Nordlys

Study in the Nordic countries!
Reppureissaajat katselevat kylän satamaa

Table of contents

You can apply to Nordlys exchange if you are a Bachelor's or Master's level student and your discipline/department/faculty does not have a subject-specific Nordplus network of their own and your cannot be admitted to the host university through the Erasmus programme.

You can apply to Nordlys exchange for one semester. 

Nordlys universities

  • You can apply to the following universities within the Nordlys programme for the academic year 2026-2027.
  • The number of placements are given above if they are restricted.
  • Note the restricted fields.
  • Previous studies in the field may be required. Please check the possible field or course-specific requirements from the host university website.

Denmark

Iceland

  • University of Iceland*
    • Max. 2 placements/semester
    • Course selection must total 30 ECTS credits per semester, 60% of the studies must be from the student's major subject. At least 60 ECTS credits must be completed.
    • The following fields are not open to exchange students: medicine, psychology, nursing, pharmaceutical sciences, law, economics, MBA, earth science, courses taught in Icelandic; English Language Programme only open to exchange students majoring in English at their home university or students who are very proficient in English. Courses taught in Icelandic are generally not open to exchange students.
    • TOEFL/IELTS/PTE/CAE/CPA required from nationals coming outside the EU/EEA countries whose native language is not English
  • Reykjavik University*
  • Akureyri University*
    • Not open to exchange students: nursing, occupational therapy

Norway

  • NTNU: Norwegian University of Science and Technology*
    • not possible to choose courses from the following fields: architecture, medicine, music
  • University of Agder*
    • Courses must be chosen from one campus
    • Only a limited number of nominated students are selected by the host university to some fields, e.g. outdoor education
  • University of Bergen*
    • Max. 4 placements/semester
    • Studies in the following faculties are not open to Nordlys students: Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Art, Music and Design;
    • Not open to Nordlys students: areas of study with subject-specific Nordplus networks
    • Language certificate required from those taking courses of English language and culture (C1 level)
  • University of Oslo*
    • Max. 4 placements/semester
    • restrictions in the admission to the following fields: medicine, health sciences, dentistry, pharmacy, geo sciences, psychology, biosciences
  • University of Stavanger*
  • University of South-Eastern Norway
    • All studies must be from the same campus
  • UiT The Arctic Universit of Norway*
    • Not open to exchange students: medicine, music and art
    • Courses must be chosen from one campus
    • The majority of the courses should be in your own field of study

Sweden

Studies

You can take courses of your major/minor subject or free electives in Nordlys exchange. The courses can also include language studies if suitable courses are available. Nordic universities offer many courses in English and therefore studying in English also possible. The number of courses in English vary between fields of study and universities. Please note the above mentioned restrictions in the areas of study and the course-specific restrictions and requirements.

Exchange period

You can apply for Nordlys exchange for one semester.

Funding

Funding of student mobility

Accessibility grants

Application

Application period

The annual Nordlys application period for the following academic year starts at the end of January and ends at the beginning  of February. The application period for the academic year 2026-2027 takes place on 21 January - 4 February 2026.

Application instructions

Statistics

  • 2025: 33 applicants, 25 selected
  • 2024: 35 applicants, 28 selected
  • 2023: 30 applicants, 25 selected
  • 2022: 47 applicants, 38 selected

Practicalities

The international offices of the host universities assist in practical matters related to your exchange, such as getting an apartment, tutoring etc. Nordic universities offer many courses in English. However, students studying to Sweden are encouraged to study in Swedish if they have studied the language in lower and upper secondary school.

Norway and Iceland have higher living costs than the rest of the Nordic countries. Also, students have to buy some text books in Norway which may result in additional costs.

In larger cities, such as Stockholm, Gothenburg and Copenhagen, it may be difficult to find an apartment, especially during the autumn semester. It is therefore advisable to apply for accommodation as early as possible or from the private sector. In smaller towns, getting an apartment can be a lot easier. In Iceland and Norway, the student unions have apartments to which exchange students may be able to apply for.

Experiences of former exchange students

You can read about the experiences of students who have studies in the Nordic countries in the student exchange reports and blogs.

Contact us

Questions about internationalisation? For guidance on student exchange, please contact us through HelpJYU.

HelpJYU form (login required)