General information

Accommodation abroad
AHO’s partner institutions will in most cases assist in finding accommodation for incoming exchange students. Some institutions order a room for you. Others provide you with a list of possible hosts 

Visa and residence permit
If you hold a residence permit in Norway, you are entitled to stay in any Schengen-country for three months without having to apply for visa. The local police authorities and/or the international office at your host institution will inform you how to register for a student’s residence permit for a longer period

Depending on your nationality, different requirements apply for visa and residence permit in countries outside Schengen. Contact the international office at the host institution and/or the embassy of the host country in Norway for information on how to apply.

Insurance
Remember to consider your safety abroad; travel insurance, theft insurance, health insurance etc.

When you study in another Nordic country, you are covered by the social insurance in the country where you are residing. Read more at The Nordic Social Insurance Portal.

Language Courses
In many of the countries where AHO has exchange agreements, e.g. France and Germany, lectures are mainly given in native language, and only to a small extend in English. If you are going on exchange in a country where you do not know the language, it is a good idea to learn a little bit prior to the start of the semester. You may either follow a language course in Norway before you go, or find an intensive course in the city to which you are heading. Some partner institutions offer language courses for incoming exchange students a few weeks before the start of the studies, or during the semester. You can get more information on this by contacting the international office at your host institution. You can also get some information on language courses by talking the international coordinator at AHO.

EILC – Erasmus Intensive Langiage Courses
EILC are free intensive language courses for Erasmus students exchanging to countries where the lectures are held in a less widely spoken European language (not English, Frensh, German or Spanish). The courses usually last a month and are arranged ahead of the start of the semester in the country to which you are travelling. Participation in EILC courses entitles you to one extra month of Erasmus scholarship.

Information on where you can follow EILC courses are available here. 
Note that application for participation in EILC courses must be sent by the international coordinator in the Academic Services at AHO.

English tests
If the institution you are planning to exchange to demand documentation of knowledge of English, it could be a good idea to order a TOEFL- or IELTS-test well ahead of the application deadline. These tests are accepted by academic institutions throughout the world.

Read more about TOEFL and find test dates in Oslo.

Read more about IELTS and find test dates in Oslo.

Other resources
ANSA – Association of Norwegian Students Abroad is a non-profit and independent organisation voicing the interests of Norwegian students who study abroad. Non-Norwegian citizens can obtaine membership while registered as students with residence permit in Norway. ANSA provides guidance and supervision throughout your stay abroad, and offer insurance and banking solutions specially designed for Norwegian students abroad.

Archi-Students – portal for european students of architecture

Nordic Academy of Architecture - Architectural education in the Nordic and Baltic countries

CIRRUS - design education in the Nordic and baltic countries

Cumulus - international association of universities and colleges of art, design and media

EAAE – European Association for Architectural Education

Design in Europe's list of design educations in Europe

Erasmus Student Network - international organization for Erasmus students

Erasmus Norway on Facebook

Campus France – tips and inspiration for studies in France 

German Academic Exchange Service - tips and inspiration for studies in Germany 

PLOTEUS - The European Commission's portal to studies in Europe 

Study in Europe - the EU profiling portal for education in Europe 

Fulbright - scholarships for studies in the USA

Valle - scholarships for studies at University of Washington, Seattle (Nordic/Baltic citizens