Public education is free up to and including upper secondary schooling. Tuition at state-run institutions for higher education is usually minimal. Other kinds of educational institutions in Norway include independent private schools. They are a supplement to the public school system, but often require tuition fees. Many of these offer international education.
Norwegian folk high schools are a Scandinavian type of boarding school, different from secondary schools and higher education institutions. They offer non-traditional and non-academic subjects as well as many academic subjects.
Higher education consists of courses at universities and colleges. Admittance to such institutions is normally gained on the basis of upper secondary education. With the exception of some private university colleges, all are state-run.
Depending on how long you plan to be in Norway, and what you wish to study here, you may need to learn at least some Norwegian. Check with your local municipality and/or the relevant educational institution for information about language training.
The Norwegian agency for quality assurance in education (NOKUT) grants general recognition of foreign education.
Some professions require authorisation, such as in the health sector. You can find a list of regulated professions and authorising institutions at the NOKUT web site, as well as information about educational systems in other countries and the laws and regulations that govern recognition of foreign education.
Information on foreign vocational training is provided by the individual county offices for vocational training. Contact information for these is available from the web portal to the public sector in Norway.
