Norway has three scholarship entries on this site: the Norway Government Scholarships for International Students, the NORAD Norway Research and Scholarship Programmes, and the NMBU Scholarships at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. They are not interchangeable. One is a broad programme for international students, one comes from a development agency, and one is fully funded but tied to a partner network. If you are a Pakistani student looking at Norway, the first job is working out which of these you can realistically apply to.
This page puts all three side by side, explains who each one suits, and links to the full guide and the scholarship page for every one. Deadlines for all three vary, so treat the table as a pointer and confirm dates on the official sites before you plan anything.
All Norway scholarships at a glance
| Scholarship | Funding | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Norway Government Scholarships for International Students | Full / Partial | Varies by program |
| NORAD Norway Research and Scholarship Programmes | Full / Partial | Varies, confirm on official site |
| NMBU Scholarships (Norwegian University of Life Sciences) | Fully Funded | Varies by intake, check with NMBU |
No fixed dates appear in our data for any of the three. That is itself useful information. You cannot work back from a single national deadline, so you need to check each programme and each intake yourself.
The general route for international students
The Norway Government Scholarships for International Students guide is where most Pakistani applicants should start. These are scholarship programmes for international students who want to study in Norway, and they are managed by the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir). Funding is listed as full or partial, which means the amount depends on the programme, so read the terms before you assume your costs are covered. The deadline varies by programme.
The reason to start here is simple. Of the three entries, this is the only one described as a scholarship programme aimed at international students in general. It does not depend on a partner institution nominating you. You can read the full details page and the guide, then check the HK-dir site for the programmes that are open.
Development funding through Norad
The NORAD Norway Research and Scholarship Programmes entry is a different kind of opportunity. Norad provides grants and funding for development cooperation, education and research, based on Norwegian development policy. It operates from Oslo to support international partnerships and capacity building.
Read that description carefully. It tells you Norad works through partnerships and policy priorities, which usually means your route in depends on the programme and the partners involved rather than a single open application form. Funding is listed as full or partial, and the deadline varies, so confirm it on the official site. The full details page is the place to see how the entry is described before you read the guide in depth.
This option suits students whose study or research connects to development cooperation, education or capacity building. If your interests sit elsewhere, the government route above will probably fit better.
The fully funded option with a catch
The NMBU Scholarships entry is the only one marked Fully Funded without a partial option, and the status shows applications open. It is easy to get excited about that. Please read the rest before you do.
It is fully funded, but restricted to students or staff nominated through NMBU's specific partner institutions. It is not a general open scholarship.
Most applicants from outside NMBU's partner network will not qualify. If your university in Pakistan is not part of that network, this scholarship is probably not available to you, and chasing it would cost you time better spent on the other two. If your institution is a partner, it becomes the strongest option on the page, because full funding is rare. Ask your international office whether a nomination route exists. The full details page and the guide explain the setup. The deadline varies by intake, so check directly with NMBU.
Which Norway scholarship should you pick?
With only three entries, the choice is less about ranking and more about eligibility.
- If you have no link to a Norwegian partner institution, start with the Norway Government Scholarships for International Students.
- If your field connects to development, education or research cooperation, read the Norad guide as well.
- If your university may be an NMBU partner, ask about nomination before anything else, because that is the only way in.
You can apply to more than one route where the rules allow it. Since all three deadlines vary, keep a simple list of dates you have confirmed with each organisation, and note where you found each date.
Preparing your documents early
Because dates move from intake to intake, the safest habit is to have your paperwork ready before any call opens. Transcripts, degree certificates, a passport copy, language test results and reference letters take weeks to collect in Pakistan. Our documents checklist for international scholarships lists what to gather, and the scholarships guide for Pakistani students covers the wider process.
Check each programme's own requirements too. A document that one scheme accepts may not satisfy another, and the official site always wins over any summary, including this one.
Frequently asked questions
Which Norway scholarship is fully funded?
The NMBU Scholarships are listed as fully funded. The government and Norad entries are listed as full or partial, so the level of support depends on the programme.
Can any Pakistani student apply to NMBU?
Not on the information we have. The scholarship is restricted to students or staff nominated through NMBU's specific partner institutions, and most applicants from outside that network will not qualify.
Who manages the Norway Government Scholarships for International Students?
They are managed by the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, known as HK-dir.
What is the deadline for Norway scholarships?
It varies. The government programmes vary by program, Norad deadlines should be confirmed on the official site, and NMBU varies by intake.
What does Norad fund?
Norad provides grants and funding for development cooperation, education and research, based on Norwegian development policy, and it operates from Oslo to support international partnerships and capacity building.
Where should I begin?
Begin with the government scholarship guide unless you already have a link to a partner institution. It is the broadest of the three for international students.
Open the individual guides linked above for the details of each scholarship, and check the official websites of HK-dir, Norad and NMBU for current terms and dates before you apply.