How to apply for a full degree programme at VID

This information will guide you as an international student through the application process for a master's degree programme at VID, and it applies for all applicants from outside and inside the EU/EEA and Switzerland.

When to apply

Application period for international degree students:

15 October 2025 to 1 December 2025 for study programmes commencing August 2026.

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 December 2025 for study programmes commencing August 2026.

International applicants with a Norwegian national ID number, currently residing in Norway, and who do not need to apply for a student visa or temporary residence permit should apply between 1 February and 15 April 2026 for study programmes commencing August 2026.

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 December
EU and EEA applicants: deadline 15 April
Domestic applicants: deadline 15 April

Applications received after this date will not be processed.

Check your eligibility

Find out the requirements you need to meet in order to study in a full degree programme at VID as an international student, including academic entry requirements and level of English proficiency.

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

Language proficiency
That you meet our English language requirements described below.

Secondary education
Depending on where you completed your 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 in order toqualify for the Norwegian Higher Education Entrance Qualification.

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

Every study programme at VID 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 education systems in Norway and the country of origin may mean that only parts of the foreign education are 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 full or partial recognition can be granted.

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.

Financial ability

Before students from outside the EU/EEA can be issued with a student visa/temporary residence permit, the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) requires them to document that they have sufficient means for self-subsistence during their studies. The required amount is 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 one of VID’s study programmes.

When you apply for the student residence visa, the tuition is added to UDI's required amount. International students must also calculate additional expenses for literature and housing.

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

It should be noted that being offered a place on a master's programme does not automatically qualify you for a Norwegian study permit.

VID offers no scholarships or grants, and all students must therefore be self-funded.

If you are a student from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, the tuition fee at VID is NOK 65 920 per semester in 2025. This may be subject to adjustment for 2026.

The following groups can apply for the domestic tuition fee:

Foreign nationals with a permanent residence permit

Foreign nationals with a temporary residence permit on humanitarian grounds or through special links to Norway. Not valid if you live in a reception center for asylum seekers.

Foreign nationals married to a Norwegian citizen or are cohabiting with, and have children with, a Norwegian citizen. Both partners must legally live in Norway.

You have a right of residence as a family member of an EEA citizen living in Norway.

You have a right of residence through family immigration.

Citizens of the United Kingdom who arrived in Norway before 31 December 2020 and have since lived in Norway.

You have legally lived in and have had full-time employment in Norway for a minimum of 24 months prior to commencing studies. You have paid tax to Norway during this period.
You have continuously studied and have completed studies in Norway corresponding to at least three years of full-time education (equivalent to 180 ECTS credits). There should be no break between the accrual period and the new study programme. You must have been self-funded for the accrual period of three years.

After the international admissions period has ended, we will be open for applications based on domestic tuition fees.

English language requirements

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:

TOEFL MyBest Score does not meet our English language requirements.

IELTS - International English Language Testing System

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

You must do the following:

PEARSON - Pearson Test of English Language

PTE Academic or PTE Academic 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.

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

Exemptions

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 an English foundation course examination (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 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 an 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.
Documents to submit with your online application

Required documents

When you apply, you must always upload a number of supporting documents in the online application portal Søknadsweb. VID’s checklist below 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.

Copies of your passport including your photo, full name, date of birth and nationality
Proof of English language proficiency
Academic transcripts of records and bachelor's diploma from your university
Diploma/certificate/transcript from Higher Secondary School as specified for your country in the GSU list. This document does not need to be translated.
Marriage/change of name certificate, if applicable
A supplementary application form, this will be listed under «Application» on the course page for you to download and fill in

After you have registered as an applicant and submitted the online application, a receipt will be sent to your registered email address. Please make sure there are no misspellings and that you provide a current email address.

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 to be sent directly from the issuing institution.
We accept official copies online, but student copies are not accepted. You will 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 the 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 and 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.

Countries with specific documentation requirements

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 who have qualifications from these countries can contact NOKUT to apply for recognition of previous education.