Norway guide · Money
How much it costs to study in Norway from Nepal
Norway isn't free any more. Public universities have charged non-EU students tuition since autumn 2023, and the first year now costs a Nepali student about Rs 45 lakh to Rs 63 lakh: tuition of about NOK 130,000 to 250,000, NOK 170,368 in living funds for the 2026/27 year, the NOK 5,400 permit fee and your flight. Part-time pay is high, but so is everything else.
Written byAnita Bista, Senior counsellorHandles Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and Cyprus files.
Checked byRabindra Joshi, Head of complianceChecks every money and visa page against the official source.
Published · 4 min read
The Norway cost at a glance
- Tuition
- About NOK 130,000 to 250,000 a year
- Funds for the permit
- NOK 170,368 for 2026/27
- Permit fee
- NOK 5,400
- Work in term
- 20 hours a week
- First year
- About Rs 45 to 63 lakh
At about Rs 14.6 per NOK, worked out from the Nepal Rastra Bank euro rate of 18 October 2026. Funds figure from university pages citing UDI; confirm on udi.no.
Is studying in Norway still free?
No. Until 2023, Norway's public universities charged no tuition to anyone. From autumn 2023, students from outside the EU and EEA pay tuition, set by each university. Many Facebook posts and old guides still say Norway is free; they're out of date.
Binita, one of our students in Oslo, came to us because she'd heard Norway was free. She went anyway, for the course, knowing the real cost.
First-year cost in two Norwegian cities
| Item | Trondheim | Oslo |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | About NOK 130,000 | About NOK 230,000 |
| Living costs for the year | NOK 170,368 (the funds you show) | About NOK 174,000 |
| Study permit | NOK 5,400 | NOK 5,400 |
| Flight, one way | Rs 1.1 to 1.6 lakh | Rs 1.1 to 1.6 lakh |
| First-year total | About Rs 46 lakh | About Rs 61 lakh |
Pema, one of our students in Bergen, chose Norway for marine biology knowing it cost about Rs 20 lakh more than Finland. That's the honest trade: Norway for the course, not the price.
The money you must show to UDI
For the study permit, UDI asks you to document NOK 170,368 for the 2026/27 academic year, on top of tuition. Most students pay it into the university's deposit account before applying; the university pays it out to you after you arrive. A Norwegian bank account in your name also works.
- Tuition is paid separately, usually before the permit
- The permit fee is NOK 5,400, paid with the online application
- Money is sent from Nepal after your NOC
We take the funds figure from university pages citing UDI. Check it on udi.no before you transfer, because it changes each academic year.
Cost of living in Norway by city
| City | Rent (student housing) | Total a month | In rupees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oslo | NOK 6,500 to 8,500 | NOK 13,000 to 16,000 | Rs 1.9 to 2.34 lakh |
| Bergen | NOK 5,800 to 7,300 | NOK 12,000 to 14,500 | Rs 1.75 to 2.12 lakh |
| Trondheim | NOK 5,500 to 7,000 | NOK 11,500 to 14,000 | Rs 1.68 to 2.04 lakh |
| Stavanger | NOK 6,000 to 7,500 | NOK 12,500 to 15,000 | Rs 1.83 to 2.19 lakh |
Student housing through the local student welfare organisation is far cheaper than private rent. Apply as soon as you're admitted.
What part-time work covers in Norway
You can work 20 hours a week in term and full-time in holidays. Student jobs usually pay NOK 180 to 230 an hour, so 20 hours a week brings in about NOK 15,600 to 19,900 a month before tax, about Rs 2.3 lakh to Rs 2.9 lakh.
Without Norwegian, jobs are mostly cleaning, delivery, warehouses and kitchens, and the first one can take time. High wages don't make Norway cheap. Tuition must be paid up front, and living costs rise with the wages.
Norway against other countries
Norway is now one of the dearer countries we cover: more than Finland, Sweden or Denmark in year 1. It's worth it for courses Norway is genuinely strong in, such as marine science, energy and global health, and harder to justify on price.
Our cheapest countries guide compares all 10, and the Norway page has the full process, including the 1 December deadline many master's use.
