuition fees at public universities
- No work-hour limits during studies
- Simpler registration — no study permit needed
- Free movement rights within Norway
- Tuition fees apply at public universities (since 2023)
- 20 hours/week work limit during term
- Study permit required from UDI
- Proof of funds (NOK 170,368/year for 2026–27) mandatory
This split is the single most important factor in your Norway planning. Everything downstream — your budget, your scholarship strategy, your paperwork — flows from it. If you hold dual citizenship and one passport is EU/EEA, you can use it to access the EU/EEA track, even if you normally travel on the other one.
Quick readiness check
Five questions drawn from the requirements on this page. Yes means you meet that point for a non-EU/EEA master’s application for autumn 2027.
0 of 5 answered
- 1Do you hold (or will you hold by the start date) a bachelor’s degree with at least a C average on the ECTS scale or equivalent?
- 2Do you have IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT or another accepted English test that is under two years old at your application deadline — or a recognised exemption?
- 3Is the programme you want taught in English (not “Norwegian” or “Scandinavian languages”)?
- 4Can you submit everything by your university’s non-EU/EEA deadline (1 December 2026 at UiO and NTNU)?
- 5Can you document NOK 170,368 for living costs plus the first year’s tuition before applying for the study permit?
Next: read How to Apply and check your target programme’s own requirements.
Read the matching section below. The financial bar and the language of instruction are the two most common blockers.
This is a planning tool, not an official decision. Confirm the rules on your university’s admission page and on UDI.
Academic requirements
Norway doesn’t have a single set of admission requirements for everyone. What you need depends on your home country, the degree level and the specific programme.
The GSU-list: country-specific requirements
NOKUT (the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education) maintains the GSU-list. It specifies, country by country, which qualifications count as equivalent to Norwegian upper secondary education — so a school diploma from Nigeria is evaluated differently from one from Vietnam or Brazil. Some countries require one or two years of university study on top of secondary school. Check the list for your country before assuming your qualifications are enough: GSU-list on NOKUT.
GPA requirements
For master’s programmes, the general minimum is a C average on the ECTS scale (roughly 3.0 on a 4.0 scale). Competitive programmes at UiO, NTNU or UiB may effectively require higher grades because of applicant volume. The published minimum gets you considered, not admitted. PhD positions are even more competitive — they’re employment, so hiring standards apply.
English proficiency
For English-taught programmes you’ll typically need one of:
| Test | Typical minimum | Note |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 6.0–6.5 | Overall band. Some programmes require higher sub-scores. |
| TOEFL iBT | 80–90 | Total score. Varies by institution and programme. |
Some institutions accept Cambridge C1 Advanced, PTE Academic or the Duolingo English Test as alternatives. There’s no universal rule across Norwegian universities, so check your programme’s page.
English test waivers
You may not need IELTS or TOEFL if any of these apply:
- IB Diploma with English A at Higher Level (score of 4 or above)
- Nordic secondary diploma (Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish or Icelandic upper secondary education)
- 60 ECTS credits completed at an English-medium university in an English-speaking country or a recognised English-medium institution
- A full degree from an institution where the language of instruction was English (varies by university)
Norwegian language requirements
Most bachelor’s programmes are taught in Norwegian and require Norwegian Level 3 (Bergenstest or equivalent) or a 60 ECTS Norwegian course (typically the one-year trinn 3 programme). This is a real barrier for most international students.
For English-taught master’s and PhD programmes, Norwegian is not required — you can complete your entire degree in English. Still, some Norwegian makes daily life much easier: landlords, bank clerks and shop staff don’t all speak fluent English.
Bachelor’s vs master’s vs PhD — very different rules
The degree level doesn’t just change the curriculum; it changes how Norway treats you as an international student.
Very few English-taught options — roughly 20 programmes nationwide. Norwegian-taught programmes need Norwegian Level 3, which means a year of language preparation first. Best for students willing to learn Norwegian first, or targeting the handful of English-taught programmes at places like BI or NHH.
Over 200 English-taught programmes. No Norwegian required; English proficiency is enough. Two-year programmes are the norm. Best for international students who want to study in Norway without learning Norwegian first.
Classified as employment, not study. PhD candidates are salaried employees (UiO adverts in 2026: NOK 550,800–595,800 a year). Tuition-free for everyone. You apply to advertised positions, not through admissions. Best for researchers ready for a 3–4 year commitment — see Jobbnorge.no.
The practical takeaway: a master’s degree is almost certainly your best way in. The bachelor’s route requires Norwegian fluency, and PhD positions are competitive research jobs. The master’s level is specifically designed for international access.
Age, work experience and other requirements
Norway is relatively relaxed about who can apply, with fewer arbitrary barriers than some other systems.
- No age limit. Norwegian universities generally don’t have upper age limits. Whether you’re 22 or 42, your academic qualifications are what matter. Some scholarship programmes have their own age criteria.
- No work experience required. You can go straight from a bachelor’s to a master’s. MBA-style programmes at private institutions like BI may be exceptions.
- Scholarship-specific requirements vary. The BI Presidential Scholarship targets outstanding GPAs; university-specific waivers may prioritise students from particular regions. Always check the scholarship’s own eligibility page.
- Programme-specific prerequisites. An engineering master’s at NTNU requires specific maths and physics coursework; a UiO social sciences programme may require methodology credits. The general requirements only get you through the first gate.
The financial eligibility bar
Student visa →As a non-EU/EEA student you must prove you can support yourself before UDI (the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration) issues your study permit. This is a hard requirement that trips up more applicants than any academic criterion.
The money must be documented in a Norwegian bank account (or the university’s deposit account), or as an approved student loan or grant, before you apply. Not a home-country account. Not a promise letter. UDI is strict: bank statements from your home country are generally not accepted.
How do you open a Norwegian bank account from abroad?
Most Norwegian universities help admitted students. UiO, NTNU and UiB offer deposit-account arrangements for incoming international students: you transfer the money to the university’s account and it issues the documentation UDI needs. Contact the international office as soon as you receive your admission letter.
What if tuition fees also apply?
At a public university that charges tuition, you need to show funds for tuition on top of the living-cost requirement. If your programme costs NOK 150,000 a year, you’d need about NOK 320,368 in total for the first year at the 2026–27 rate. It is one of the biggest practical barriers to studying in Norway.
If you’re an EU/EEA citizen, none of this applies. You don’t need a study permit, you don’t prove financial capacity, and you don’t pay tuition at public universities. You register with the police and start studying.
Common eligibility mistakes
These errors come up again and again in forums, Reddit threads and admissions offices.
- 1Assuming all programmes are taught in English
They aren’t. Most bachelor’s programmes are in Norwegian; English-taught options are concentrated at master’s level. Without Norwegian, your bachelor’s choices are around 20 programmes nationwide.
- 2Believing that speaking Norwegian exempts you from tuition
It doesn’t. Fees are based on citizenship, not language. You could be fluent, have lived in Oslo for five years, and still pay full tuition on a non-EU/EEA passport.
- 3Not checking country-specific GSU requirements
Your school diploma might not be enough. Some countries require one or two extra years of higher education. Discovering this after you apply wastes months.
- 4Applying with expired IELTS or TOEFL scores
Results must be less than two years old at the time of application. An IELTS taken in January 2025 expires in January 2027, so it still works for a 1 December 2026 deadline, but one from November 2024 does not. Universities reject expired scores, however good.