Costs and living

Costs and living

There is no tuition fee for applicants from EU/EEA or Switzerland, exchange students or existing students at AHO. In January 2023, the Norwegian Government introduced mandatory tuition fees for all students with citizenship outside of EU/EEA/EFTA.

Information for students with citizenship outside of EU/EEA/EFTA

Tuition fee: The tuition fee at AHO is set to 363 550 NOK per academic year (autumn + spring semester).

Exchange students are exempt from paying the tuition fee. Please read more about exemptions below.
Proof of Finance: In addition to AHO's new tuition fee, the UDI also require documentation for proof of finance. The full sum (tuition fee + proof of finance) needs to be documented in order to gain study permit.

As part of the process to secure a study permit, International students from outside the EU/EEA will be required by the Norwegian government to provide a deposit covering the first-year tuition and one year of living expenses.
If you are admitted to our study programme, you will need to make the deposit before you can start your application for a study permit.

Read more about Proof of Finance.
Financial Declaration: All applicants must upload the Financial Declaration together with their other documentation in Søknadsweb.
Please mind that if you are admitted to AHO, you will be asked to document for your statement in the Financial Declaration document.

Please find the form for Finacial Declaration here.
Funding: AHO does not offer scholarships. Students applying to our study programmes must apply as self-financing students.

Some students may be entitled for support from Lånekassen (The Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund). Please find more information here.

Exemptions from paying tuition fees

Students from outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland who start their studies in autumn 2023 and later are required to pay tuition fees at the AHO. The tuition fees will not affect students who have already started their studies before autumn 2023 or exchange students from partner universities.

If you fulfill the requirements for one of the following criteria, you may be exempt from paying tuition fees. In addition, if you have received a decision letter from Lånekassen stating that you are eligible for loan and grants, you can be automatically exempt.

You are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you are a citizen from one of the following countries:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

If you have uploaded a copy of your passport in the application, you are automatically exempt and do not need to apply for an exemption.

You have a permanent residence permit

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have permanent residence permit in Norway.

Documentation requirements:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card
Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)

You have a residence permit due to protection (asylum)

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have residence (asylum) in Norway due to protection, strong humanitarian considerations or a special connection to Norway.

Documentation requirements:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card
Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)

You have a residence permit as family member of an EU/EEA citizen

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have a residence permit as family member of an EU/EEA citizen. The EU/EEA citizen must have grounds for residence in Norway other than studying.

Documentation requirements:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card
Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
Copy of the registration certificate for your family member

You have a residence permit due to family immigration

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have a residence permit due to family immigration. The person with whom you have been reunited must either be a Norwegian citizen or a foreign national with a reason for residence in Norway other than studying.

Furthermore, you do not have to pay tuition fees if you have gained a continued residence permit on an independent basis due to the Norwegian immigration act § 53.

Documentation requirements:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card
Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
Copy of the residence card or registration certificate for your family member

You are cohabiting and have children with a Norwegian citizen

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you are cohabiting and have children with a Norwegian citizen. Both you and your cohabiting person must live in Norway.

Documentation requirements:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card
Copy of the residence certificate (bostedsattest) for you, your cohabitating partner and your child
Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)

You are married to a Norwegian citizen

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you are married to a Norwegian citizen. Both you and your spouse must live in Norway.

Documentation requirements:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card
Copy of your marriage certificate from the Norwegian Tax Administration or from the foreign authority who officiated the wedding
Copy of the residence certificate (bostedsattest) for you and your spouse/legal partner
Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)

You have worked in Norway for at least two years full-time

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have had continuous full-time work in Norway, have been resident in and paid tax to Norway during a qualifying period of at least 24 months.

You must have had a residence permit as an employee during the earning period. There must be no break during the accrual period or between the accrual period and further studies. However, exceptions can be made for stays of up to 1 year in the event of illness or childbirth.

Stays due to ordinary five-week holidays per year will be accepted as part of the accrual period of 24 months.

Au-pair work is not considered full-time employment and does therefore not give exemptions from paying tuition fees.

Documentation requirements:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card
Confirmation(s) from employer(s) showing that you have had continuous full-time employment in Norway for at least 24 months immediately prior to commencing the study programme (start and finish dates). The confirmation(s) must show the role percentage and start and finish dates of the employment. An employment contract is not considered sufficient documentation.
Documentation showing that you have paid tax in Norway for the last 24 months immediately prior to commencing studies. This could include copies of the tax return, payslips or corresponding documentation.
Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)

You are a UK citizen and came to Norway before 1 January 2021

During a transitional period that lasted until 2020, the United Kingdom was to be treated as if it were still a member of the EU and the EEA.

If you are a citizen of the United Kingdom, who was entitled to reside in Norway in accordance with the EEA agreement before the end of the transition period (31.12.2020), you are exempt to pay tuition fees. You must also have stayed in Norway.

If you came to Norway on 1 January 2021 or later, you are not exempt from the tuition fees.

Documentation requirements:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your registration certificate

You have studied in Norway for minimum three years full-time

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you during an accrual period of at least 36 months have lived in and been in education in Norway and passed education equivalent to 3 years of full-time education.

There must be no gap during the accrual period or between the accrual period and further studies. However, exceptions can be made for stays of up to 1 year in the event of illness or childbirth.

During the qualifying period, you cannot have received loans or grants for education from Lånekassen, public support schemes in other countries (e.g. Centrala studiestödsnämnden and Uddannelsesstyrelsen), or from Norwegian public support schemes for development, e.g. Norad, the Norwegian Programme for Development, Research and Education (NUFU), the Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED).

Documentation requirements:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card
Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
Copy of transcripts of records or diplomas for education completed in Norway

How to apply for an exemption

Applicants who have received and accepted an offer of admission can contact the Admissions office to apply for an exemption from paying the Tuition fees, by e-mail to admission@aho.no.

Students appplying for exemption must apply for this before the deadline for paying the tuition fee.

If you have any questions about tuition fee, please contact the Admissions office: opptak@aho.no

Last updated 13.07.23