Living in Norway
Permission to stay in Norway
Most foreign students outside the Nordic countries must obtain a formal residence permit from the local Norwegian Embassy in their home country before their arrival in Norway. Students from EU-countries are exempted from this rule and may apply for a residence permit after arrival in Norway. The following documentation must be presented along with the application for a residence permit:
- letter of acceptance as an exchange student at NHH
- confirmation that housing arrangements in Norway have been made
Students coming from universities outside Europe must present formal documentation of sufficient funds to complete the period of study at NHH (provided by the student/home institution).
Insurance
Students from EU-countries should obtain an E-111 form from their social security office before leaving home. This will ensure them of minimal health insurance during their stay in Norway. During your stay in Norway, a general travel, accident and luggage insurance is recommended.
Medical care
Medical care in Norway is basically free. Once you have made the registration as a student in Norway, you are eligible to receive medical care against a small refundable fee. This fee you may get refunded at the student secretary's office. Dental treatment is quite expensive in Norway. These costs are not refundable.
There is a chemist's shop close to NHH, at the corner of REMA 1000. Strong medicines cannot be bought without a prescription from a doctor. Every semester, at least one exchange student breaks a leg, so the address of the casualty clinic (Legevakten) is nice to know: Legevakten, Lars Hilles gate 30, 5008 Bergen, phone 55 32 11 20. The casualty clinic is open 24 hours a day, but the x-ray service is closed from 10:15 p.m.-8:30 a.m.
If you need to see a doctor, you may also try and contact Hellen Legekontor, Breiviksbakken 1 B, 5035 Bergen, phone 55 57 78 80.
Remember to get an "Egenandelskort" (a green card where you document your medical expenses) when you are at the doctor's! When you pay for medical service, you may get a refund if you give the card to the student secretary.
The Student Secretary
The student secretary is located in the sports hall (Lemkuhlhallen). There you can get help with the refunds of medical treatment fees and different types of information/application forms. For opening hours, see announcement in Lemkuhl-hallen.
Driving licence
If you are going to spend less than three months in Norway, no extra permission is needed. For those who are going to stay in Norway 3-12 months, an International Driving Licence is required. We recommend that you get this licence before you leave your country. Contact your local motoring association or the authorities that issued your licence for further information.
Bus
To get to NHH or Hatleberg Student Residence from downtown Bergen you can take any yellow or red bus in the direction of Åsane, Lønborg or Øyjorden. The numbers of the buses are 9, 20, 21, 22, 23, 50, 70, 71, 80, 90. If you are uncertain about which bus to take, just ask the bus driver whether the bus will stop outside NHH.
The ticket fee on the buses is approx. NOK 25,- It is also possible to buy a one-month-studentcard that costs approximately NOK 400,-. The fee on the airport bus is NOK 85 to the city centre. The bus leaves from the SAS Hotel every 20 minutes.
Train
If you book a ticket early, and are lucky, you might get a one-way ticket from Bergen to Oslo starting at nok 199,-. In addition you may have to reserve a seat, which costs 25 kroner.
Taxi
Taxis in Norway are expensive. However, for three persons a taxi might be cheaper than the night bus back home on Friday and Saturday nights. From the town centre to Hatleberg the cost will be NOK 100-150,-. Taking a taxi from the airport to Hatleberg costs approximately NOK 250-300,-. Unless you bring a lot of luggage, we recommend that you take the airport bus to the SAS Hotel if you are arriving by plane.
Plane
Two plane companies, SAS Braathens and Norwegian operate most domestic and several international routes. The ticket costs approx. NOK 400,- on flights between destinations in Southern Norway or Northern Norway respectively. If you want to go from a destination in the southern part to a destination in the northern part the price is higher. You can find more information on routes, time schedules and prices, as well as book tickets, on the companies' webpages.
Weather in Bergen
The climate in Bergen is relatively mild, but wet! Be prepared for some rain - rainclothes and an umbrella are essential in Bergen!
Clothing (what to bring)
It is a must to know that weather in Bergen often changes during the day and from one day to the next. One moment you see the rain and immediately thereafter you see the sun shining.
Because of these frequent weather changes, you have to bring proper clothes that are suitable for all times.
Clothes in Bergen are very expensive, even the ordinary ones, therefore, it would be a good idea to bring as many clothes as possible, so you find no need to spend too much money on expensive articles of clothing.
Rain clothes are on the top of the list, followed by warm sweaters and jackets, shoes/boots for the winter, along with comfortable clothing and low shoes for walking and recreation.
Moreover, Norwegians do not often wear formal clothing; instead they prefer casual and comfortable clothes. On Friday or Saturday people rarely dress up.
Currency
1 Norwegian krone (NOK) = 100 øre
1 Euro = 8 NOK (approx.)
1$ = 6,5 NOK (approx.)
The post
The post offices are open Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Post-boxes for abroad mail are red. Stamps are sold at the post offices and in most newspaper kiosks. Stamps used domestically can also be bought in "Studia". At the post offices you may also open a postal giro account in the postal bank. However, there might be restrictions on the number of withdrawals. Ask for information at the post office.
Banking
Most transactions such as paying rents or bills are done through bank accounts and through bank card transactions, thus, when living in Norway, a bank account is necessary.
The requirements to open a bank account may differ from one bank to another, but most banks will ask for documentation: a copy of the passport, proof of registration with a Norwegian institution of higher education, and a Norwegian Number or D Number (for students staying in Norway less than 6 months).
A letter of recommendation from the applicant’s latest bank is sometimes required.
Banks in Norway are usually open from 9 A.M to 3.30 P.M, except those inside the city shopping centers that will have longer hours.
ATMs (called “Minibanks”) are available in all cities and towns for withdrawals and other services, and they accept international credit cards such as MasterCard or Visa.
The main banks in Norway are:
• Den Norske Bank – Norway’s largest financial group, with offices around the world
• Fana Sparebank – local in Bergen
• Postbanken
• Fokus Bank
• Nordea – present in all the Nordic countries,
• Skandiabanken – good for the prices
• Sparbank 1 – a group of other small banks
• Sparebanken Vest
Internet
At the student camp accommodation, the Internet is included in the accommodation payment.
If you are going to live in a private apartment, you will have to pay between 195 NOK and 500 NOK, depending on the speed, access and options.
The main players in the Internet connection market are NextGenTel, Telenor and Ventelo.
SIM Card
There are two options for getting a SIM Card in Norway: prepaid SIM cards that are easy to get, and subscription SIM cards that have special purchasing requirements and involve paying a monthly fee.a
The main mobile operators are: Telenor Mobil (Telenor), NetCom GSM (Telia Sonera) and Chess (Telia Sonera). In addition, Lycamobile offers good prices for calling abroad.
Most of these companies offer special discount rates and cheap packages and are sold at the authorized dealers and convenience shops.
Budget and Cost of living
The price level in Norway is relatively high. Close to school and Hatleberg there is a low-cost grocery store, REMA 1000. You can find detailed information about the living costs per month here.
If you need furniture and other equipment for your flat there are lots of shopping possibilities, both in Bergen and outside. IKEA is situated a few kilometres out of town and a big shopping centre (Åsane senter) is located in the same area. To get there, you can take any yellow or red bus that goes to "Åsane Terminal" from the bus stop outside Hatleberg Student Residence. The numbers of some of the buses are 50, 70, 80, 90 and any bus with a 200 number, please ask the bus-driver if you are unsure.
Most grocery stores in Bergen sell beer. Stronger alcoholic beverages such as strong beer, wine and spirits are sold in state-run off-licences (Vinmonopolet). There are five of these in Bergen. The shops are closed at Easter, Whitsun, New Years Eve, Christmas Eve, Sundays and all other public holidays.
Telephone
Telephone services from private phones in Norway are relatively cheap compared to many other countries.
Outgoing calls: Prefix 00 + country code.
Incoming calls: The country code for Norway is 47.
Electricity
220 volt, 50Hz AC is the standard voltage in Norway. If you bring any equipment that requires other voltages, remember to bring an adapter.
Newspapers
The local newspapers, the BT and the BA, are published seven days a week. International papers are sold in some Narvesen kiosks in town, with one-day delay. The library at NHH has many international periodicals and papers. If you do not find what you want, you can try the library at the university or the public library located in Strømgaten 6 (between the bus station and the train station). The latter probably has the widest selection.
Tap water
It is safe to drink tap water in Norway.
Public holidays
1 January
New Year's Day is a very quiet day. Transportation is scarce, and the shops are closed.
Easter
The Easter Holiday is normally very quiet in urban areas as many Norwegians are up in the mountains skiing. Shops are closed Monday, Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Monday.
1 May
The Workers' Day (Labour Day)
17 May
The National day of Norway. Everybody celebrates this day. In every town centre there are colourful parades and a lot of people wearing national costumes. The parade in Bergen is pretty special - all sorts of organisations and clubs show up in their "uniforms". Do not get astonished if you run into frogmen on the main street of Bergen on May 17! You should not miss this opportunity to do a social antrophological research on the Norwegians!
Ascension Day
All shops are closed.
Whit Sunday and Monday
All shops are closed.
Christmas
The majority of the Norwegians celebrate this holiday with their families, and the presents are unpacked at Christmas Eve. Local transportation is almost non-existent on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The shops close very early on 24 December and are closed the whole day the 25th and 26th.
Shopping in Norway
Most people from abroad are rather surprised and sometimes shocked by the opening hours. Most shops in the city-centre have the following opening hours:
| Mon-Fri: | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. |
| Thur: | 9 a.m.-7 p.m. |
| Sat: | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. |
| Sun: | CLOSED |
Shopping centres and supermarkets have extended opening hours:
| Mon-Fri: | 9 a.m.-8 p.m. |
| Sat: | 9 a.m.-6 p.m. |
| Sun: | CLOSED (some very few are open) |
However, if you wake up on a Sunday morning with no food in the fridge there is still hope. At several petrol stations, for example Statoil, as well as at the 7Eleven shops you will find a fair selection of basic grocery products like milk, (warm) bread and pizza.
It is not normal to bargain in Norwegian shops. However, if you go to an informal second hand market ("flea market"), you are usually free to bargain on prices.
Private parties
Most parties in Norway are casual and informal, and usually you will not have to dress up. In the school bar, "Klubben", there are parties almost every weekend, except during the exam periods. Most Norwegian students go to "vorspiels", which are get-togethers where friends meet for a beer or two or ten before they go out. Alcoholic drinks are very expensive in discos and pubs, therefore the Norwegians like to get a little "warmed up" first at the vorspiel. "Nachspiels" are for those who want to go on partying when the bars close.
The most common home parties are house-warmings and birthdays. To such parties you may bring a small gift if you like.
Every semester, there are also a few formal parties. The autumn ball is the traditional one at NHH. The International Committee usually organises a formal dinner for the exchange and MIB students as well.
Important phone numbers
| Fire brigade | 110 |
| Police | 112 |
| Ambulance | 113 |
| Directory Assistance, national numbers | 180 |
| Directory Assistance, international numbers | 181 |
| International reversed charge calls | 115 |
More information about Norway:
| Norway Links Collection: | http://www.norway4you.com/ |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs | http://odin.dep.no/odin/engelsk/nytt/nyheter/ |
| Aftenposten (Newspaper) | http://www.aftenposten.no/english/ |
