Admission to Norwegian for Academics (NORA)

When to Apply

    Courses starting in January

    • The application portal was open from October 10 to November 9.

    Courses starting in June

    The application portal Søknadsweb is open until February 15.

    Read more about admission to the summer term


      Courses starting in August

      • The application portal opens in May.
      • The application deadline is June 1.

      1. Requirements for Admission

        If you come from a country outside the EU/EEA you are only allowed to apply for NORA courses if you already have a Norwegian personal number or a D number. In order to apply for admission to NORA courses, you must:

        If you are not from the EU/EEU and do not have a Norwegian personal number or D number, but are living in Norway legally and/or know that you will get a residence permit before the course starts, you may write us an e-mail to explain your case: nora-admin@iss.uio.no . We will inform you about how to apply. It is not possible to get a student visa for taking this course.

        • If you still have visa questions, these must be addressed to the UDI, not to the UiO.

        2. Apply Online

        The application portal for Spring and Autumn NORA courses is currently closed. 

        • If you have already started an application and would like to upload documents, follow these instructions on how to upload your documents.
        • All qualified applicants who submit a complete application by the deadline, are guaranteed admission.
        • Former or current NORA or UiO students who have already uploaded documents online in the Application Portal: You must still choose your course in the Application Portal in order to apply. However, if your documents are still listed from a previous application to NORA, you do not need to re-upload your documents.

        Application deadline (in Søknadsweb)

        • Applying to Autumn Session:  May 2 to June 1. 
        • Applying to Spring Session:  October 10 to November 9.

        Deadlines for uploading documents (in Søknadsweb)

        • November 9: Education and tests already passed/taken.
        • December 9: Education and tests to be completed and transcripts sent us directly to UiO from the issuing institution (either by courier, ordinary mail or by email).

        3. Determine Your Level

        Read our course descriptions to determine for which level you are qualified.

        Applying for NORA0120: All four parts (speaking, listening, reading and writing) of the Norwegian test must be passed with level A2. If you have attended a Norwegian level A2 course outside of the UiO (such as "Norskprøven" with level A2 or a Norwegian language course at another accredited university), documentation of this must be uploaded to Søknadsweb or sent to us before the first week of class. If you have taken another Norwegian language course at another institute or faculty at UiO that give letter grades, you must have at least a D on all parts of the exam(s) in order to enroll in NORA0120. Students who fail to document their A2 level will be demoted to level I.

        Applying for NORA0130: All four parts (speaking, listening, reading and writing) of the Norwegian test must be passed with level B1. If you have attended a Norwegian level B1 course outside of the UiO ("Norskprøven" with level B1 or a Norwegian language course at another accredited university), documentation of this must be uploaded to Søknadsweb or sent to us before the first week of class. If you have taken another Norwegian language course at another institute or faculty at UiO that give letter grades, you must have at least a D on all parts of the exam(s) in order to enroll in NORA0130. Students who fail to document their B1 level will be demoted to level II or level I.

        4. Check the Course Fee

        • NORA0110, NORA0120NORA0130NORA0130INNORA0140NORA0140IN: Price is listed on these course pages under the title "Admission" / "Opptak og adgangsregulering".
        • Payment must be made in full - a payment plan is not possible. Please make sure that your budget can accommodate the course fees before you apply. Prices are subject to change on a year-to-year basis.
        • Make sure you understand the cancellation policy before applying.

        Please note: Students at NORA-courses level I-III, will not be granted student loans by Lånekassen.

        5. Getting Your Application Results and Paying

        Applicants can expect an answer within 1 month after the application was submitted. 

        • The link to pay will be provided in your acceptance email.
        • Instructions on how to pay the course fee

        Accommodation: We cannot arrange accommodation for NORA students, and UiO/SiO offers no housing guarantee for NORA students. NORA students are, however, allowed to apply for student housing through SiO, but since demand is very high, this is a risky option if you have no back-up plan. Hybel.no and Finn.no are the biggest search engines for the private housing market.