Documenting funds

Non-EU/EEA/EFTA citizens studying in Bergen need to document sufficient funds for studying in Norway as a part of their application for a study permit. This generally involves transferring a large sum into a Norwegian bank account.

 

EU/EEA/EFTA citizens

EU/EEA/EFTA citizens do not need a study permit and therefore this information is not relevant for them.

Non-EU/EEA/EFTA citizens

Self-financing non-EU/EEA/EFTA citizens need to apply for a study permit through the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) when studying in Norway. As part of the application process, non-EU/EEA/EFTA citizens need to provide documentation of sufficient funding for the course of their studies. As of 2018, this is:

• NOK 111 657 for one academic year (10 months).
• NOK  55 829  for one semester.

Generally the documentation must be of funds that are in a Norwegian bank account, the Norwegian Immigration Authorities are quite strict regarding this process. Attempting to document funding when the funds are not in a Norwegian bank account may cause the application process to be overly lengthy, resulting in the potential for students to not recieve their permit in time to start their studies. Additionally, non-EU/EEA/EFTA students are generally not able to open their own Norwegian bank account until after their residence permit (study permit) is granted and they are assigned a Norwegian National Identity Number ("personnummer") or D-number. So it is a catch-22, a student cannot get the study permit without money in a Norwegian bank, and a student cannot get their own Norwegian bank account without a study permit. In order to solve this problem and assist students in documenting funding, the Student Welfare Organization in Bergen (Sammen) provides a deposit account at“Den norske Bank ASA”. This account exists so international students can transfer the nessary amount from their home country to a Norwegian bank.

Sammen's Deposit Account

Depositing large sums of money into foreign bank accounts can be stressful. It is natural to have concerns and questions about the credibility of the transfer and how you will be reunited with your money on the other end. It may help to know that using Sammen's deposit account to document funding is a normal part of the process for applying for a study permit in Bergen. It is important to be aware that the transfer process requires a small fee to be paid to Sammen, and, that Den norske Bank ASA as well as your bank may charge transfer fees. It is therefore necessary to make sure you will have sufficient funds in the account after the fees are accounted for.

Being reunited with your money

Once in Norway, you still have to get a Norwegian bank account before Sammen can transfer your funds back to you. This may take some time, because in order to open an account, you first have to be assigned a national identity number or D-number (so be sure to be on top of this process!). 

While you are in the process of getting a bank account, Sammen can provide a cash card of 9 500 NOK from your deposit money if you need to use it for expenses in the meantime. Plan carefully, you can recieve a maximum of 2 cash cards from Sammen while you wait to get your own bank account. Request a cash card at the information desk in the Student Centre (Parkveien 1.)

The remainder of the deposit money (minus cash cards if you get any, and fees) will be transferred to your Norwegian bank account once you have opened one.