Handbook for international students What is the Handbook? This handbook is your guide to the Symbols used in the Handbook necessities and practicalities of being a What you need to do and how to do it student in Norway. It contains often depends on where you are from, information about necessary steps how long you will be staying in Norway to take before you leave home, upon and where you live. To make it easy for arrival and during your stay. You will you to recognize which information is also find practical information about meant for you, we have used symbols for living in Norway, such as living on a each group throughout the Handbook. budget, and how to get around. The Handbook does not contain all the EU/EEA details you might need, but we always let you know which website you can visit to Non-EU/EEA learn more. N Nordic countries We have also listed useful addresses and contact details at the back so that you >33 Staying 3 months or less can easily look up where you need to go or who to contact. >33 Staying 3 months or more 6+ Staying more than 6 months Whenever you see the symbols relevant to you, make sure you read the information carefully. If you have any feedback, send us an e-mail! [email protected] 2 Welcome to HiOA A warm welcome to you as a student at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences! Through a strong regional entrenchment, national ambitions, and an international orientation, HiOA has established itself as a modern, professionally and vocationally oriented educational institution in the greater metropolitan area of Oslo and Akershus. We hope you will enjoy all parts of your stay with us. Our wish for you is that you will gain new knowledge, make new friends and bring back lifelong memories from your stay at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences. Rector Curt Rice 3 Table of contents Pre-arrival 5 At HiOA 21 ABC: 35 Useful 42 A practical addresses introduction to life in Norway On arrival 11 During 29 Checklist 41 your stay 4 • Accepting the offer of admission • Applying for a student residence permit Pre-arrival • Applying for housing • Insurance The following section explains the most important things you need to do before arriving at HiOA. For details, please visit our Pre-Arrival Guide: https://student.hioa.no/en/pre-arrival-guide 5 Pre-arrival Accepting the offer of admission Applying for a visa or study permit Norwegian immigration authorities (UDI) Your Admission Letter and other requires that you either register with the important documents are sent to you by police or apply for a study permit if you are e-mail. When you receive the documents, staying more than three months. What you it is important that you notify HiOA if apply for and how depends on how long you accept the offer of admission or not. you are staying and where you are from. Find the symbols relevant to you and Exchange students follow the instructions. Explanations for Please accept your place and notify us all the symbols are found on the first page of any special needs through the online of the Handbook. ‘Declaration of Acceptance’ form. The link to this form is found in your HiOA N Swedish, Danish, Icelandic and Finnish Admission letter. citizens do not need to apply for a residence permit or register with the police to live in Degree students Norway. Use Søknadsweb, the electronic application portal, to accept the offer of >33 Staying in Norway less than 3 months? admission. Citizens from countries with a visa requirement for entering Norway must All degree students need to bring apply for a visa. Check the Norwegian original certificates and diplomas when visa regulations on UDI’s website or coming to Norway. HiOA can ask you to contact the nearest Norwegian Embassy/ present originals after you have arrived Consulate to find out if you need a visa. If in Norway. If any of the documents you do, apply immediately after you have are incorrect, your admission will be received the Admission Letter. revoked. >33 Staying in Norway more than 3 months? EU/EEA: Register with the police During the first two weeks of the semester, we offer you the chance to hand in your documents on campus so that we can submit them to the police for you. 6 Applying for a visa or a study permit You will find more information about To receive this documentation, you this in the On arrival section. must transfer the amount to a Norwegian account that you own or to Non-EU/EEA: Residence permit for the SiO visa deposit account for Inter- students/study permit national Students. Financial Apply for a residence permit from your guarantees from a third party are not home country as soon as you get your accepted. Admission Letter and no later than 1 July. In addition, you may also need to How to use the SiO visa deposit apply for a visa depending on your account is described on the Residence nationality. Once your study permit is Permit and Visa website. granted, you can enter Norway. Visit UDI’s website for details about the If you want to bring your family to application and which documents to Norway, please be aware that family submit. immigration is a time-consuming process and may take more than one One of the documents you must submit year. More information on UDI’s when applying for a study permit is website. documentation proving that you have sufficient money to cover your stay in Useful links: Norway. The amount UDI requires changes • Immigration: every year. Updated details can be https://student.hioa.no/en/immigration found on our Residence Permit and Visa website. You only need to • UDI’s website: document sufficient funds for your first www.udi.no/en year even if you are admitted to a study programme lasting longer, as study • UDI’s Online Application Portal permits are only granted for one year at https://selfservice.udi.no/ a time. 7 Pre-arrival Housing The Student Welfare Association (SiO) How to apply offers student housing. Their rooms are For step-by-step application instructions cheaper than what you will find in the and important housing advice, visit our private market. The single, furnished Accommodation website. After reading rooms come with basic furniture such this carefully you need to apply directly as a bed, desk, chair, bookshelf, table, through the SiO Housing website. wardrobe and a lamp. You bring or buy your own bed sheets, towels and kitchen Housing contract utensils. When you get an offer of accommodation, you will receive a HiOA will do everything possible to contract. Sign and return the contract to ensure that you are given housing SiO as soon as possible to get it validated. through SiO. However, we cannot make any guarantees. If there are more inter- You can move in after your rental period national students than number of rooms starts, either 1st August or 1st January. available, we will provide you with Please notify SiO if you cannot move information about housing in the private in within the first two weeks of your market. contract. Housing application deadlines All questions regarding the application, Autumn: 31 May contract and accommodation must be Spring: 31 October directed to SiO through their online contact form. Prices and deposit Monthly rent starts at approximately NOK 3000, excluding electricity. Useful links: You must also pay a deposit equivalent to two months rent at the start of your rental period, before you get access to • Accommodation: your room. When you move out you get https://student.hioa.no/en/ the deposit back assuming that you accomodation-for-international- have complied with the terms of your students contract. • SiO Housing: www.sio.no/en/housing 8 9 Pre-arrival Insurance Make sure you have insurance against theft, loss and illness before you leave home. Property and travel insurance We strongly advise you to buy travel insurance and to insure all valuables against theft before you leave for Norway. Travel insurance should cover you while you travel to Norway and in the beginning of your stay. Health coverage EEA/EU students NON-EU/EEA students Bring your European Health Insurance Card with you to Norway. The card enti- >33 If you are staying for 3 months or less, tles you to medical treatment in Norway. you must have health insurance from If you are not entitled to a European your home country. Health Insurance Card, you must have proof of other insurance covering medi- >33 If you are staying longer than 3 months, cal expenses. you can be covered by the public health care system in Norway. See the For further information about the card, On arrival section, under Health please contact the health or social security Insurance in Norway authorities in your home country. 10 • Practical arrival info • Money matters • Handing in documents to the police • Norwegian national On arrival identification number • Health insurance in Norway • Chest X-ray and TB-test The On arrival section gives you the practical information you need when you arrive in Norway and an overview of what you need to do during the first few weeks. You can find more detailed information at: https://student.hioa.no/en/semester-start 11 On-arrival Practical arrival information When should I arrive? Where do I go next? The Norwegian academic year consists If you have been granted student hous- of two semesters.