Working in Norway After Graduation: The Job Seeker Permit

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Norway lets non-EU graduates of its universities stay for up to a year after the degree to look for a skilled job. The permit is a job seeker permit, and it is issued by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). This guide follows the UDI pages and Study in Norway as consulted in October 2026. UDI updates its amounts every year, so confirm the figures before you apply. How to get the study permit in the first place is in the student visa guide for Norway.

Who does not need it

Study in Norway says that citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland can normally seek work and work in Norway when they complete their degree, and that Nordic citizens can seek work and work as well. The job seeker permit is for everyone else. Our catalogue lists 885 programmes at 75 Norwegian institutions, and the permit rules are the same whichever one you finish.

Who qualifies

According to UDI, you must be looking for work as a skilled worker; the work cannot be as a religious leader or a teacher. You must also hold a valid permit, and apply before it expires. For students that means:

• a study permit (university college, university, vocational school or upper secondary school), with your degree completed in Norway. UDI recommends applying at least one month before the permit expires;
• if you do not have your diploma yet, a confirmation from your institution that you submitted your thesis and finished all other credits, stating the date of submission, can be used.

UDI lists other starting permits, such as a permit for additional education to get your foreign education recognised and certain researcher permits.

Your qualification must be a completed vocational programme of at least three years at upper secondary level with a corresponding programme in Norway, or a completed university or university college degree. UDI also describes "special qualifications" from long professional experience, and notes that many of these applications are rejected.

Funds

You need at least NOK 28,448 per month, or NOK 341,373 per year, as UDI states. The money must be your own, usually in a Norwegian bank account. Income from a Norwegian job offer can count. A former PhD candidate with a skilled worker permit needs at least NOK 85,344 regardless of the length of stay. Compare this with the amount for the study permit in the visa guide: the job seeker amount is higher.

What the permit allows

• The permit is valid for a maximum of one year.
• You can work full time or part time while you search for relevant skilled work, including jobs that do not require a skilled worker.
• You cannot be self-employed or run your own business.
• Time on this permit does not count towards a later permanent residence permit.

UDI says family members who already live with you on a family immigration permit can apply to renew it, and if they apply at the same time, you receive answers at the same time.

Fee and procedure

UDI says you must pay an application fee, but its job seeker page does not give the amount and links to a separate fees page, so check that page on the day you apply. The page also does not list a full document checklist or processing times; use UDI's how-to-apply page and its waiting time guide.

When you find a job

If you receive a job offer before your application is processed, UDI says you can switch to a skilled worker application free of charge and keep your place in the queue. The conditions for the skilled worker permit are on a separate UDI page.

Practical tips

• Start looking for work during your last year, not after graduation. Study in Norway points to the NAV job database (arbeidsplassen.nav.no), with English listings found by typing "English" in the search field, and to your university's career centre.
• Keep the diploma or the thesis confirmation ready, together with bank statements for the funds.
• Remember the 20 hours a week limit applies during studies, not afterwards.

Where to look next

• Student visa for Norway
• Scholarships and student jobs in Norway
• Arrival checklist for Norway

Official sources

• UDI: Job seekers: requirements, funds, duration
• Study in Norway: Working in Norway after completing a degree
• Study in Norway: Working while studying

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.