Guide: Studying in Greenland

If you are a citizen of a Nordic country, you can study in Greenland on an equal footing with Greenlandic students. You can therefore apply for admission to a Greenlandic educational institution, where you can study free of charge.

In order to be admitted to an educational institution in Greenland, you must of course meet the academic requirements. You should be aware that there may be a requirement for Greenlandic language skills, and much of the teaching is in Greenlandic, particularly in vocational education.

Irrespective of whether you are applying for admission to secondary school, vocational training or a university course, it is a good idea to contact the institution first, to obtain proper guidance.

If you would like to study for a single semester in Nuuk, the University of Greenland offers study places for guest students. Courses are offered in Danish, Greenlandic and English. Guest students are admitted from all over the world, but if you are a Nordic citizen, it can be an advantage to apply through Erasmus + or Nordplus, as you will then be given preference for a study place. Contact your student counsellor at your study institution for guidance.

All study towns in Greenland have student accommodation available. Rooms in student accommodation are administered by the individual educational institution.

In Nuuk, most student accommodation is administered by the Joint Office of the Halls of Residence (KAF).

When you are admitted to a study programme in Greenland, you can obtain guidance on applying for student accommodation from the student administration at your educational institution.

Special conditions apply to receiving a student grant in Greenland. You must be:

• A Danish citizen
• Resident in Greenland
• Enrolled in an educational programme and actively studying.

Danish and Faroese students satisfy the conditions if they are resident in Greenland and actively studying. If you do not meet the conditions, but can document a special connection with Greenland, you can apply for an exemption.

In most cases, you can take a student grant from your home country instead.

If you are a student in a programme of higher education in Greenland, you can apply for a student loan from the Government of Greenland, in addition to your student grant. Two types of loan are available:

• Semester loans, which can be taken out every six months in connection with the start of a semester
• One-time loans, which can be taken out once during your study programme.

Before applying for a study programme in Greenland, you should note that some subject-specific programmes in Greenland are not recognised in the other Nordic countries. These are usually in the area of health and the professions. You should therefore find out whether you can get a job in your home country after completing your education in Greenland, or whether you will need further qualification/training.

Once you have moved to Greenland and have registered as a resident, you will be covered by social security in Greenland. This means that you will have access to Greenlandic healthcare free of charge.