Application period for international degree students: 15 November 2022 to 1 February 2023 for studies commencing August 2023.

Applicants who have a Norwegian national ID number, but need to apply for a student visa or temporary residence permit, must apply within the deadline 1 February 2023.

International applicants with a Norwegian national ID number, currently residing in Norway, should apply from 1 February to 15 April 2023.

Submit your application in our online application portal «Søknadsweb».

Deadlines

There are different application deadlines depending on which country you are from.

• Applicants outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland: deadline 1 February

• EU and EEA applicants: deadline 15 April

• Domestic applicants: deadline 15 April

Applications received after this date will not be processed.

For studies commencing August 2024, the application deadline will be 1 December 2023 for applicants outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. The application portal will open 15 October 2023.

Find out the requirements you need to meet to get into a full degree at VID as an international student, including academic entry requirements and English proficiency.

For all programmes, you will need to demonstrate the following.

Language proficiency:
Meet our English language requirements described below.

Secondary education:
Depending on where you completed upper secondary education, you may be required to have more than three years of university education. Please check the requirements for each country in the GSU-list for details on what we require from your home country to achieve Norwegian Higher Education Entrance Qualification.

Higher education:
To apply for a master's degree, you must have completed a bachelor's degree of minimum three years from a recognised higher educational institution.

Every VID program has its own specific set of entry requirements. You will find the academic entry requirements under the heading Application on each course page.

Please note that bachelor’s degrees from some countries may not be recognised as equivalent to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree. Significant differences between the systems of education in Norway and the country of origin may have as a result that only parts of the foreign education is recognised as equivalent to Norwegian higher education. The list of requirements for Higher Education Entrance Qualification for Persons with Foreign Education - The GSU List is a guiding tool for deciding whether a full or partial recognition can be granted.

Additional requirements:
You should also check the course page for any additional admission criteria. This may include a prerequisite, such as previous studies of relevance, assumed knowledge, relevant professional experience.

Applicants who are not qualified for entry will be rejected.

Completing studies after the application deadline?
Unfortunately it is not possible to apply if you are completing your degree in the spring semester for studies commencing in autumn the same year.

The Norwegian immigration administration (UDI) requires that students from outside the EU/EEA document that they have sufficient means for self-subsistence during their studies, before they will be issued a student visa/temporary residence permit. The required amount is a subject to change and is published and updated by UDI. Please refer to their website. These funds must be available in a Norwegian bank account. VID offers a deposit service for applicants who receive an offer of admission to VID’s study programs.

International students must also calculate additional expenses for tuition and semester fees, literature and housing.

Successful applicants must immediately apply for a student visa or residence permit. Information on how to deposit and the further process will be issued together with an offer letter.

Take note that being offered a place at a master's programme does not automatically qualify you for a Norwegian study permit.

VID offers no scholarships or grants, hence all students need to be self-funded.

Most non-native English speakers, and some native English speakers, have to document their proficiency in English by taking one of these internationally recognised tests: TOEFL, IELTS or PTE test results.

TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language

TOEFL PBT, TOEFL iBT or TOEFL iBT Home Edition with a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test (PBT) or a score of 80 on the internet-based test (IBT), with at least 19 in reading, 19 in listening, 19 in speaking and 23 in writing.

You must do the following:

1. Add VID Specialized University as a recipient of your test result, using our institution code B464. This will enable us to verify your test result online. Which department code you choose is not relevant.
2. Please upload a copy of your result. Alternatively your email receipt stating that you have added VID as a recipient of your test score.

We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.

IELTS - International English Language Testing System

IELTS Academic test with an overall band score of minimum 6.0 as well as 6.0 in each component (listening, reading, speaking and writing)

You must do the following:

1. Upload a copy of your test result with a legible TRF number.
2. VID will verify your test result online. VID does not have an institution code for the IELTS testing system.

PEARSON - Pearson Test of English Language

PTE Academic or PTE Adacemic Online: with a minimum overall score of 55 with at least 51 in each component (listening, reading, speaking and writing).

You must do the following.

1. Send your score report to VID through your Pearson account
2. In addition, upload a copy of your test results.

TOEFL/IELTS tests are only considered valid for 2 years after the test date.

Excemptions

You do not need to take an English proficiency test if you

• are a native speaker from the UK, the USA, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia with completed secondary education from your home country.
• have completed upper secondary education in one of these countries: Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Nigeria, Papa New Guinea, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
• have completed at least one year of your university studies in academic subjects with English as the language of instruction in the UK, the USA, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia.
• have completed at least one year of master's degree studies with English as the language of instruction in one of the Nordic countries or the Netherlands.
• have completed a bachelor's degree with English as the language of instruction in one of the Nordic countries or the Netherlands.
• have passed University of Cambridge exams, Proficiency (CPE) or Advanced (CAE), or First with the grade A.
• have completed the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme with English at Higher Level (HL) with the minimum score of 4.
• have passed examination in English foundation course (140 hours/5 periods per week) in Norwegian upper secondary school with a minimum grade of 4 (or an equivalent grade from a Nordic upper secondary school) or alternatively have passed an examination in English from second and/or third school year.

Conditional exemptions by country

You do not need to take an English proficiency test if one of these apply to you.

• Cameroon: Applicants with a bachelor's degree taught in English, or applicants with an A-level exam in English (subject) in GCE ordinary or GCE A-level examination.
• Ethiopia: Applicants with a bachelor's degree taught in English.
• Hong Kong: Applicants with an AS-level examination in Use of English with grades A-C.
• Liberia: Applicants with a bachelor's degree taught in English.
• Macao: Applicants with A-level examination in English.
• Malaysia: Applicants with an A-level exam in English (subject).
• Namibia: Applicants with an A-level exam in English (subject) or with a bachelor's degree taught in English.
• Philippines: Applicants with a bachelor's degree taught in English.

When you apply, you must always upload a number of supporting documents in the online application portal Søknadsweb. Below VID has made a checklist which explains what documents you need to prepare and submit in your online application.

Required documents

As part of the application process you will need to provide us with the following supporting documents.

1. copies of your passport including your photo, full name, date of birth and nationality

2. proof of English language proficiency

3. academic transcripts of records (bachelor's diploma) from your university

4. diploma/certificate/transcript from Higher Secondary School as specified for your country in Nokut's GSU-list. This document does not need to be translated

5. marriage/change of name certificate, if applicable

6. a supplementary application form, this will be listed under Application on the course page for you to download and fill in

After you have registerred as an applicant and submitted the online application, a receipt will follow to your registerred e-mail address. Please make sure there are no misspellings and that you provide an e-mail address that is currently in use.

Instructions on submitting documents

• Submitted documents that are not requested will not be taken into consideration.
• All documents should be clear and legible.
• Documents consisting of several pages must be scanned together into one document. Make sure that the entire document, including the reverse side, is included in the scan.
• All documents must be uploaded to the application portal if we do not specifically ask for documents sent directly from the issuing institution.
• We accept official copies online, but student copies are not accepted. You’ll also need to provide a certified translation of any documents that are not in English, including a copy of the documents in the original language.
• Applications lacking necessary documentation will not be processed, and documents will not be returned or saved by VID.
• Students who are admitted to VID Specialized University must bring all the original documents to Norway.
• VID may require admitted students to present all original certificates, diplomas, transcripts upon arrival. Students failing to present all relevant original documents upon request may be denied admission or later told to leave the university, even after arriving in Norway.

Some countries have specific documentation requirements. If you have completed education in more than one of the countries listed below, you should check the following information for each specific country.

Due to difficulties in verifying documents from certain countries, VID might have to reject applicants from the following countries: Afghanistan, Congo DRC, Iraq, Liberia, Libya, Yemen, Sierra Leone and Somalia. Residents in Norway with their education from the above-mentioned countries may contact NOKUT for recognition of previous education.

Cameroon

Higher Education: Academic transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the VID Admissions Office by mail.

Canada

Academic transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the VID Admissions Office, by mail or through a standardised system for electronic transcripts to opptak@vid.no

China

Higher education: Verification reports in English must be sent to the VID Admissions Office by mail or e-mail to opptak@vid.no

Eritrea

Higher Education: Academic transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the VID Admissions Office by mail.

Ethiopia

Higher Education: Academic transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the VID Admissions Office by mail.

Ghana

Higher Education: Academic transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the VID Admissions Office by mail.

Hong Kong

Higher Education: Academic transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the VID Admissions Office by mail.

Iran

Diplomas and transcripts have to be officially certified by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of Justice.

Macau

Higher Education: Academic transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the VID Admissions Office by mail.

Nepal

Copies of the final degree certificate and transcript of records must be officially certified (with stamp and signature) by the awarding institution and then submitted in the application.

Nigeria

Higher Education: Academic transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the VID Admissions Office by mail.

Pakistan

Your higher education documents must be verified by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in Pakistan in 2009 or later.

Upload copies of your original documents including the HEC-verification stamp.

Philippines

Higher Education: Academic transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the VID Admissions Office by mail.

Russia

The original Diploma and diploma supplement must be uploaded. All pages of the document must be included, and all information on the pages must be visible. That includes information about the printing mill (e.g. "МПФ Гознака 1996"), which usually is to be found at the bottom or on the reverse side of the document.

Russian higher education documents issued in 2011 or later must be apostilled under current rules set by Rosobrnadzor. This certification is carried out by select government offices in Russia. Please refer to Rosobrnadzor's website for details.
(NB: We do not accept Apostille from judicial authorities, public notary or other offices not referred to by Rosobrnadzor).

Sudan

Higher Education: Academic transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the VID Admissions Office by mail.

Taiwan

Higher Education: Academic transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the VID Admissions Office by mail.

USA

Higher Education: Academic transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the VID Admissions Office by mail.

Postal address

VID Specialized University
Att: Admissions office
P.O. box 184 Vinderen
NO-0319 Oslo
Norway

By document courier service:

VID Specialized University
Admissions Office, 1st floor, Diakonveien 14
NO-0370 Oslo
Norway

Contact Admissions

E-mail: opptak@vid.no

The application form must be filled in and submitted in your online application together with your supporting documents.

Please download the application form for the Master in Community Development and Social Innovation.

Please download the application form for the Master of theology and religious studies.

Wait for the application outcome

Your application will be assessed in line with VID’s policies and procedures. Once your application has been assessed and the results are ready, VID will notify you by e-mail with the outcome to your registered e-mail address.

You will also be able to see the result of your application in VID's application portal. But until VID has completed the assessment of your application and while the application is under consideration, your application status will be "Not qualified" in the online application portal "Søknadsweb".

If you are offered admission to a study programme, you will be given a short deadline to respond and you need to accept your offer in the application portal.

After your acceptance you will be sent an offer letter.

If you need assistance preparing or submitting your application, contact the admissions team at opptak@vid.no.