Norway
Spouse decided months after you
Verdict
Norway is slow and needs a lot of money up front. The earliest start is August 2027. You alone must place NOK 232,000 to 347,000 (USD 24,000 to 36,000) in a Norwegian account. Your spouse needs a further showing of up to NOK 368,683 and will arrive months later, though with full work rights.
An NTNU application (NOK 61,705 business master's, deadline 1 December 2026) is only worth making if a large loan or family transfer into your own name is certain; otherwise drop it.
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source money plan for this route compare
- Can the spouse come
- Conditional
- Conditions
Allowed in law, but your spouse will not get a decision together with you. UDI's study page for Bangladeshi citizens says spouses of university students can usually apply for family immigration, but UDI currently cannot process the family application at the same time as the student's.
UDI's family page for a student's spouse requires: (1) you have, or have applied for, a study permit at a university or university college, (2) at least one year of studies left, (3) income of at least NOK 368,683 per year pre-tax, which can be employment income, study loans or grants, and money you or your spouse have in an account, (4) your spouse must be at least 24 years old (the page states this for the person applying; exemptions are not confirmed), (5) valid passport and identity, no entry ban.
UiT advises its students to file the spouse's application at the same time as the study-permit application, before travelling. It says these cases often take 5 to 9 months or longer (about 12 months if filed after arrival). Realistic plan: file both together, you land in August 2027, your spouse follows months later.
- Spouse work rights
- Full
- Spouse work in detail
UDI's family-immigration answers page says a family-immigration permit holder over 18 "can work". No separate work permit is needed, only a tax deduction card. No hour cap is stated. The page does not single out students' spouses, so this is the general family-immigration rule applied to them.
Your spouse has no right to work while the application is pending.
- Student work hours
Up to 20 hours a week during studies (remote work included) and full-time in holidays, granted with the study permit. No work of any kind, including remote work, before the permit is granted.
- First year for two
- about 66.6 lakh USD 53,400 before earnings over the 35 lakh ceiling
- checked 14 Nov 2026 · source
- Tuition in detail
Not free for non-EU/EEA students. An August 2027 starter pays 2027/28 rates. As of 14 Nov 2026 these were not yet published at NTNU (its page says "most likely by 13 November at the latest") or NHH (first quarter 2027), so the figures below are 2026/27.
NTNU: Category 1 (business, economics, management, social sciences, humanities) NOK 176,300 a year; Category 2 (technology, natural sciences) NOK 205,600 a year. Lower-fee exceptions relevant here: MSc International Business and Marketing and MSc Management of Innovation and Sustainable Business Development, NOK 61,705 a year.
NHH master: NOK 204,000 a year, fixed per cohort for two years. BI MSc Business Analytics: the page shows NOK 141,100 a year for external applicants (NOK 121,800 internal) and says different rates apply to non-EU/EEA students; the non-EU figure is not confirmed. NTNU says it offers no scholarships, discounts or instalment plans.
NHH offers no scholarships.
- Money to show in detail
Student: NOK 170,368 per academic year (NOK 15,488 a month) plus the first year's tuition (paid, or the money shown). UDI: the money must be in a Norwegian bank account or the institution's deposit account. It can be your own funds, student loans, grants or a mix, and income from a part-time job already offered in Norway may count.
UNE: the money must be available to you personally, so a sponsor's money only works once it is in your own name or deposit account. Spouse: you must show NOK 368,683 per year pre-tax (employment income, study loans or grants, and money you or your spouse hold in an account).
UDI does not say whether the NOK 368,683 includes your own NOK 170,368, nor which country your spouse's account may be in. Both points are not confirmed, and the cheaper inclusive reading is used here.
Total to show for the couple: about NOK 545,000 (USD 57,000) with a NOK 176,300 programme; about NOK 430,400 (USD 45,000) with the NOK 61,705 NTNU programmes. If the two amounts are additive it would be about NOK 715,000 (USD 74,800).
Rates: USD 1 = NOK 9.5634 (Norges Bank, 13 Nov 2026); USD 1 = BDT 124.50 (open.er-api.com, 14 Nov 2026); NOK 7.69 per BDT 100 (Norges Bank).
- Budget note
Your own living-funds deposit is NOK 170,368 before any tuition. You alone must place NOK 232,073 (USD 24,270, cheapest NTNU business master's) to NOK 346,668 (USD 36,250, typical) in Norway. Adding your spouse lifts the showing to about NOK 430,400 to 545,000 (USD 45,000 to 57,000).
The living deposit comes back to you after arrival, so it is show-money, but it must really leave Bangladesh in your name.
Upfront cash figure (USD 39,900) = tuition 176,300 + deposit 170,368 + UDI fees 17,300 (5,400 + 11,900) = NOK 363,968 (USD 38,060) plus about USD 1,800 for flights (an estimate); about USD 27,900 with a NOK 61,705 programme. It excludes VFS service fees (amount not confirmed) and assumes your spouse's NOK 368,683 is met without extra cash.
Living cost for two (about NOK 25,000 a month) and the first-year total are estimates, not official figures. 2027/28 tuition may differ.
- Realistic earnings
Not confirmed from an official source (estimate only). Norway has no general statutory minimum wage. Typical unskilled service pay is roughly NOK 190 to 230 an hour, so 20 hours a week gives you about NOK 15,000 to 18,000 a month before tax.
Your spouse working full-time would earn about NOK 30,000 to 38,000 a month before tax, but only after the family permit is granted (months after you arrive). English-only jobs are limited mostly to tech, cleaning, warehouse, delivery and hospitality.
Earnings cannot be used to meet the up-front funds requirement unless a job offer in Norway already exists.
Applying
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- Visa
- Study permit (residence permit for studies at a university college or university), decided by UDI
- Lands
- January 2028 (estimate) An estimate, not a promise.
August 2027 for you (apply to NTNU by 1 December 2026, result around end of February 2027, study permit filed well before 1 July 2027). Your spouse realistically arrives early to mid 2028 if both applications are filed together around March to April 2027; later if filed after arrival.
- Next intakes
- January 2027 (spring)Deadline: NTNU lists no spring intake for international master's programmes; none seen at NHH or BIStill open: No (not offered at NTNU; other institutions not confirmed)
- August 2027 (autumn), NTNUDeadline: Non-EU/EEA window 1 November to 1 December 2026; documents also due 1 December 2026; results around end of February 2027Still open: Yes, closes 1 December 2026 (17 days left as of 14 Nov 2026)
- August 2027, NHH (MSc Economics and Business Administration)Deadline: 15 February (midnight CET); portal opens 1 January 2027. GMAT or GRE required (GMAT Focus 555 / GMAT 600 / GRE quant 152) and 90 ECTS in economics and business administrationStill open: Not open yet; opens 1 January 2027 (page still being updated for the new cycle)
- August 2027, BI Norwegian Business School (MSc Business Analytics)Deadline: Priority deadline 1 March; rolling after that. Cut-off for non-EU applicants needing a permit: not confirmedStill open: Not confirmed (page lists Autumn 2027 start; open status not shown)
- August 2027, other public universities (UiB, UiO, UiA, USN, UiS)Deadline: Not confirmed for each university; many use 1 December for non-EUStill open: Not confirmed per university
- Typical length
- 24 months
- Where to apply from Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, with no travel abroad. Register and pay the fee on UDI's online Application Portal, print the signed cover letter, then hand in your passport and checklist documents at a VFS Global application centre (norway.no does not name the city; Dhaka is assumed). UDI in Norway decides.
VFS charges its own service fee (amount not confirmed). No interview is mentioned. You collect the result at the VFS centre or by courier, and an entry sticker is placed in the passport. You have a police appointment for the residence card within the first 7 days in Norway.
You must be a Bangladeshi citizen or have held a Bangladeshi residence permit for 6+ months. Whether the Danish Embassy handles Norway's residence permits is not confirmed: the official page names only the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka, though the VFS link path contains "Denmark".
Visa and passport risk
no single source · see all sources- Risk for a Bangladesh passport
- Medium
- Why
No Bangladesh-specific approval or refusal rate is confirmed. UDI's study page for Bangladeshi citizens says that because of conditions in the home country it "may be difficult" to get a permit for study below master's level (and "very difficult" for folk high school or Bible school). Master's level is not flagged.
UNE lists refusal grounds: the stay is not seen as full-time study, doubt that you will return home (a higher bar for countries with many asylum seekers in Europe; no countries named), and funds not at your own disposal. A spouse following you may weaken the return assessment (this is an inference, not a stated rule).
NTNU tells applicants to check UDI first because some nationalities may not be granted permits. No suspension of Bangladeshi students appears on the official pages.
- Visa processing time
UDI's own waiting-time figure is not confirmed. UiB: study-permit processing "may take several weeks", and applications submitted by 1 July are processed in time for the August start. Spouse: UiT says family cases often take 5 to 9 months or longer, about 12 months if filed after arrival.
UDI will not process them together with the student's case.
- no single source · see all sources
- Hassle
- 8 out of 10 10 is the most hassle. This site's rating, not a checked fact.
After the degree and PR
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- Work after the degree
Job-seeker permit after graduating in Norway: maximum 1 year. Full-time or part-time work is allowed in any job while you look for skilled work (no self-employment). It requires your own funds of NOK 28,448 a month, that is NOK 341,373 for a year (about USD 35,700), usually in a Norwegian bank account.
Family already on family permits can renew alongside. This year does not count toward permanent residence.
- checked 14 Nov 2026 · source
- PR route
Study permit (2 years, does not count toward PR), then an optional job-seeker year (does not count), then a skilled-worker permit with a Norwegian employer (pay and conditions must not be poorer than normal in Norway; UDI's page gives no fixed NOK threshold).
Permanent residence comes after 3 years as a skilled worker, with your own income of at least NOK 341,373 in the past year, a passed oral Norwegian test at A2 or higher and a social-studies test. Your spouse follows on family permits.
- Language for PR
PR: a passed oral Norwegian test at level A2 or higher plus a social studies test in a language you understand (or an exemption). Citizenship: oral Norwegian B1 plus the citizenship test.
Recent rule changes
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- 2025 and 2026
As of 14 Nov 2026, official pages state: (1) study funds requirement NOK 170,368 a year (NOK 15,488 a month) for 2026/27; (2) UDI currently cannot process a university student's family application together with the student's; (3) income requirement for a student's spouse NOK 368,683 a year; (4) PR requires a passed oral Norwegian A2 test and income of NOK 341,373; (5) the part-time work right explicitly covers remote work; (6) NTNU has 2026/27 lower-fee exceptions (two business master's at NOK 61,705); (7) citizenship after 8 of the last 11 years, or 6 of 10 with sufficient income; (8) 2027/28 tuition not yet published at NTNU or NHH.
Not confirmed: UDI notice dates (29.01.2026, 01.07.2025) and any sector-wide tuition cut. This list may be incomplete.
- Corrected in this check
- Exchange rates used: USD 1 = NOK 9.5634 (Norges Bank, 13 Nov 2026) and USD 1 = BDT 124.50. All USD figures are computed on these rates: proof of funds 38,550, fees 1,810, typical tuition 18,435, upfront 39,900, first-year total 53,400, living 31,400.
- An August 2027 starter pays 2027/28 tuition, which NTNU and NHH had not published as of 14 Nov 2026. The 2026/27 rates shown are a guide, not the final figures.
- BI MSc Business Analytics fee is NOK 141,100 a year (external), not NOK 135,600. The non-EU rate is still not confirmed.
- NTNU results come around end of February 2027, not around March to April 2027.
- NHH: the 15 February deadline is on NHH's own page. The portal opens 1 January 2027, and GMAT or GRE plus 90 ECTS are required.
- BI: the official priority deadline is 1 March with rolling admission after, not about 15 June.
- The Danish Embassy in Dhaka is not named as handling Norway's residence permits: the official norway.no page names only the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka. This point is not confirmed.
- Dependant conditions: the 24-year rule is as UDI words it (the spouse applying must be at least 24), not both spouses. UiT advises filing the spouse's application together with the study permit and gives about 12 months for filing after arrival.
- UNE refusal reasons match the page (not full-time study, return doubt, funds not at own disposal). A 15-month UNE appeal time is not confirmed and is left out.
- Skilled-worker salary: UDI's page says pay must not be poorer than normal in Norway and shows no fixed threshold.
- UDI notice dates (29.01.2026, 01.07.2025) are not confirmed and are left out of the confirmed changes.
- Spouse arrival estimate is early to mid 2028, based on 5 to 9+ months from a spring 2027 filing.
- Worst case for couple funds if the two amounts are additive: about NOK 715,000 (USD 74,800).
Not verified
unverified- UDI's own waiting time for first-time study permits and for a student's spouse (only university statements found)
- Whether NOK 368,683 includes the student's NOK 170,368, and whether your spouse's money may sit in a Bangladeshi account
- Exemptions to the 24-year rule, and whether you and your spouse meet the rule
- Bangladesh-specific approval or refusal rate for Norwegian study permits
- 2027/28 tuition at NTNU, NHH and BI; BI's non-EU tuition rate; whether NTNU's NOK 61,705 exceptions continue in 2027/28
- Deadlines at universities other than NTNU, NHH and BI for autumn 2027
- Whether any institution offers a January 2027 start for non-EU master's students
- VFS Bangladesh service fee, the VFS centre city, and whether another embassy is involved in handling
- Whether study-permit years count toward the citizenship residence period
- UNE appeal processing time
- Living cost for two, flight cost and wage figures (estimates)
- Any 2026 rule change announced in news but not yet shown on the official pages
- UDI notice dates (29.01.2026, 01.07.2025) and any sector-wide tuition cut
- UDI's tuition wording on the study page still refers to 2025/2026 (appears to be out-of-date text)
Confidence in this page: Medium.
Programmes
0 in the programme listSources
19 official pagesStudy permit for Bangladeshi citizens: NOK 170,368/yr (15,488/month), tuition must be covered, money in Norwegian or institution deposit account, 20 h/week incl.
www.udi.no/en/want-to-apply/studies/studietillatelse/?c=bgdSpouse of a student: 1+ year of studies left, NOK 368,683/yr income (employment, loans/grants, money in student's or spouse's account), spouse at least 24
www.udi.no/en/want-to-apply/family-immigration/family-immigration-with-a-citizen-of-a-country-outside-the-eueea/?o=s&f=bgd&c=bgdFamily immigration permit holders over 18 can work without a separate work permit; no work while waiting
www.udi.no/en/answer-pages/answers-family-immigration/Fees: study permit NOK 5,400; first-time adult family immigration NOK 11,900; family renewal NOK 4,400; work permit NOK 6,300; PR NOK 4,000; citizenship NOK 6,500
www.udi.no/en/word-definitions/fees/Job-seeker permit: max 1 year, NOK 28,448/month (341,373/yr), full-time work, does not count for PR
www.udi.no/en/want-to-apply/work-immigration/job-seekers/?c=bgdPR: 3 or 5 years continuous residence on qualifying permits, income NOK 341,373, oral Norwegian A2 + social studies test
www.udi.no/en/want-to-apply/permanent-residence/permanent-residence-permit/?g=1&c=bgdSkilled workers: PR after three years; pay must not be poorer than normal in Norway (no fixed threshold shown); family can apply
www.udi.no/en/want-to-apply/work-immigration/skilled-workers/?c=bgdCitizenship: 8 of past 11 years (6 of 10 with sufficient income), oral B1, citizenship test
www.udi.no/en/want-to-apply/citizenship/citizenship-for-people-who-hold-a-residence-permit-in-norway/?c=bgdApplying from Bangladesh: online registration and payment, hand in at VFS Global centre, VFS service fee, sticker in passport, police appointment within 7 days
www.norway.no/en/bangladesh/services-info/visitors-visa-res-permit/res-permit/UNE refusal grounds: not full-time study, doubt about return (higher bar for asylum-producing countries), funds must be available to the applicant personally
www.une.no/en/case-types-and-countries/study-permit-cases/NTNU 2026/27 tuition: Cat 1 NOK 176,300, Cat 2 NOK 205,600; two business master's at NOK 61,705; 2027/28 not yet published; no scholarships, discounts or instalments
www.ntnu.edu/studies/tuition-feeNTNU non-EU window 1 November - 1 December 2026, results around end of February 2027, no spring intake listed
www.ntnu.edu/studies/imp/how_to_applyNHH master tuition NOK 204,000/yr (2026/27), fixed per cohort; 2027/28 set in Q1 2027; no scholarships
www.nhh.no/en/study-programmes/application-and-admission/financial-matters/NHH MSc: deadline 15 February, portal opens 1 January 2027, GMAT/GRE required, 90 ECTS economics and business administration
www.nhh.no/en/study-programmes/application-and-admission/admission-msc-in-economics-and-business-administration/BI MSc Business Analytics: NOK 141,100/yr external, 121,800 internal; different rates for non-EU/EEA; priority deadline 1 March then rolling
www.bi.no/en/programmes-and-individual-courses/master-programmes/business-analytics/UiB: processing may take several weeks; apply by 1 July / 1 December for semester start; funds NOK 170,368
www4.uib.no/en/studies/admission-and-application/first-time-study-permitUiT: family immigration often 5-9 months or longer, about 12 months if filed after arrival; file together with the study permit; income about NOK 368,683
en.uit.no/education/art?p_document_id=374660USD/NOK 9.5634 and NOK 7.69 per BDT 100 on 13 Nov 2026
data.norges-bank.no/api/data/EXR/B.USD+BDT.NOK.SP?lastNObservations=2&format=csvUSD 1 = BDT 124.50 (and NOK 9.567)
open.er-api.com/v6/latest/USD