Decision on fees for international students expected

If the government doesn’t pass its budget for 2023 through parliament in October, it will surely pass in November. 

It is currently negotiating with its budgetary party, the Socialist Left Party, to secure majority support for the fiscal plan. 

Should the government and the Socialist Left Party agree on a budget, a final decision on tuition fees for international students will likely be made when the budget is approved. 

When the budget was unveiled, the government said it wanted to implement plans for universities to charge international students’ tuition. 

The Socialist Left Party is opposed to this proposal, so the final budget negotiations will have a big say in whether the policy is implemented. 

Other important matters to be decided in budget talks

Among the other measures which could be set in stone once a budget gets the green light are reducing income tax for those who earn less than 750,000 kroner, more support for young people and parents, reduced unemployment benefits and cheaper ferries. 

For a full rundown of the proposed budget, click here.  

Interest rates to increase

Norway’s central bank, Norges Bank, will likely raise interest rates by another 0.5 percentage points in November. 

It announced the upcoming rate hike in September. A hike in November would take the key policy rate to 2.25 percent. 

As a result of a potential increase, loan and mortgage repayments in Norway will rise too. Interest rates in Norway are currently the highest that they have been for a decade. 

Norges Bank sees interest rate hikes as a remedy to rising inflation. 

Winter tyre time

Motorists in the south will be expected to have made the switch to their winter treads by November 1st if they haven’t already. 

The season for winter treads began on October 16th in the north due to the chillier climate and snow settling sooner. 

In some more remote parts of the country with lots of snowfall and not much road maintenance coverage, you can opt to use studded tyres for more traction.

While changing your tyres may seem tedious, it could save you a small fortune as you can be charged up to 750 kroner per tyre if they aren’t up to scratch. 

READ ALSO: What you need to know about winter driving in Norway

New passport rules

New rules for issuing documents to children under 18, such as passports and national ID cards, are entering into force in November.

Both parents will have to appear at the passport and ID office within office hours, but they will not have to present themselves at the same time, the police explained.

Legal guardians no longer need to bring a consent form; it will suffice for them to present a passport or national ID card.

Furthermore, appointments won’t have to be booked in advance.

If both parents give permanent consent, the child can have their passport or ID card renewed until they are 18 years old.

Winter sports season begins 

For those who love nothing more than a day on the slopes, then the year will only just begin in November when resorts up and down Norway open up to skiers and snowboarders. 

 When the full season gets underway will depend a lot on when the first snow settles. This could happen anytime from the end of November to mid-December.