Norway (NO)

Norway is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy in Northern Europe — one of the three Scandinavian nations, occupying the western and northern portions of the Scandinavian Peninsula.

Capital: Oslo

Region: Europe

Language: Norwegian Bokmål

Currency: NOK (kr)

Cost of living: Very expensive (index 88)

Emergency: 112

Education & Schools

Schools, universities, and language courses in Norway.

👶 Childcare & Kindergarten

Barnehage (Kindergarten) Maximum NOK 1,200/month (January 2026 national cap — makspris; 11 monthly payments/year = NOK 13,200/year). In least central municipalities, the cap is NOK 700/month. Siblings get 30% discount (søskenmoderasjon) for second child, 50% for third and subsequent. Income-qualified families pay less. As of 2026, kindergarten is free in 34 municipalities.

Age: 1–6 years (from age 1 through school start)

Subsidy available

Families with low income can receive a reduced price (redusert foreldrebetaling) — no family should pay more than 6% of their household income for a full-time barnehage place. Children aged 2–5 in households with income below NOK 669,050/year receive 20 hours of free core time per week (gratis kjernetid 2025/26 rate).

Apply via your municipality's portal during the main application period in March. In Oslo: oslobarnehage.no. In other cities: via the kommunal barnehage portal. All children aged 1–6 have a statutory right (rett til barnehageplass) to a place, but timing may vary. Private barnehager (private kindergartens) are common and receive the same state subsidy as municipal ones.

⏱️ The main application period (hovedopptaket) is in March each year for places from August. Children born before 1 October get priority for places from August. There are also rolling admissions throughout the year. Children turning 1 during the autumn semester are prioritised.

SFO / Aktivitetsskole (After-school care) Varies by municipality. Oslo: NOK 2,900–3,900/month (full time). Subsidies available based on income.

Age: 6–10 years (grades 1–4)

Subsidy available

Income-based subsidies available. Free SFO for children with special needs. Oslo offers free SFO (gratis SFO) for 1st and 2nd grade pupils (1.-2. trinn) from 2024.

Apply at your child's school. Enrollment linked to school placement. Contact kommunen or the school directly.

🏫 Schools

Public primary school Free

Grunnskole (barnetrinn — grades 1–7)

Ages: 6–12 years (grades 1–7) · Language: Norwegian (Bokmål or Nynorsk depending on municipality). Norwegian language support (særskilt norskopplæring) for newly arrived pupils.

Automatic enrollment in your local school (nærskole) based on your registered address in Folkeregisteret. Contact your kommunen's education department (skoleadministrasjon) or the school directly. Newly arrived children are assessed for their Norwegian level and may receive adapted Norwegian instruction.

Norwegian grunnskole (primary and lower secondary combined) is mandatory for ages 6–16. Children with no Norwegian are typically offered intensive Norwegian support (særskilt norskopplæring) and may be placed in an "innføringsklasse" (introductory class) initially in larger cities.

Public lower and upper secondary school Free

Ungdomsskole (grades 8–10) / Videregående skole (grades 11–13)

Ages: 13–18 years (grades 8–13) · Language: Norwegian. Some videregående (upper secondary) schools offer programmes partly in English, particularly in international schools or IB programmes.

Ungdomsskole: automatic. Videregående skole (upper secondary, ages 16–18): pupils apply via their county's education portal — Vigo.no is the national system. Application typically in February for August start. Three main tracks: Studiespesialisering (university prep), Yrkesfag (vocational), Idrettsfag (sports). All youth aged 16–19 have a statutory right to upper secondary education.

Videregående is broadly equivalent to A-Levels or IB. Yrkesfag (vocational) programmes lead to a yrkesbevis/fagbrev (trade certificate) after 2 years school + 2 years apprenticeship. International Baccalaureate (IB) is offered at some schools — useful for expat families considering future international mobility.

International Schools

Oslo International School (OIS — oslointernationalschool.no) offers IB from age 3–18, teaching in English. Internationally recognised and well-regarded — fees approximately NOK 100,000–200,000/year. Oslo also has the British International School, the German School (Tyskestrasse), French School (Lycée Français), and others. Bergen and Stavanger have smaller international schools. The American School of Norway serves the US community. Stavanger British School serves the significant English-speaking oil sector community.

University

Tuition fee

Norwegian public universities are FREE for all students — Norwegian, EEA, and non-EEA alike. A semester fee (semesteravgift) of approximately NOK 400–700/semester covers student welfare services, copying, sports facilities, and student organisation membership. This is one of the world's most generous higher education systems.

Semester fee

NOK 400–700 per semester (varies by institution). This is the only direct cost at Norwegian public universities.

Student visa

EEA students: no visa. Non-EEA students need a student residence permit from UDI (udi.no). Apply before arriving in Norway. Requires: admission letter, proof of sufficient funds (approximately NOK 151,690–170,368/year for 2026 — confirm current amount at studyinnorway.no), and accommodation confirmation. Processing: 4–8 weeks.

Health insurance

Students registered in Norway are covered by the public health system (Helfo) if registered with fødselsnummer. Student welfare organisations (e.g., SiO in Oslo, SiB in Bergen) offer subsidised healthcare, dental, and mental health services.

Application process

Norwegian universities use Samordna opptak (samordnaopptak.no) for coordinated admissions. Applications open 1 February and close 15 April for autumn semester. International students apply directly to the university or via the Samordna opptak system. English-taught programmes are increasing — check the specific university. Oslo Met, UiO, NTNU (Trondheim), UiB (Bergen), and UiT (Arctic) are the main universities.

🗣️ Language Courses

Norskopplæring for innvandrere (Norwegian for immigrants) Mandatory

Provider: Kommunen / Voksenopplæring · Duration: 600 hours mandatory for qualifying immigrants; up to 3,000 hours available · Levels: Introductory to B2/Norskprøve 3

Free for eligible groups (refugees, family reunification cases). EU/EEA citizens and some others must pay (typically NOK 3,000–8,000 per course module)

The Norwegian integration programme (introduksjonsprogrammet) includes mandatory Norwegian language training for newly arrived refugees and humanitarian protection cases. EU/EEA workers have the right to Norwegian classes but may pay. All immigrants are encouraged to attend regardless.

Folkeuniversitetet Norwegian Courses

Provider: Folkeuniversitetet (nationwide adult education) · Duration: 1 semester per level (A1 to B2) · Levels: A1 to B2

NOK 3,500–8,000 per module (semester-based)

Popular choice for EU/EEA workers who pay for their own tuition. Good quality teaching, flexible schedule, evening and weekend classes available in most cities.

Alfaskolen / Privatist Norwegian Courses

Provider: Various private language schools (Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger) · Duration: Intensive: 3–6 weeks. Part-time: 3–6 months per level · Levels: A1 to C1

NOK 5,000–15,000 per intensive module

Private schools offer more flexibility and often faster progress for motivated learners. Alfaskolen in Oslo is highly regarded. Some offer online learning options.

Premium Section

Education & Schools

Unlock the complete Education & Schools guide for Norway — including every detail, document, tip and link you need.

Become a Supporter

Support the guide on Ko-fi · Unlocks every premium section, everywhere