Study Permit Renewal Guide (Progress Report) & Part-time work

Master UIT Arctic Norway

General information

Most international students (NON-EU, Liechtenstein and Switzerland citizens) must renew their student residence visa each year to be able to stay in Norway to continue Their studies. You can do this yourself online (UDI's Application Portal) and with the local police station in your city.

If you are an international student looking for work in Norway you might find this information useful. This is an introduction to how you can find vacant temporary positions in Norway. You will also find links to websites that provide more information..

Registration with the police (after arrival)

Website: Registration with the police and residence card (after arrival)

Norwegian National Identity Number (Personnnummer)

The Norwegian national Identity number is used in many contexts in Norway, including in communication with public authorities, banks and telephone service providers, and for a variety of subscription services. You should therefore apply for a Norwegian Identity number shortly after arriving in Norway. National Identity numbers are issued by the Norwegian Tax Administration to all persons residing in Norway.

Foreigners intending to stay in Norway for less than six months are issued a temporary national identity number (D number). Your national identity number or D number will appear on your tax deduction card.

Website: Registration with the police and residence card (after arrival)

When you should renew your Study Permit?

THREE MONTHS before your permit expires, you should register your application form on UDI's Application Portal, and book an appointment. There may be several weeks waiting time. No later than ONE MONTH before your permit expires you must go to the police and hand in your documents. The application will not be submitted until you have done this.

NB! Please note that the part-time work permit is not automatically renewed, and you must document satisfactory progress in your studies in order to continue to work part-time.


How to renew your Study Permit (Statement on study progress)?

1- Download the statement on study progress (in Norwegian only, pdf, 598 kB)

2- Contact your Programme Coordinator (Please find your programme in the Study Catalogue. Click on the programme and you will find the name of your coordinator(s) on the right side of the website. The Programme Coordinator will help you with filling out the Progress Report.)


Delayed in your studies?

If you are delayed you must contact your Programme Coordinator to apply for extension of your study right. The report cannot be issued without an extended study right. NB More than half a years’ delay on a master’s degree programme is deemed to be a significant delay by UDI.


Admitted to a new study programme at a higher level?

A new study programme will, in principle, always be deemed to be a continuation if you are admitted to a higher level than previously (for example if you proceed from a Bachelor degree to a Master’s degree).

  • Admission Letter to the new programme

  • Completion of the previous programme (complete transcript of records)


Admitted to a second master's degree programme?

If you have been admitted to a new study programme at the same level as the previous master's programme, this will generally NOT be deemed to be a continuation by UDI.

Please be aware of that UDI will only grant you renewal of residence permit as an exemption. In exceptional cases, another study programme at a level corresponding to a previous study programme can be deemed to be a continuation, provided that it entails in-depth studies in a subject area and will clearly increase the student’s chances of finding employment as a researcher at a later date or being accepted to a doctoral degree programme.

  • You have not been significantly delayed in your earlier studies. More than half a years’ delay on a master’s degree programme is deemed to be a significant delay.

  • Admission Letter to the new programme

  • Completion of the previous programme (complete transcript of records)

  • A written statement that must contain an assessment of whether the new study programme can be deemed to be in-depth studies in the subject area of your previous programme and whether it will clearly increase your chances of subsequently finding employment as a researcher at a later date or being accepted to a doctoral degree programme.

  • WORK PERMIT

    EU/EEA students: You don't need a work permit and you can work in Norway after you have registered with the Police.

    Non-EU/EEA students: You can work 20 hours per week during your first year of study. When granted your Study Permit (temporary Student Residency), you are granted a permit to work 20 hours per week and full-time work during the holidays. The part-time work permit has the same duration as the study permit.

    NB It is possible yet challenging to find a part-time job while being an international student at UiT. Although international students are granted a work permit to seek part-time jobs, students are strongly advised not to completely depend on part-time jobs to fund their stay while studying. Moreover, you must not exceed the permitted number of working hours. This can have negative impact on your academic performance and can also lead to immigration-related repercussions.

    Find more information about the regulations for students on the webpage of the Immigration authorities (Utlendingsdirektoratet UDI):  UDI: Part-time work for students

    Tax deduction card

    If you receive wages from a Norwegian employer you are obliged to pay tax on your earnings in Norway. You must apply for a tax deduction card at the Tax Administration as soon as possible. You can book an appointment online, or drop-in.

    As a general rule, you are responsible for procuring your own tax deduction card. If you have not yet obtained one, your employer is required to withhold 50 per cent of your wages.

    Websites:

    Order a tax deduction card (online)

    Tax offices in Norway

  • TIPS: HOW TO FIND A PART TIME JOB

    • It is important to have realistic expectations and understand the importance of thorough preparation to increase your chances in the local job market. If you´re here for several years, it seems to be easier to find a job compared with "visitors" staying just a few months.

    • Be prepared before communicating with potential employers, read up on tax, work permit and make sure you have a Norwegian bank account.

    • Best practice: Ask fellow students! It is up to you and your creativity. You have to promote yourself to them.  In other words: do your “homework” and research on where the different employers are located.

    • Types of part-time jobs: tourist guide, lab assistant, gardening, proofreading (mostly for native English speakers), babysitting (some international working parents need a native speaker from their home country to help babysit their children), fitness instructor, waiter/cook/dishwasher (restaurants, bars & coffee shops), cleaning, newspaper delivery, warehouse work, etc.
    • Job Portals: finn.no, nav.no, www.jobbnorge.no, www.addecco.no, www.manpower.no, EURES

    • It is no secret that networks can be helpful to find available jobs. We encourage you to attend various mingling events and get to know both international and Norwegian students.

    • Print out copies of your CV, dress up in a presentable outfit and pay the different employers a visit. Ask to speak with the manager and present yourself in a nice and polite way.

    • In Norway, the employers for unqualified jobs value flexibility (the ability to step in for work at short notice and working both daytime and evenings), efficiency and a happy mood. So attend with a big smile and positive attitude!

    • Unqualified jobs where you don't need to interact with Norwegian-speaking customers – e.g in the hotel bar, laundries, cleaning and restaurant industry, accept English language skills.

    • The employers that choose to advertise job vacancies usually do so in Norwegian. It is not common to advertise part-time jobs in any other language.

    • You need a tax deduction card to work in Norway – and you need a job contract to get a tax deduction card. Request a tax deduction card from the Tax Office by bringing your Residence Card/Registration Certificate and your job contract to their office. Your employer will expect you to have a Norwegian bank account. Use the website "Work in Norway" from NAV to find updated information.

Find more information about the regulations for visa-seeking international students on the website of the Immigration authorities (Utlendingsdirektoratet UDI) UDI: Part-time work for students

Page administrator: Mustta B. Malharunmi
Last changed: 24.03.2023 15.15
Få utskriftsvennlig versjon ved å trykke på denne