Learn Norwegian in Norway – who gets free classes, what courses cost and which test you need
Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →
Whether you can learn Norwegian for free depends on why you came to Norway, not on how keen you are. Here is who has a right to free training, what paid courses cost, and how the Norwegian, social-studies and citizenship tests work.
If you want to learn Norwegian, start by finding out which group you belong to. The Integration Act (integreringsloven) gives some newcomers a right, a duty or both to free training in Norwegian and samfunnskunnskap (social studies). Everyone else normally pays for courses. IMDi (the Directorate for Integration and Diversity) published a new legal guide to the Act in April 2025 and updates it as the rules change.
Language also counts later on. According to HK-dir (the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills), Norwegian citizenship has required oral Norwegian at level B1 since 1 October 2022. The citizenship test itself is set at a lower level, and 92.4% of the candidates who took it in 2025 passed.
Can I learn Norwegian for free in Norway?
It depends on your residence status. Oslo Voksenopplæring (Oslo's adult education service) shows how it works in practice: any adult can enrol in a paid course, but free courses are only for people registered as resident in Oslo with a decision from UDI (the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration) in one of the groups below.
| Your situation | Free Norwegian course in Oslo? |
|---|---|
| Refugee | Yes |
| Family member of a refugee | Yes |
| Family member of a Norwegian or Nordic citizen living in Oslo | Yes |
| Family member of someone with permanent residence | Yes |
| Living in Norway under the EEA rules, for example as an EU/EEA citizen | No – you pay |
| Anyone else | No – but paid courses are open to all adults |
Source: Oslo kommune, Utdanningsetaten, read 23 September 2026.
Outside Oslo, ask your own municipality. It carries the legal responsibility for Norwegian and social-studies training under the Integration Act, even when it hires another provider to teach it. The county authority takes over only for participants who are full-time upper-secondary pupils.
Newly arrived refugees and their reunited family members who need basic qualifications take part in the introduksjonsprogram (introduction programme), which aims to teach Norwegian and get you quickly into work or education. Asylum seekers over 18 living in a mottak (reception centre) have a duty to take part in Norwegian and social-studies training.
How long does free Norwegian training last?
Once you are covered, the municipality must offer you a place as soon as possible, and no later than three months after you are registered as resident there or after a duty to participate arises. How much training you get depends on your education.
| Your situation | Norwegian | Social studies |
|---|---|---|
| Right and duty, with upper-secondary education or higher | Up to 18 months, until you reach your Norwegian target | 75 hours, within one year of the offer |
| Right and duty, without upper-secondary education | Up to three years, until you reach your target | 75 hours, within one year of the offer |
| Duty only, no right | Until you reach the target, at most 225 hours | 75 hours, within one year of the offer |
| Under 18 when the permit was granted | Not covered by the Integration Act, even after turning 18 | Rights through ordinary schooling instead |
Source: IMDi, read 23 September 2026.
Your municipality records your education background, the decisions about your training, your attendance and your absence in NIR (the National Introduction Register). Children and teenagers get Norwegian support through school under the Education Act (opplæringsloven) – see part 10. Adults can also have rights under that Act, on top of any under the Integration Act.
What do Norwegian courses cost if you pay?
Prices vary by provider. As a benchmark, this is what Oslo Voksenopplæring charges for its six-week autumn courses running from 5 October to 13 November, plus its online option.
| Course | Hours | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Evenings, twice a week for six weeks | 48 | NOK 4,900 |
| Evenings, three times a week for six weeks | 72 | NOK 7,400 |
| Daytime, five days a week for six weeks | 120 | NOK 10,300 |
| Online, five hours a week for six weeks, beginner to C1 | 30 | NOK 2,600 |
Source: Oslo kommune, Utdanningsetaten, read 23 September 2026.
If you come from outside the EU/EEA mainly to study the language, UDI's student residence permit can also cover Norwegian-language study – see part 2.
Which Norwegian test do I need?
HK-dir runs three separate tests for adult immigrants. Its candidate website explains each one and how to register.
| Test | Level | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Norskprøven (the Norwegian test) | A1 to B2, plus a separate C1 test at higher academic level | Documenting your level of Norwegian |
| Samfunnskunnskapsprøven (the social-studies test) | Set above A2 | Documentation for, among other things, a permanent residence application |
| Statsborgerprøven (the citizenship test) | A2, at most one hour | Applying for Norwegian citizenship |
Source: HK-dir, read 23 September 2026.
Norskprøven A1–B2 carries ALTE's Q-mark for quality and was last revised in 2018 and 2023; the C1 test went through its own revision in 2026. The citizenship test and the social-studies test share one syllabus, the curriculum in Norwegian and social studies for adult immigrants, which is published in full online.
What Norwegian do I need for permanent residence and citizenship?
For citizenship, HK-dir says you must have passed either the citizenship test or the social-studies test taken in Norwegian. If you passed the social-studies test in another language, you must take the citizenship test as well. The oral requirement of B1 was set by the Storting (the Norwegian parliament) and took effect on 1 October 2022.
For permanent residence, IMDi lists completing the required Norwegian and social-studies tuition and tests among the general conditions, and HK-dir notes that the social-studies test is used as documentation. UDI sets the exact requirements for each permit type, so check with UDI before you apply. Part 15 covers staying for good.
How does the Norwegian citizenship test work?
| Detail | What applies |
|---|---|
| Length | At most one hour (60 minutes) |
| Tasks | 36, of which 32 count towards your score |
| Pass mark | 24 correct answers |
| Pass rate | 92.4% of candidates passed in 2025 |
| ID at the venue | Valid physical ID – a fully digital driving licence is not accepted |
| Adjustments, such as extra time or a separate room | Contact your test venue as soon as possible, and no later than three days after you register |
| Cheating | You can be removed, get no certificate, wait one year to retake the test and pay for it again |
Source: HK-dir, read 23 September 2026.
Accepted ID includes a national ID card issued in an EEA country, a refugee travel document or alien's passport, a residence card for foreign nationals and an asylum-seeker certificate. The questions come from the same curriculum as the social-studies test, so you can prepare for both with one syllabus.
What to do now
| Step | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ask your municipality whether you have a right, a duty or neither | As soon as you are registered as resident |
| 2 | If you are covered, expect the offer of a place | No later than three months after registration |
| 3 | If you pay, compare evening, daytime and online courses | Before the course period you want |
| 4 | Register for the test you need on HK-dir's candidate website | When your level is ready |
| 5 | Ask your test venue for any adjustments you need | No later than three days after registering |
| 6 | Call HK-dir's test line, 40 63 17 35, with questions | Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10:00–12:00 and 12:30–14:30 |
Source: IMDi, Oslo kommune and HK-dir, read 23 September 2026.
Official sources
The official pages this guide is based on, read 23 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.
- IMDi – Målgruppe for opplæring i norsk og samfunnskunnskap · imdi.no
- Oslo kommune, Utdanningsetaten – Oslo Voksenopplæring Servicesenter: Gratis eller betale? · servicesenter.oslovo.no
- Oslo kommune, Utdanningsetaten – Oslo Voksenopplæring Servicesenter: Prisliste · servicesenter.oslovo.no
- HK-dir (Direktoratet for høyere utdanning og kompetanse) – Statsborgerprøve: Les om prøven · prove.hkdir.no
- HK-dir – Samfunnskunnskapsprøve · prove.hkdir.no
- HK-dir – Norskprøve A1-B2 · prove.hkdir.no
- IMDi – Introduksjonsloven / Regelverk · imdi.no
Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.