Supporting yourself on a Norwegian student residence permit

You need to show UDI that you can pay for your own life in Norway before you get a study permit. For a university, university college or vocational school that means at least NOK 15 488 a month, or NOK 170 368 for the whole academic year. If you pay tuition, that money comes on top.

What the rule actually says

A study permit for higher education comes with a list of conditions. You must be admitted, you must study full-time, you must have somewhere to live, and you must have enough money to live on for the whole period you are in Norway. UDI also wants to see that it is likely you will go home when your studies are finished.

The living cost figure is the same one Study in Norway uses when it estimates what students spend, so you can read the two together. Our guide to the cost of living in Norway breaks down what that money goes on.

One thing to get straight early: higher education is free of charge for students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland. If you are from outside that group, check with your institution whether your programme carries a fee, because the permit rules treat fee payers differently.

The numbers, and when they change

UDI adjusts the amount every year, so treat any figure you read as a snapshot. Look for the current line on udi.no before you apply, and do not rely on a number a friend used two years ago.

What you are documenting	Amount
Full academic year (university, university college, vocational school)	NOK 170 368, or NOK 15 488 per month
One semester only, autumn	NOK 77 440
One semester only, spring	NOK 92 928
Tuition fees, if you pay them	On top of the living costs, or proof you have paid

Folk high schools and religion or belief based schools have their own separate amounts, and those are set per school year rather than per academic year. If you are going to one of those, read the UDI page for that school type rather than this one.

What counts as money in the bank

You do not have to have the whole sum sitting in your own savings. UDI accepts a mix of sources:

• student loans, for example a statement of support from Lånekassen
• grants and other support you receive
• your own funds, held in a Norwegian bank account or in a deposit account your institution has opened for incoming students
• income from a part-time job you have already been offered in Norway, backed by a work contract

Any combination of those works. What matters is that the total reaches the figure for your period of study.

How to document it

UDI's checklist names three routes, and you can use more than one:

1. A statement of support from the State Education Loan Fund (Lånekassen), or documentation showing other grants.
2. A work contract for part-time work in Norway that states your weekly hours, your pay and how long the contract lasts.
3. A bank statement from a Norwegian bank, or a statement from your institution confirming that you have deposited the amount in an account it opened for this purpose.

No Norwegian bank account yet? That is common. UDI says you may use the institution's account instead, and that you should contact the institution for the details of how that arrangement works. Ask them before you move any money, because the practical steps differ from place to place.

If your documents are in a language other than Norwegian or English, you must also hand in a translation. Bring originals as well as copies to your appointment, and hand in the checklist itself. Missing documents can mean a longer wait or a rejected application.

Tuition sits on top of the living costs

If you have to pay tuition, the living cost sum does not cover it. You must either show that you have the money for the fees as well, or document that you have already paid them. If you have paid for one semester, you must show you have enough for the second. The fee money must be in a Norwegian bank account or in the institution's deposit account.

If you are exempt from paying tuition, your institution must confirm the exemption. Being exempt from fees does not exempt you from the living cost requirement, so you still show the full amount.

Some institutions ask for more than UDI's minimum, because they bundle tuition and living costs into one transfer. Treat UDI's checklist figure as the legal floor and your institution's instruction as the practical one, and ask them directly if the two do not match.

Do not count on a job to cover it

A study permit automatically gives you the right to work part-time for up to 20 hours a week, including remote work, and full-time during holidays. That is useful money, but it is not a plan for your application.

You cannot start working until the permit has been granted, and you cannot do remote work while you wait either. Normally you cannot enter Norway before your application has been processed. So the funds you document have to exist before you arrive, not after you find work.

If you are looking for other ways to close the gap, our guide to scholarships explains what support is out there and how it fits with the funds requirement.

Other things that catch people out

• The same living cost requirement applies when you renew your permit, so keep the paperwork.
• You cannot be self-employed or run your own business in Norway on a study permit.
• Time spent on a study permit does not count towards a permanent residence permit later.
• Your spouse or cohabitant and children can usually apply to come with you, but UDI says it currently does not have the capacity to process their applications at the same time as yours.

For the wider picture of how the permit works, from application to renewal, see our guide to the Norwegian student residence permit.

Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland

The funds requirement above is a condition of the study permit, which applies to students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland. If you are from the EU/EEA or Switzerland, you register with the local police within three months of arriving instead. Check UDI's pages for the conditions that apply to that registration, because it is a different process.

Rules and amounts change, and it is the authority that decides your case, not this guide. Check the current figure and the current checklist on udi.no, and ask your institution's international office if anything is unclear.

Frequently asked questions

How much money do I need to show for a Norwegian study permit?

For a university, university college or vocational school, UDI asks for at least NOK 15 488 per month, or NOK 170 368 for the entire academic year. If you study for one semester only, you document NOK 77 440 for the autumn semester and NOK 92 928 for the spring semester. The amounts are adjusted every year, so check the current figure on udi.no.

What counts as funds for a Norwegian study permit?

UDI accepts student loans, grants, your own funds in a Norwegian bank account or in the institution's deposit account, or a combination of these. If you have already been offered a part-time job in Norway, the income from that job may be included, backed by a work contract.

I do not have a Norwegian bank account yet. How do I show the money?

UDI says that if you have no bank account in Norway you may use the account of the educational institution, and that you should contact the institution for the details. A statement from the institution confirming your deposit is one of the accepted ways to document the funds.

Does tuition count towards the living cost amount?

No, it comes on top. If you must pay tuition, you also need the money for it, or documentation that you have already paid it, and if you have paid one semester you must show you have enough for the second. If you are exempt, your institution must confirm the exemption, but you still show the full living cost amount.

Sources

• UDI: Study permit udi.no/en/want-to-apply/studies/studietillatelse/ Used for: NOK 15,488 a month, NOK 170,368 a year, semester amounts, what funds may consist of, institution account
• UDI: Checklist for students udi.no/en/checklists-container/studies-au-pair/checklist-student/ Used for: Ways to document funds and tuition
• UDI: Renew a study permit udi.no/en/want-to-renew/study-permit/ Used for: The same funds apply when you renew
• Study in Norway: Cost and requirements studyinnorway.no/cost-and-requirements Used for: The 2026/27 estimate; proof of funds for students from outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland; registration for EU/EEA students
• University of Oslo: Tuition fees uio.no/english/studies/admission/tuition/ Used for: Living-cost amount required in addition to tuition for 2026/2027
• NTNU: Tuition fees ntnu.edu/studies/tuition-fee Used for: Living funds are still required even if you are exempt from tuition
• NHH: Tuition and financial matters nhh.no/en/study-programmes/application-and-admission/financial-matters/ Used for: Deposit account example; advice on part-time work

Last checked: 29 October 2026. Rules and amounts change; confirm them on the official page before you act on them. This is general information, not legal or immigration advice.