Most lists of scholarships in Norway without IELTS are out of date. Since autumn 2023, students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland pay tuition at Norwegian public universities, and Norway’s government does not run a general scholarship for international degree students. The free-tuition lists you still see online describe the system before 2023.
Studying in Norway without IELTS is still possible, because Norwegian admission rules accept several other kinds of English proof. Your options for funding are narrower: an Erasmus Mundus master’s with a Norwegian partner, a paid PhD position, or outside sponsors. Below I set out what changed, what money is left, the English exemptions that are written into the rules, and how much the immigration service (UDI) expects you to show.
Is Norway still free for international students?
No, unless you are an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen. From the autumn 2023 semester, Norway’s public universities charge full degree students with citizenship outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Exchange students coming through partner universities still study without Norwegian tuition.
Some non-EU residents are exempt. When the Norwegian Academy of Music explained the 2023 rules, it listed groups such as holders of a permanent residence permit, people granted protection in Norway, and some family members of Norwegian or EU/EEA citizens living in Norway. Check the exact list at your chosen university, because each one publishes its own.
| Who you are | Tuition at a public university |
|---|---|
| EU/EEA or Swiss citizen | None (semester fee only) |
| Exchange student from a partner university | None in Norway |
| Non-EU citizen with permanent residence or protection in Norway | Usually exempt |
| Other non-EU/EEA citizens on a full degree | Full tuition, set by each university |
How much is it? Study.eu’s review of published fees shows fees at public universities for non-EU students from about NOK 136,000 to NOK 520,000 a year, with medicine, design and music among the most expensive. For example, it lists the University of Oslo at NOK 198,000 to 286,000 and the University of Stavanger at NOK 165,000 to 190,000. Always take the figure from your programme’s own page.
Scholarships in Norway without IELTS: what funding remains
Study.eu notes that neither the government nor most Norwegian universities offer scholarships to international students, and Nord University says plainly on its admission page that it offers no grants or scholarships. This is what is still realistic:
| Route | Level | What it pays | English proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erasmus Mundus Joint Master with a Norwegian partner | Master’s | €1,400 a month for up to 24 months, plus programme costs | Set by each consortium; some accept a degree taught in English |
| PhD research fellow position | PhD | A salary as a university employee, no tuition | Stated in each job advert |
| University fee waivers | Mostly master’s | Partial or full tuition at some universities | Normal admission rules |
| Home-country or private sponsors | Any | Varies | Normal admission rules |
Erasmus Mundus
This is the strongest option for a funded master’s. You apply to the consortium, not to the Norwegian university, and each consortium sets its own English rule. Search the Erasmus Mundus catalogue for programmes with a Norwegian partner. My guide to the MARIHE Erasmus Mundus scholarship shows how one of these applications works.
Paid PhD positions
Norwegian universities usually hire PhD candidates as research fellows on a fixed-term contract with a salary, so tuition is not an issue. Positions are advertised as jobs on each university’s vacancy pages, and each advert states its own English requirement.
University fee waivers
Since fees started, some universities have introduced waivers for strong non-EU applicants. The names, amounts and quotas change by year and I could not confirm current terms on the universities’ own pages, so check the scholarship page of each university you apply to before you count on one.
Many names on older lists no longer exist in that form. The Quota Scheme for students from developing countries ended years ago, and several colleges on those lists have merged into larger universities, so a scholarship listed under an old college name is a warning sign.
English exemptions: studying in Norway without IELTS
Norway has a national baseline for English, set by the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), and each university can ask for more, especially at master’s level. The national rules accept these instead of IELTS:
- Your country’s school system: HK-dir’s GSU list shows, country by country, whether your secondary education already covers the English requirement. Check your country there first.
- Study in an English-speaking country: at least one year of upper secondary school or university taught in English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the USA.
- A master’s taught in English: accepted in the national rules, with the language of instruction shown on your documents.
- An English degree: a full or partial degree in English language and literature with at least 60 ECTS in English.
- Other tests: TOEFL, PTE Academic, Cambridge (First, Advanced or Proficiency), telc B2 or C1, and Michigan certificates.
None of the official pages I checked list the Duolingo English Test, so do not rely on it for Norway.
How the rules differ by university for master’s
| Institution | IELTS if you need a test | Degree taught in English accepted? |
|---|---|---|
| National minimum (HK-dir), mainly bachelor’s | 5.0 overall | A master’s taught in English, or one year of study in AU, CA, IE, NZ, UK or US |
| University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), master’s | 6.0 overall and in each band | Only if the degree was taught in Canada, the USA, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, Australia or a Nordic country; a letter from your own university is not enough |
| Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), master’s | 7.0 | A degree taught in English in a Nordic country or the Netherlands, or a year of study in an English-speaking country; GSU “no English requirement” countries are exempt |
| Nord University | 5.0 or 6.5 depending on programme | A completed master’s taught in English, shown on documents or confirmed by the institution |
In practice, a bachelor’s degree taught in English in a country such as Nigeria, India, Pakistan or Ghana does not usually exempt you at master’s level, unless your country is marked as having no English requirement on the GSU list. A medium of instruction letter from your university alone is rarely enough.
Early deadlines for non-EU applicants
Non-EU applicants usually apply months before EU applicants. At Nord University, for example, the window for applicants from outside the EU/EEA/EFTA runs from 1 November to 1 December, compared with 1 February to 15 April for EU/EEA/EFTA applicants.
How much money UDI expects you to show
For a study permit at a university or university college, UDI currently lists NOK 170,368 for a full academic year (NOK 15,488 a month) for living costs. Tuition comes on top. You either show the tuition money as well, or show that the tuition is already paid. If you have paid one semester, you must still show you can pay the second. The money has to be in a Norwegian bank account or in your institution’s deposit account.
So a non-EU student without a waiver needs living costs plus a full year’s tuition ready before the visa. Some guides still quote NOK 151,690, which is below the figure UDI lists now. Part-time work cannot replace the funds UDI asks to see.
How to apply to study in Norway without IELTS
- Check your country on the GSU list: see whether your school system covers the English requirement and what academic entry rules apply.
- Read the programme’s English rule: master’s programmes often ask for more than the national minimum, as the table above shows.
- Find the fee and any waiver: on the programme page and the university’s scholarship page.
- Apply in the non-EU window: often in November or December for the following autumn, through the university’s own portal.
- Prepare the UDI funds: living costs plus tuition, in a Norwegian bank or the school’s deposit account, before you apply for the permit.
For Erasmus Mundus and PhD applications, you will need strong referees. My recommendation letter guide has samples you can share with yours.
FAQ on scholarships in Norway without IELTS
Is studying in Norway free for international students in 2026?
Only for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens and exchange students. Students from other countries have paid tuition at public universities since autumn 2023.
Can I study in Norway without IELTS?
Yes, if your country is exempt on HK-dir’s GSU list, you studied a year in an English-speaking country, or you use another accepted test such as TOEFL or PTE. Master’s rules vary by university.
Does Norway accept a medium of instruction letter?
Rarely on its own. USN, for example, says a certificate from your own institution is not enough unless the degree was taught in one of its listed countries.
Are there fully funded scholarships in Norway for international students?
Not from the Norwegian government for degree study. Erasmus Mundus master’s programmes and salaried PhD positions are the main fully funded routes.
Sources and updates
The national English rules come from HK-dir’s language requirements page and the University of Oslo’s English proficiency page. Master’s rules come from the English requirement pages of USN, NMBU and Nord University, and Nord’s dates and no-scholarship statement from its admission page. The financial requirement comes from UDI’s study permit page. The 2023 tuition change and exemption groups come from the Norwegian Academy of Music’s notice, and fee ranges from Study.eu’s guide to Norwegian tuition. The Erasmus Mundus amount comes from the European Commission. Information checked on 24 October 2026. I will update this post as Norwegian universities publish 2027/2028 fees and waivers.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
