How to Apply to Universities in Norway: Requirements, Deadlines and Portals

Two separate application routes

Norway splits admissions into two systems depending on degree level. Bachelor's programs run through Samordna Opptak (SO), a single national portal that Norwegian and international applicants both use. Master's programs work differently: you apply directly to each university through its own portal, and deadlines vary by institution and by your citizenship.

Step by step

1. Check whether your program uses Samordna Opptak (bachelor's) or direct university application (master's).

2. Get your diploma recognition sorted through NOKUT and the ENIC-NARIC network before the deadline.

3. Gather transcripts, language test results, a passport copy, and for master's programs a CV and motivation letter.

4. Submit your application by the relevant deadline, ranking programs in order of preference where the system allows it.

5. Wait for your admission result, then accept your offer and register with the university.

6. If you come from outside the EU/EEA, apply for your student residence permit through UDI right after accepting.

Applying for a bachelor's program

Samordna Opptak handles admission to nearly all bachelor's programs at Norwegian public universities and university colleges. The main application deadline sits on April 15 for most applicants, according to Samordna Opptak . If you are still finishing upper secondary school, you upload your spring exam results and final certificate by July 1, and the system posts admission results to your applicant account around July 20.

You rank your programs by preference on one application form, and Samordna Opptak matches you to the highest-ranked program your grades qualify for. You list every bachelor's program you want to be considered for, in order, on the same form rather than submitting separate applications to each institution.

Applying for a master's program

Master's admission runs on a per-university basis with two different timelines depending on your citizenship. At the University of Oslo, EU/EEA and Swiss citizens apply to autumn-start programs between February 1 and March 1, with results out by April 30, ranking up to three programs at once, according to University of Oslo . Non-EU/EEA citizens face an earlier and longer process: the portal opens October 15 and closes December 1 for the same August intake, with results out by early April, and applicants rank at most two programs.

Some universities also run a smaller January intake for select master's programs, with EU/EEA applicants applying between mid-September and mid-October. Exact dates differ by institution, so check the admission page of each university you apply to rather than assuming the same calendar applies everywhere.

Special admission requirements

Some fields add requirements beyond grades and language tests. Art, design, music, and teacher training programs commonly ask for a portfolio, audition, or aptitude test alongside your application, and these run on their own separate timeline from the main Samordna Opptak deadline. Medicine, psychology, and other high-demand integrated master's programs set a high minimum grade point average because places are limited relative to applicant numbers, so check the admission requirements of your specific program rather than assuming a general grade threshold applies across all fields.

Recognition of your foreign diploma

Before you apply, get your secondary school diploma or bachelor's degree checked against Norwegian equivalency standards. NOKUT handles this recognition and works within the wider ENIC-NARIC network that European countries use to compare qualifications. Some programs ask you to submit this recognition alongside your application, others check it after you receive an offer, so read your target program's admission requirements closely.

Documents you need

• Certified copies of your diploma and transcripts, often with an official translation

• Proof of English proficiency (IELTS, TOEFL, or equivalent) for English-taught programs

• Proof of Norwegian proficiency for Norwegian-taught bachelor's programs

• A valid passport, needed later for your residence permit application if you come from outside the EU/EEA

• CV and motivation letter, required by many master's programs though not by Samordna Opptak bachelor applications

Tuition and fees during application

EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens study without tuition fees at Norwegian public institutions, and pay only the small mandatory semester fee every student pays. If you come from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland, you pay tuition set by the institution and study program, so check the specific fee for your program before you commit time to an application, since amounts differ significantly between subject categories and universities.

After you receive an offer

Once you accept a place, EU/EEA students mainly register at the university and confirm their address with Norwegian authorities. Non-EU/EEA students apply for a student residence permit through the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), a process that takes time, so start it as soon as you accept your offer rather than waiting until close to the semester start.