Hosting NORPART/NORHED students

*PhDs: student status or guest researcher?

PhDs that are fully funded by NORAD/UD programs (NORHED, NORPART) may be registered as students. Student status will give PhDs access to affordable housing and health services (SiO) and student discount at Ruter (if the student is under 30 years of age). However, student status and housing will only be accessible if the PhDs and projects complies with the given deadlines and regulations for preliminary registrations in Felles studentsystem (FS) and student housing. To be guaranteed student housing the student 1) must apply within the deadline 2)arrive in Oslo at the start of the semester (Aug/Jan) and 3) minimum stay is 2 months. More details under ‘Housing’.  

If you are planning to host PhDs for less than 2 months and they are not planning to come at the start of the semester, the PhDs must be registered as guest researchers. International Staff Mobility Office (ISMO) will be your point of contact for questions regarding housing and visa. All documents for guest researchers are issued by the host Department/project (invitation letter for visa purposes). 

Admission and residence permit documents

For MA and PhDs with student exchange status, Seksjon for studiekvalitet will issue Admission and Study Plan letter for residence permit purposes to projects which have sent a complete overview (Excel) of students coming to Oslo within the above mentioned deadlines. 

Based on this information, Seksjon for studiekvalitet will make preliminary registrations in FS and issue the letters to students. These letters will be available in the students 'dokumentarkiv' in FS and may be accessed by the study administration supporting the project.

Scholarship confirmation for residence permit (visa) purposes 

The projects must issue a letter stating the scholarship amount. See template letter. 

The UDI will only grant a visa to Norway if the student can document that they can financially support their stay in Norway. The minimum rate is equal to the rate set by the Norwegian State Educational Loan fund. This is equal to the amount granted by HK-DIR (2023/2024: for MA 12 537, 22 000 for PhD). 

Visa/residence permit

Different types of visa/residence permit based on the length of their stay:

• Under 90 days: visitor's visa   

• Exchange 1 - 2  semester: visa and student residence permit 

• Full degree: visa and student residence permit 

If the student will stay in Norway for 90 days or less, they may apply for a visitor's visa instead of a student residence permit. 

Application and documentation for applying for a residence permit

The students must apply for a visa and residence permit before arrival in order to start their studies in Norway. We recommend the student start the application process as soon as they receive admission to UiO.

Application process: 

• Documents to be submitted: Letter of admission, study plan letter (w/housing guarantee), letter confirming scholarship amount. 

• Application fee: The student/project must pay the fee (4.900 NOK) by credit card. At the moment payment by third party is not an option in the UDI portal.

• Application deadline: The documents must be submitted by 1 July/1 December. 

• Duration of the permit: until 31 August for the spring semester and until 28 February for the autumn semester.

Please refer to our web page for further information about how to apply for a residence permit. 

Application for a visitor's visa

Students staying 90 days or less may apply for a visitor's visa. Please note that it is not possible to extend the visa or apply for a residence permit from Norway. 

For these students, the UDI recommends that the department issues the invitation letter, as you will be following up the students. They also recommend you give a contact person if they have any follow up questions. Some embassies have their own invitation forms. You will find this in the embassy’s checklist.

Please be aware that there are other documentation requirements when applying for a visitor's visa.  We recommend the student contacts the UDI/Embassy for any questions about the application and required documentation. 

You may also contact Knutepunktet - International Student Reception if you have any questions about the application process. 

Apply for a renewal of residence permit

Master's degree students or students who wish to extend their stay must apply for a renewal of their residence permit at least one month before the permit expires. See here for further information. 

The student must: 

1. Check the requirements and register an application for renewal of residence permit (udi.no) 
2. Pay the UDI application fees
3. Book an appointment with the Oslo Police Department in order to hand in their documents
4. Order a progress report from Knutepunktet - International Student Reception.

For any questions about renewal of residence permit the student may send an email to Knutepunktet - International Student Reception: int-advisor@admin.uio.no. 

Insurance (health and travel)

Students staying in Norway for more than 3 months can become members of the National Insurance Scheme (nav.no). 

Students staying for less than 3 months can not become members of the National Insurance scheme and should have private or public social security coverage from their home country.

Please be aware that it can take several months before they are registered with the National Insurance Scheme. All students must therefore have private or public health insurance to cover their stay in Norway or until they have become a member of the National insurance Scheme. 

Please note that this membership means "coverage under the health section". If the student should get ill and need medical treatment, the insurance will cover this within Norway, but not in another European country.  We strongly recommend a travel insurance in addition.

For further information about health insurance, please see here.

Housing

UiO has a housing guarantee for international students that arrive during the semester start. In order to be guaranteed housing the student and the project must do the following : 

• The student must apply within 1 November/1 June (sio.no/en/housing) 

• The student must apply for a single furnished room 

• The contract must start from 1 August/1 January  

• Minimum stay of 2 months 

• Arrive at the start of the semester (August/January)  

Students who arrive after the semester start

UiO has made an agreement with SiO that NORPART/NORHED students that arrive after 1 August/1 January can be prioritised for housing. Please note that we cannot guarantee housing for students that arrive after the semester start, as this is based on availability.

In order to be prioritised for housing the project must inform Knutepunktet within 15 May/15 October about the students and when they will be travelling to Norway. 

If the project applies for housing outside of the semesterstart and there are no available units at SiO, the project is responsible in finding alternative housing.   

If you are planning to host PhDs for less than 2 months and they are not planning to come at the start of the semester, the PhDs are registered as guest researchers. The International Staff Mobility Office (ISMO) will be your point of contact for questions regarding housing. 

How to apply

The student must fill in an online application on sio.no for a single furnished room within the 1 November/1 June deadline. The students must inform SiO that they are NORPART/NORHED students when filling out the application. 

Please see our step by step guide for further information. 

The students must sign a contract with 1 August/1 January as the start date in order to be guaranteed housing. However, if the students will arrive later in the semester the project may the rent in order to keep the rooms reserved. 

Please note that the student is not guaranteed family or couples housing. 

For further information please see: Housing - International students (uio.no)  

If the project will pay the rent for the student

Knutepunktet has made an agreement with the SiO accounting office regarding payment of housing rent for NOPART/NORHED students. SiO will be able to send the invoice directly to the project. In order for SiO to send the invoice, the projects must fill out the excel-sheet with necessary invoice information and send it to Mariana Hatzianastasiou by 1 June/1 November.  

Scholarship/cash cards

Students without a Norwegian bank account can receive their scholarship through cash cards. A cash card is a reloadable BankAxept card.

The cash card can only be used in ATM and payment terminals marked with BankAxept. CashBack can also be used to withdraw cash when making purchases. Please note that it is not possible to pay invoices online with this card. 

In order for the project to request a cash card you must  follow the scholarship guidelines of the Payroll Office within the deadlines. For further information about procedure for payments and stipends, please see: https://www.uio.no/for-ansatte/arbeidsstotte/lonnsadministrasjon/bilagslonn/stipend/ 

You will find the deadlines here: Kjøreplan for utbetaling av lønn og refusjoner. 

It is important that the project send the documents before the student's arrival, so that the cards are ready to be collected once the students are in Norway. 

Collection of cash card at Knutepunktet: 

We have made an agreement with the payroll office that students and employees can collect the cash cards at Knutepunktet after they are ready. If the cash cards are to be picked up at Knutepunktet, you must send an e-mail to Knutepunktet (int-advisor@admin.uio.no) with information about the student and time of arrival.

If an employee is to collect the cash cards on behalf of the student, they must have a power of attorney. A signed letter/email must contain the student's name, date of birth, as well as the name and date of birth of those who will collect the cards on behalf of the student. In addition, a copy of ID, such as a passport, must be attached.

NORPART full degree

See details on the full degree MA-scholarship.

Norwegian bank account

Only students who have been granted a Norwegian ID number may contact a bank in order to open a bank account. Please note that opening a bank account in Norway can take a while, and for students that will be staying less than 6 months it is not likely that they will be able to open an account. 

When the student has received their Norwegian bank account, the project may transfer the scholarship directly to their account.  

IT access/ username and password

New students that have been registered correctly in FS will receive their username and instructions on how to set a password by SMS. Exchange students will receive the sms in late May - early June for the autumn semester and in November/December in the spring semester. Master's degree students will receive an SMS in late July- early August. Students that have previously studied at UiO will not receive a new SMS. They must set a password in the Password services. 

If the student does not receive the SMS with their username, they must contact UiO: Helpdesk for assistance. It is best that the students contact the IT-services themselves first, so that they can look into the matter. 

Tuition fee

NORPART and NORHED exchange and full degree students are exempt from paying the tuition fee at the University of Oslo. 

Semester fee (full degree only)

NORPART and NORHED short term mobility students are exempt from paying the semester fee. 

Full degree NORPART and NORHED students must pay the semester fee. The students can create an invoice for the semester fee in Studentweb. The deadline to pay the semester fee is 1 September in the autumn semester and 1 February in the Spring semester. It might be practical if the project pay the semester fee on behalf of students who do not have access to a bank account. The semester fee cannot be paid by cash cards.

Study right and course registration (FS)

The central administration makes preliminary registrations in FS, however, the projects must make sure that the students have an active student status. To be an ‘active student’: a study right must be generated and there must be an ‘Utdanningsplan’ and/or registered for courses.  

For assistance, please contact:

PhD: PhD coordinators at the Faculty level + local department for course registration

Master students (exchange): International coordinators at the Faculty level + local department

Arrival in Oslo

Before arriving in Norway it is important that the student checks out the relevant information in order to prepare for their studies at UiO. 

Police registration

The students must register with the police after arrival in Norway to obtain a residence card. The student must book an appointment in the UDI portal after they have received an answer to their application for visa and/or residence permit from the UDI. 

As there are currently fewer appointments available at the Oslo Police Department we recommend the students book an appointment before arrival in Norway. Please refer to our web page about police registration for further information. 

ID-number 

The students will register for the National Registry at the same time as they meet with the police to order a residence permit card.  The police will notify the Tax Administration (Skatt Øst) on behalf of the student and the Tax Administration will send a letter to the student with a Norwegian identification number. For further information please see here.

Once the student has received their Norwegian ID number they must fill out the online form "Notification to UiO of new Norwegian ID number" in order to update their profile.

The project must also inform Payroll Office when the student has received their ID number.  

Health services  

All students can use SiO health services. The student health centre has general practitioners, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologist and dentists. The student must call SiO health in order to book an appointment. You can find information about SiOs health services here. 

Please also refer to SiO's web page for important health information. 

Moving into SiO housing

The student must pick up their keys within two weeks from the date indicated on their tenancy contract (1 August/1January). If the student is to arrive later they must notify SiO Housing. 

Point of contact

Admission, preliminary registrations: Education Quality Office v/ Tine Tång Engvik, t.t.engvik@admin.uio.no

Student housing, visa, cash cards: Knutepunktet v/Mariana Hatzianastasiou: int-advisor@admin.uio.no 

Ordering cash cards, Payroll Office/Seksjon for lønn v/ lonn-hjelp@admin.uio.no

Guest researchers: housing, visa: ISMO

Full degree master students (Norwegian only)

• Fra og med høst 2020 inkluderes et opptak til helgrad master i eksisterende prosjekter. Et eget opptak med egne frister og prosedyrer er utviklet av Seksjon for opptak og kommunisert til prosjektene.
• Masterstudentene skal betale semesteravgift ved UiO på lik linje med andre gradsstudenter.
• Studentene har prioritet på studentboliger.
• Frem til studentene får opprettet en norsk bankkonto vil stipendet bli utbetalt via kronekort.
• Stipendet ligger på Lånekassens satser og utbetales primært for to år, med muligheter for forlengelse inntil 12 måneder utover normert studieprogresjon på programmet. Se flere vilkår for stipendet (in English).