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Practical information for international PhD scholars

This website is intended for international PhD candidates who have received an offer to become a PhD scholar at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (VET), as well as those who are already enrolled as PhD candidates at the faculty.

NMBU Campus

Winter at the University, with the Veterinary Building in the background to the right.

Foto: NMBU

  • Checklist: International PhD candidates preparing to come to VET

    1. 1. Check immigration regulations. Contact the Norwegian Embassy in your country.
    2. 2. Apply for a resident permit from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) as soon as possible after admission is granted. Study permits are not required for citizens of EU/EEA/EFTA countries. Instead, they should complete a registration process after arriving in Norway.
    3. 3. You are responsible for securing your own housing. Employees who receive a salary from the university are not eligible for student accommodation. Accommodation must be sought on the private market: finn.no.
    4. NMBU offers quest housing with limited capacity, and they are usually fully booked well in advance. Please contact Eiendomsavdelingen.
    5. 4. If you are planning to bring your family with you, you must make careful preparations. You will need to do a considerable amount of research into issues such as insurance (get coverage for the entire family), accommodation and other facilities (nursery, schools, job etc..). Please bring legalized copies of your marriage certificate and the birth certificate(s) of your children if applicable: they might be necessary for certain administrative services.
    6. 5. Check your insurance status before you leave:
    7. EU/EEA and UK citizens: you can use the European health insurance card. If you stay more than 3 months, you must apply for an S1 certificate from your home country.
    8. Non-EU/EEA: you need to get insurance to cover health expenses.
    9. In addition to the European Health Insurance Card, you should also have travel insurance.
    10. 6. Make your travel plans.
    11. 7. Bring your credit/debit card from your home country. Norway is a cashless society.
    12. 8. Check regulations on bringing belongings to Norway. You are advised to insure your luggage before your journey and label it clearly. Check your luggage weight against your airline’s allowances.
    13. 9. Check the information on weather conditions and what to wear.
    14. 10. Visit the doctor, dentist and/or optician if necessary. Obtain a letter of explanation from your doctor for any prescribed medication you may need to bring with you.
    15. 11. For more information regarding visas, residence permits, accommodation, insurance etc., contact the Student Information Centre (SiT): sit@nmbu.no.

  • Checklist: International PhD candidates on arrival at VET

    1. 1. Check out the webpages Useful to know about NMBU and Norway to find out where the University is situated and what means of transport are available.
    2. 2. Most candidates are expected to first report to their main supervisor or faculty department.
    3. 3. Practical information about Residence permit, police registration, course registration, the employment ID card, access to buildings/your office and accommodation, sports and welfare facilities you will find here: https://www.nmbu.no/en/research/new-phd-students
    4. NB: If your stay in Norway is no longer than 90 days you do not have to register with the Norwegian immigration authorities.
    5. 4. To get access to many services (open a bank account, pay taxes, get a general practitioner) you need a Norwegian Identification number.
    6. 5. MinID is an electronic ID you can use to log in to public sevices. MinID is free and easy to use.
    7. 6. The Norwegian National Insurance Scheme (Folketrygden) is Norway’s public social security system, providing health coverage and access to benefits through NAV. As a PhD candidate employed by NMBU, you are usually automatically registered as a member when you start your employment and receive a Norwegian personal identification number. If you are unsure about your membership, you can check or apply via nav.no.
    8. 7. In Norway, your employer deducts income tax directly from your salary. The deduction is based on a tax deduction card (skatteetaten.no). You must apply for the tax card through the Norwegian Tax administration as soon as you receive your Norwegian national identity number or D-number.
    9. 8. To receive salary and managing finances securely you should open a bank account. The process can be slow, and for stays under 6 months, it’s usually not possible. Largest banks in Norway: SpareBank1 Østlandet and DNB.
    10. 9. Apply for the European Health Insurance Card if you are entitled to this.
    11. 10. The Norwegian health authorities require all new international students from counties with a high occurrence of tuberculosis who intend to stay in Norway for more than three months, to be tested for tuberculosis (TB)
    12. 11. Renewal of residence permit: Start the process at least one month before your current permit expires: Want to renew (udi.no). Please contact the HR Advisor at your Department.
    13. 12. Contact the Student Information Center (SiT) if you have any questions: sit@nmbu.no

  • Checklist: International PhD candidate leaving VET

    1. 1. Terminate your housing contract. If applicable, arrange for your deposit to be refunded.
    2. 2. Do not forget to close your bank account. NB: Do not close it until all payments have been made.
    3. 3. If you are moving to a non-Nordic country you must notify the Norwegian Tax Administration. This notification should be made no later than 31 days before leaving Norway.
    4. 4. Inform the postal service about your new address at posten.no. This will make sure your mail is sent to your new address for the first two months after you move.
    5. 5. Check in with your supervisor and/or department to make sure all obligations connected with your stay have been met and that you have received the relevant information and documentation.
    6. 6. Make sure all library books are returned.
    7. 7. Inform other contacts/institutions that you are leaving.
    8. 8. Check regulations about bringing belongings to your home country. You are advised to insure your luggage before your journey and label it clearly. Ensure that your luggage complies with your airline’s weight limits.
    9. 9. Inform the PhD Advisors of your address abroad.
    10. 10. Register with the NMBU Alumni.

  • Useful to know about NMBU and Norway

    Getting to NMBU

    Scholars are expected to make their own way from the airport to their accommodation and the school. Some academic departments/supervisors, however, may arrange to pick up new arrivals at the airport.

    The Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) is located at Aas (Norwegian spelling: Ås), some 40 km. south of Oslo. The distance from Oslo Airport to the NMBU campus is 80 km. The address to the Veterinary building is Elizabeth Stephansens vei 15: NMBU Veterinary building in Mazemap – an interactive digital map!

    To get from the airport, please use the airport express train (flytoget) or the airport express bus (flybussen, route FB2) to Oslo Central station. From Oslo Central station take the train (R21) to Ås, and then walk, or take bus #510 from the station to NMBU (1 km). Train schedules are easily available on the webpage www.vy.no.
    Walk from Ås station to NMBU - Google Maps (around 30 minutes to walk)

    The Norwegian climate

    Winter in Ås lasts from November to late March, with temperatures typically ranging from –15°C to 5°C (5°F–41°F). Summers are mild, with average temperatures between 11°C and 25°C (50°F–77°F). You can expect occasional rain, cool nights, and warm afternoons.

    Packing list

    To prepare for Norway’s changing climate, we recommend bringing a wind- and rain-resistant jacket, water-resistant winter boots, a warm winter coat, and wool clothing such as thermal underwear, sweaters, socks, a scarf, gloves or mittens, and a hat, particularly for the winter months from November to March.

    You should also bring Ethernet cables, a router (which can be purchased in Norway but is often cheaper to buy in your home country), and a power adapter for a standard European two-pin plug.

    Health, safety and environment

    All NMBU students should feel comfortable where they are and be able to find information about matters concerning health and wellbeing, e.g. doctor, dentist, crisis contact, available services for health and mental health, the importance of your involvement in the student community and a little about the services available in Ås municipality: Information about health and wellbeing.

    Sikresiden.no provides preventive training and advice on what to do in an emergency.

    User account

    All new candidates must activate their NMBU user account (Feide login) to get access to Studentweb (register for courses), Canvas (the digital course room with information about courses), Eduroam (NMBU’s wireless network) and other IT services which require Feide login. Feide is the national solution for secure login and data sharing in education and research.

    How to activate your user account or change password

    If you have problems getting access to your user account, contact it@nmbu.no

    The staff ID card

    The staff ID card works as a key to gain access to buildings and rooms (you will also get a key to your office) and is used to gain access to NMBU printers/scanner.

    The employee ID card will be produced on site, and you will receive it by hand, at the Service Centre in the Veterinary Building. A photo will be taken of you when you show up at the Service Centre.

    If you discover that you do not have access to all the rooms / buildings you require, please send an email to the HR Team with your card number and the required room/laboratory number(s): vet.personal@nmbu.no

    Order your staff card here (Your department will help you to order)

  • Questions?

    Get guidance on moving to Norway, local government registrations, residence permits and more at the Student Information Center (SiT): sit@nmbu.no

    If you have questions about your employment or work contract, salary, vacation, or a possible extension of your contract, please contact the HR Advisors at your faculty: vet.personal@nmbu.no

    If you have any questions about the PhD education, administrative support or general guidance, please contact the PhD Advisors: phd.radgiver.vet@nmbu.no

We welcome feedback on the content presented on this website. Please email: phd.radgiver.vet@nmbu.no