International

Practical information about student residence permits

Practical information about student residence permits

Information about how to proceed to apply for a residence permit and obtain your social security number in Norway. Note that residence permits must be renewed every year.

Information about how to proceed to apply for a residence permit and obtain your social security number in Norway. Note that residence permits must be renewed every year.

Residence Permit for EU citizens

Students from EU/EEA countries do not need a visa to enter Norway, but they are required to arrange their residence permit within 3 months after their arrival in Norway.

You must register online and book an appointment with the immigration authorities to submit the necessary documents. This is done in UDI's online application portal. This procedure is free of charge.

The following categories of students are exempted from applying for a residence permit:

  • Students from Nordic countries (Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland)
  • Students from EU/EEA countries who plan to stay in Norway for a period shorter than 90 days

Residence Permit for citizens from outside the European Union

Students from non EU/EEA countries need a student visa in order to enter Norway. You are advised to contact the nearest Norwegian Embassy or Consulate for information on procedures immediately after receiving the Letter of Admission. You apply for the student residence permit from your home country, through an interactive webpage run by the Norwegian Immigration Authority (UDI).

After you have received your entry visa and arrived in Norway, you need to take the following steps:

  1. Present yourself at your appointed time to the immigration authorities in the city you are going to study. Find the address in the campus-specific information below.
  2. Bring your residence permit/card and apply for a Social Security ID at the relevant public tax office. Find the address in the campus-specific information below.
  3. If you need a bank account in Norway, bring your Social Security ID and apply for an account in the bank of your choice.
  4. If you have deposited money in the university’s deposit account and have obtained a personal bank account, you need to transfer the money from the deposit account into your personal account. Contact the International Office and request the transfer of your deposit into your own bank account.

Residence Card

Anyone who has a residence permit in Norway and who are not EU / EEA citizens shall have a residence card proving that they have a residence permit. If you have received a residence permit in Norway, you will be notified that you must book an appointment with the police to obtain a residence card. Read more about the residence card here.

Apply for a Social Security ID

A Social Security ID is an 11-digit number that you are issued by the government, and which is your unique identifier in your dealings with public services, banks, and generally everyone who needs to verify your identity. Hence, you need a Norwegian Social Security ID in order to open a bank account in Norway and to be properly entered into the college’s student database. NOTE! The processing time to receive the Social Security ID may be significant. VID offers a cash card to draw upon your deposit in the meantime, but you will have limited access to your funds in the deposit account, until you have your own bank account.

When you have received your Norwegian Social Security ID number from the police/Department of Immigration, you must immediately notify the student affairs office.

You can apply for a Norwegian Social Security ID at the tax office, after you have received the confirmation of your residence permit from the immigration authorities.

  • For those who are going to Oslo

    EU/EEA students

    Applicants who have registered online at udi.no must meet in person in order to complete the registration.

    When registering online, you must choose between two different offices. One is the immigration office, the other one is for foreign workers. You must choose "Oslo, Service Centre for Foreign Workers," even if you are a student.

    We recommend starting this process as early as possible. It is advised that you do this before arriving in Oslo, since it can be several weeks, even months before there is an available time for an appointment.

    Outside the EU/EEA students:
    Presenting yourself at the immigration section – Oslo police

    You must have an appointment with the immigration division at the Oslo police in order to receive the residence decision letter and the residence card. Normally, you book the appointment through UDI’s online Application Portal at udi.no. You book the appointment with the same application that you already registered on the Application Portal. Note that the application must be active in order for you to be able to book an appointment. If it is archived or deleted, you must contact the police directly and book an appointment by phone, (phone: +47 22 34 21 00) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday between 9:00 and 13:00.

    Please note! You do not need to register a new application or pay a fee in order to book such an appointment with the police.

    This is where you go for your appointment: Immigration section – Oslo police. Address: Schweigaardsgate 15 B

    Apply for a Social Security ID

    You must apply for a Norwegian Social Security ID at the central tax office Skatt Øst. Bring your residence permit/card to apply for the social security ID.
    Address: Schweigaardsgate 17, across the street from the UDI office.

  • For those who are going to Stavanger

    EU/EEA students

    Applicants who have registered online at udi.no must present in person at the Service Centre for Foreign Workers in Stavanger in order to complete the registration.

    The Service Center for Foreign Workers is located in Lagårdsveien 46, in the office of “Skatt vest”.

    Outside the EU/EEA students:
    Presenting yourself at the immigration section – Stavanger police

    All applicants shall register online at udi.no. After the registration, you will have to make an appointment at the Immigration Office at Stavanger Police Station.

    You book the appointment with the same application that you already registered on the Application Portal. Note that the application must be active in order for you to be able to book an appointment. If it is archived or deleted, you must contact the police directly and book an appointment by phone.

    Please note! You do not need to register a new application or pay a fee in order to book such an appointment with the police.

    Address: Lagårdsveien 6, Stavanger.

    Apply for a Social Security ID

    You must apply for a Norwegian Social Security ID at the central tax office Skatt Vest.
    Bring your residence permit/card to apply for the social security ID.
    Address: Lagårdsveien 46, 4010 Stavanger, across the street from the Police station.

Renewal of Residence Permit

Students staying in Norway more than one year have to apply for renewal of their residence permit. The process should start at least 1-2 months before the residence permit expires.

This should be done through an electronic registration procedure at UDI Application portal, and a payment has to be completed.

Part-time work permit

You were automatically granted a part-time work permit when you were granted a first-time residence permit as a student. However, when you apply for a renewal, the police or the UDI (Directorate of Immigration) must evaluate your progress before such a part-time work permit is granted again.

You must document satisfactory progress in your studies in order to continue to work part-time. This requirement is met by enclosing a statement from VID with the renewal application. Therefore, you will have to apply for your renewed work permit separately (Søknad om tillatelse til deltidsarbeid og arbeid i ferier). The statement from VID must contain information about your study progress, whether you should be allowed to work in addition to you studies and, if relevant, how many hours per week you can work. This statement is required because it is the studies, not the work, which is to be the main purpose of your stay in Norway. The form should be printed out and filled out by the student before it can be signed by VID. Once you are ready with your exams and are able to present your current transcript of records (can be either ordered by StudentWeb or collected at front desk) you are ready to apply for renewal of your residence permit.