For most international students, higher education in Norway is no longer free. Since autumn 2023, public institutions have been required to charge citizens of countries outside the EEA and Switzerland, and the legal change of 1 August 2026 kept that obligation — it only allowed institutions to charge less than full cost. Tuition-free study remains available to EU/EEA and Swiss citizens, PhD candidates, exchange students, students admitted before 2023, and international students with strong ties to Norway, such as permanent residence, family in the country or two years of work there. An applicant moving from Russia, Kazakhstan, India or Nigeria to start a degree will almost always pay: standard 2026/27 rates start at $5,220 (NOK 50,000) a year.
This guide lists the exempt categories precisely, explains where the "free Norway" idea comes from, sets out what changed in 2026 and points to realistic ways to study for less. General admission and living conditions are covered on our study in Norway page.
What the law says
Section 2-6 of the Norwegian Universities and University Colleges Act instructs public institutions to charge students who are citizens of countries outside the EEA and Switzerland. The same section prohibits charging four groups:
- foreign nationals entitled to equal treatment with Norwegians under international agreements — in practice EU/EEA and Swiss citizens;
- foreign nationals who can receive loans and grants from the state education fund Lånekassen on the same terms as Norwegians;
- PhD candidates;
- students covered by an institutional exchange agreement (unless the agreement itself provides for a fee).
Under section 6-2, private institutions receiving state funding must also charge non-EEA citizens, and decide for themselves about the exempt groups.
Until 1 August 2026, the fee had to cover the full cost of a study place. That rule was repealed and several institutions cut prices sharply. But the duty to charge remains, so the change means cheaper study, not free study.
Who studies without tuition: the full list
| Category | Basis | Do you need to apply? |
|---|---|---|
| EU/EEA and Swiss citizens | the Act, section 2-6 | no, passport at admission |
| Dual citizens holding an EU/EEA or Swiss passport | equal treatment | yes, if you applied with your other citizenship (NTNU's rule) |
| Exchange students from partner institutions | the Act, section 2-6 | no, via your home university |
| PhD candidates | the Act, section 2-6 | no |
| Students admitted to their programme before 2023 | institutions' transitional rules | no |
| Students in Erasmus Mundus joint master's and Nordic joint programmes such as Nordic Five Tech | institutions' rules (e.g. NTNU) | no |
| Holders of HK-dir government scholarships (NORPART, NORHED and others) | institutions' rules | no |
| Holders of permanent residence in Norway | Lånekassen eligibility | yes |
| People granted protection or residence on strong humanitarian grounds | Lånekassen eligibility | yes |
| Spouses of Norwegian citizens, or co-parents of their children, living in Norway | Lånekassen eligibility | yes |
| Family members of an EEA national living in Norway on grounds other than study | Lånekassen eligibility | yes |
| People who worked full-time in Norway for at least 24 continuous months before studying | Lånekassen eligibility | yes, with an employer letter |
| People who studied in Norway for the past three years and earned 180 credits without Lånekassen support | Lånekassen eligibility | yes |
| UK citizens resident in Norway before 31 December 2020 | transitional rules | yes |
Details of the Lånekassen-based grounds follow NTNU's list, which refers to the Student Financial Aid Regulations. Other universities apply the same national rules but use their own forms and deadlines.
Why so many websites still say Norway is free
Until autumn 2023, public institutions charged every student only the semester fee to the student welfare organisation — today about $100 (NOK 1,000) per semester. Articles and rankings from that period still appear in search results, and some sites republish them with a new date without changing the substance. Checking is easy: every public university has a page on fees for international students with the current year's rates.
The other source of confusion is that study really is free for EU citizens and for permanent residents of Norway. A writer who studied on one of those grounds is describing a situation that does not apply to an applicant from Almaty or Moscow.
What changed in 2026: cheaper, not free
The government promised to change the rule in 2025, parliament passed bill Prop. 58 L in June 2026, and the amendments took effect on 1 August. Some institutions did not wait and announced new prices in autumn 2025:
| Institution | Before (until 2026/27) | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| University of Stavanger | $14,100–19,840 (NOK 135,000–190,000) | $6,270 or $8,880 (NOK 60,000 or 85,000) |
| University of South-Eastern Norway | $14,620–27,150 (NOK 140,000–260,000) | $5,220–9,400 (NOK 50,000–90,000) |
| Nord University | $14,720–29,240 (NOK 141,000–280,000) | $6,270 or $8,880 (NOK 60,000 or 85,000) |
| University of Inland Norway | up to $28,300 (NOK 271,000) for an ecology master's | $6,080 or $7,150 (NOK 58,200 or 68,500) |
| OsloMet | up to $43,650 (NOK 418,000) for product design | $7,000–9,920 (NOK 67,000–95,000) |
Previous rates are from Khrono and the University of Inland Norway's announcement; new rates are from the institutions' websites. NTNU, the University of Oslo, the University of Bergen and HVL did not cut fees for 2026/27; UiO has announced lower master's rates for 2027/28. For the full picture, see our guide to the cost of studying in Norway.
What this means for applicants from Russia and the CIS
- An EU passport or Norwegian permanent residence are the only broad grounds for studying free. An applicant moving to Norway to study usually has neither.
- Exchange from Russian universities is currently closed. The Norwegian embassy in Moscow states that student exchange agreements between Norwegian and Russian institutions are suspended. Students from Kazakhstan and other CIS countries can go on exchange if their university partners with a Norwegian one.
- A PhD is a job, not free study. Doctoral candidates in Norway usually hold a paid university position, filled through open competition.
- Erasmus Mundus is a real route to studying without tuition, but scholarships and places are allocated by university consortia under their own selection rules.
- Programme level matters for the permit. Even when a bachelor's is cheap, UDI rarely approves a Russian citizen's permit for anything below a master's.
How to apply for an exemption if you qualify
- Apply to the programme in the normal way — exemptions are handled after the admission letter.
- Submit an exemption application with documents: passport, residence card, UDI decision, and marriage, employment or study records depending on your grounds. At NTNU the deadline is three weeks after the admission letter and processing takes up to three weeks.
- Do not ignore an invoice that arrives meanwhile: NTNU sends the invoice and the exemption information together, with the same deadline.
- If you need a study permit, attach the exemption confirmation: UDI requires the exemption to be confirmed by the institution.
- Check whether the exemption must be renewed: UiO notes that some students must reapply every academic year or semester.
Where else to study free or almost free
Within Norway, at least one programme charges no tuition to anyone, including non-EEA citizens: UiT has exempted its master's in Indigenous Studies from fees. The usual living-funds and study permit requirements still apply.
If free tuition is the priority, Norway is not the best option for a non-EU citizen today. Public universities in most German states charge international students no tuition, and in Czechia degrees taught in Czech are free. See our guides to free university education in Germany and free university education in Czechia, and the overview of scholarships abroad.
FAQ
Only for certain groups: EU/EEA and Swiss citizens, PhD candidates, exchange students, students admitted before 2023 and foreign nationals entitled to Lånekassen support, for example through permanent residence in Norway. Other non-EEA citizens pay tuition.
No. Since 1 August 2026, institutions may set fees below full cost and many have done so, but the law still obliges them to charge citizens of countries outside the EEA and Switzerland.
Among published 2026/27 rates, the lowest are at USN, the University of Inland Norway, the University of Stavanger, Nord and OsloMet: $5,220 to $9,920 (NOK 50,000–95,000) a year. At NTNU, a handful of master's programmes cost only $2,760 (NOK 26,445). Add $17,790 (NOK 170,368) in living funds for the permit.
As a rule, no — for non-EEA citizens master's programmes charge tuition just like bachelor's programmes. The exceptions are joint degrees such as Erasmus Mundus and Nordic joint programmes, UiT's master's in Indigenous Studies, which the university has exempted from fees, and the exempt groups in the table above.
Yes, if you acquire one of the grounds: permanent residence, 24 months of continuous full-time work on a work permit, or family ties to a Norwegian citizen. Years spent on a study permit are not credited towards permanent residence, so study by itself never creates an exemption.
Yes, on the same terms as Russian citizens, since their countries are outside the EEA. The one difference is that students from Kazakh and other CIS universities with active exchange agreements can spend a semester or year in Norway on exchange without tuition.
Sources
- Universities and University Colleges Act, sections 2-6 and 6-2 (Lovdata) and amending act of 19 June 2026 — checked 29 September 2026
- NTNU: tuition exemptions and documentation — checked 29 September 2026
- UiT: fee rates and the tuition-free programme — checked 30 September 2026
- UiO: tuition and exemptions — checked 29 September 2026
- Study in Norway: fees and exemptions, Samordna opptak: tuition for some foreign students — checked 29 September 2026
- Khrono: fee cuts after the legal change, 31 July 2026 and University of Inland Norway: new rates — checked 29 September 2026
- UiS, USN, Nord, OsloMet — 2026/27 rates, checked 29–30 September 2026
- Norwegian embassy in Moscow: studying in Norway and UDI: study permit for Russian citizens — checked 29 September 2026
- NOK-to-dollar conversion: ECB rate of 29 September 2026 (€1 = $1.1355; €1 = NOK 10.8735; $1 ≈ NOK 9.58). Small sums under $100 are rounded to the dollar, the rest to $10.
Checking your grounds for an exemption, finding low-fee programmes and preparing documents are provided under an agreement with StudyU. The university decides on tuition exemptions; UDI decides on the study permit.
Next steps
- Cost of Studying in Norway in 2026/27: Tuition, Living Costs and a Full Budget
- Free University Education in Czechia: Conditions, What You Still Pay and the Real Annual Cost
- Free University Education in Germany for International Students: Where Tuition Is Zero and What You Still Pay
- Scholarships abroad 2026: where international students study for free
- Studying in Norway for international applicants
- Master's Degrees in Norway: English-Taught Programmes, Requirements and Costs
