To receive an answer to your study permit application before the start of the fall semester, you must remember to submit your application by July 1st / December 1st. Non-EU/EEA citizens with a residence permit in an EU/EEA country must apply for a residence permit in Norway. Therefore, do not start the application before receiving admission to INN University.
How to apply for a study permit
1: Submit your application (before arrival)
Part 1: Deposit & financial statement
Exchange students must deposit the requested money into a Norwegian bank account to receive the financial confirmation needed. Admitted students will receive detailed information on the deposit account by e-mail.
NB: This does not apply to non-EU/EEA students on Erasmus+ or EEA/Norway grants. The International Office will provide the financial documentation needed for the residence permit.
Exchange students from partner institutions are not required to pay the tuition fee.
Part 2: Online application
Complete the application form for a "study permit" (external link) according to one's nationality, and upload the necessary documents. INN University's organisational number is 918108467. You will need to create a user in the UDI portal.
In addition, please be aware of the following:
- The application must be submitted from your country of origin or a country where you have been a legal resident for at least six months.
- UDI charges a non-refundable application fee of approximately NOK 5900 (2023/2024) upon application.
- The passport must be valid for six months beyond the planned stay.
- The documentation requirements may vary from country to country and are subject to change. Contact the Norwegian Foreign Service mission closest to you for more information about specific requirements.
Part 3: Appointment with the embassy/consulate
The online application provides information concerning where to submit the original application documents. Please note that the documents may need to be forwarded to a different country.
Students must prepare the following documents for the appointment:
- The signed cover letter from the application portal - the attachment received by e-mail upon completing the online application. Print and sign.
- The passport and a copy of all the used pages.
- *One new/recent passport-size photo with a white background.
- Letter of Admission from INN University
- Documentation of financing support.
- Housing contract in Norway (tenancy agreement).
- Complete, print and sign the UDI's checklist (external link).
A detailed overview can be found in the UDI checklist mentioned above.
*In most instances, a passport-size photo is unnecessary when submitting the passport. For detailed information, view the following UDI webpage for photo/passport photos (external link).
2: Visiting the Police Station (after arrival)
Within 7-days of arrival to Norway, or depending on when the appointment is scheduled, students must visit the police station to order the residence card. Students must pre-book the appointment. Bring your passport and your housing contract. You can find further descriptions of the necessary documents in your UDI profile. Please notice that:
- For international students studying at Evenstad, Hamar, Lillehammer or Rena, an appointment for all students will be booked by the International Office at one's Campus on one of the first days of the semester. If one's arrival is delayed, the student needs to notify the International Coordinator as soon as possible and book the appointment at the police station themselves.
- International students studying at Elverum must make an appointment directly with the police.
- The police will notify the Norwegian tax administration of the reported move to Norway and the need for a Norwegian national identification number. This number is awarded by letter, which will be sent to one's postal address in Norway. In addition, all students must mark the post box in one's residence with one's name.
3: Forwarding the confirmation to INN University
You must deliver a copy of the confirmation of immigration from Skatteetaten to the International Office at one's Campus of study. Drop by the Office in person.
Important information
Financial statement
Submitting a bank statement from a foreign (non-Norwegian) bank when applying for a study permit is not recommended. The consequence of doing so is that your application may be rejected/delayed. If your application is delayed, there is no guarantee that you will get a study permit by the start of the semester.
- If you have submitted this, please get in touch with the UDI so you can add the correct financial statement to your application.
- If the UDI has asked you to upload new documentation, see this webpage for instructions (external link).
Processing of the application
When you have submitted the online application and completed the appointment with the Embassy/Consulate/other, your application is sent to the UDI. The Embassies/Consulates/others are not processing your application; that is the responsibility of the UDI.
If you have any questions regarding your application, you can contact UDI by phone or e-mail. Their contact information can be found on their webpage (external link). You must provide the DUF number (case number) to gain information about your case.
Validity of the permit
Be aware that a study permit is only valid for one year. Therefore, renewals must be submitted before the permit expires. The permit to work part-time next to your studies is not automatically renewed with your study permit application.
More information can be found on our webpage for permit renewals.