Directory for new students

Compiled bythe Indonesian Students Association in Trondheim

July 22, 2010

Abstract

The purpose of this directory is to provide all the necessary informa-tion relevant for new students coming from abroad. Here you will findinformation ranging from Accomodation to Worship places. The sectionsare arranged in alphabetical order. Words in red are hyperlinked to web-sites where you can find more information about them. Useful links arelisted at the end of this document.

Contents

1 Accommodation . . . . . 21.1 Student housing . . . . 21.2 Private apartments . . . 21.3 Electricity . . . . . . . . 31.4 Housing allowance . . . 3

2 Banking . . . . . . . . . . 32.1 Opening a bank account 32.2 ATM . . . . . . . . . . . 4

3 Bookstores . . . . . . . . 4

4 Children . . . . . . . . . . 4

5 Climate, clothing, andtime . . . . . . . . . . . . 55.1 Climate and weather . . 55.2 Clothing and footwear . 55.3 Heating . . . . . . . . . 65.4 Time . . . . . . . . . . . 6

6 Currency . . . . . . . . . 6

7 Departure and arrival . . 67.1 Pre-departure . . . . . . 67.2 Air ticket . . . . . . . . 67.3 Arrival . . . . . . . . . . 7

8 Driving license . . . . . . 7

9 EEA/EU . . . . . . . . . . 7

10 Food . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

11 Health and medical ser-vices . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

11.1 Medical check-up andtuberculosis test . . . . 9

11.2 Personal doctor . . . . . 9

11.3 Dental care . . . . . . . 9

11.4 Hospital . . . . . . . . . 9

11.5 Pregnancy . . . . . . . . 10

11.6 Medicines . . . . . . . . 10

12 Holidays . . . . . . . . . . 10

13 Internet . . . . . . . . . . 10

14 Language . . . . . . . . . 10

15 Libraries . . . . . . . . . . 11

16 MinID . . . . . . . . . . . 11

17 National population regis-ter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

17.1 Personal identificationnumber . . . . . . . . . 11

17.2 Tax card . . . . . . . . . 11

17.3 Moving to a new address 11

1

18 Norway and Norwegian . 12

19 NTNU . . . . . . . . . . . 1219.1 Tuition fees . . . . . . . 1219.2 Study programmes . . . 1219.3 Courses . . . . . . . . . 1219.4 Examination . . . . . . 1219.5 Student life . . . . . . . 12

20 Part-time work . . . . . . 12

21 Phone services . . . . . . 13

22 Postal services . . . . . . 13

23 Recycling and waste . . . 13

24 Residence permit . . . . 13

25 Shopping . . . . . . . . . . 14

26 Sightseeing . . . . . . . . 15

27 Sports and recreation . . 16

28 Tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

29 Transportation . . . . . . 18

29.1 Bus . . . . . . . . . . . 18

29.2 Tram . . . . . . . . . . . 18

29.3 Boat . . . . . . . . . . . 18

29.4 Taxi . . . . . . . . . . . 18

29.5 Bicycle . . . . . . . . . . 18

30 Trondheim . . . . . . . . . 18

31 Working hours . . . . . . 18

32 Worship places . . . . . . 18

1 Accommodation

1.1 Student housing

All students who are assigned NTNU student housing must pick up their keysat the Moholt student village (Moholt Studentby) reception. To get there, seeArrival. To stay in the student housing you are required to put a deposit of3000 NOK. The rent is paid monthly.

A student usually stays in a single room in a shared apartment. Each studentshares the kitchen, dining room, and bathroom with three other students.

Every student is entitled to request a change of room or even of studentvillage to SiT Bolig, with a fee of 300 NOK.

1.2 Private apartments

PhD candidates are not eligible to live in NTNU housing. You can look for aprivate apartment in the following websites: finn.no, ibolig.no, hybel.no, andalso in the bulletin board (Oppslagstavla) of NTNU’s Intranet (Innsida). Youshould take note that in August and September the rental market is very hectic.

As a guideline, the rent for a single room (hybel) is from 2000 to 4000NOK per month. Studio apartments (hybelleilighet) cost 3000 to 5000 NOKper month, while couple and family apartments (leilighet) cost 6000 to 10,000NOK per month. The price depends on the number of rooms, plan area, lo-cation, and furnishings, but it is often more dependent on the distance to thecity center than the size of the dwelling. The closer to the center, the moreexpensive it is. In addition most landlords require a deposit of two to threemonths’ rent as security.

If you are interested in renting a particular apartment, you should contactthe landlord to arrange for a viewing (visning) of the apartment. During the

2

Table 1: Commonly used housing-related terms.

Norwegian English

leilighet apartmenthybelleilighet studio flat (with own kitchen and bathroom facilities)hybel single room (with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities)enebolig one-family houserekkehus row houseetasje storeymøblert furnishedumøblert unfurnisheddelvis møblert partly furnishedhvitevarer white goods

(appliances such as refrigerator, stove, and washing machine)husleie rentleiekontrakt tenancy contract

viewing, clarify with the potential landlord any questions you may have regard-ing the apartment. You will usually be asked to leave your name and contactdetails. It is then up to the landlord to decide whom among those who comefor viewing will be his/her tenant. You will be informed of the decision shortlyafter the viewing period. The landlord will then prepare a written contract tobe signed by both parties. You should never enter into a tenancy agreementwithout a written contract. An English version of a standard contract can befound here.

It is useful to know some commonly used Norwegian terms in your searchfor an apartment (see Table 1).

1.3 Electricity

For a private apartment, electricity fee is usually not part of the rent. The fee ispaid to the utility company every three months. Typical monthly consumptionin a two-person household ranges from 500 kWh in summer to 1000 kWh inwinter.

1.4 Housing allowance

Anyone over the age of 18 is entitled to apply for housing allowance (bostotte),with the exception of students without children. The housing allowance systemis a government-financed support scheme to help low-income households withhigh housing expenses. Roughly speaking, it is the ratio between householdincome and housing expenses that decides whether you are entitled to housingallowance. Further information can be obtained here.

2 Banking

2.1 Opening a bank account

To open a bank account you need to bring a document showing your personalidentification number (see National population register), your passport, and

3

Table 2: Basic commands on Norwegian ATM.

Norwegian English

Velkommen sett inn kortet Please insert cardTast inn koden Enter PINVelg beløp Choose amountVelg tjeneste Choose serviceKontanter CashKvittering ja/nei Receipt yes/noKontoutskrift Account printoutTa kortet Please take your cardTa kvittering Please take your receiptTa pengene Please take your money

a passport photograph. You will be offered an international debit card, suchas VISA. You will receive the VISA card and your PIN code separately bypost. Any debit card also serves as an identity card in Norway, as it has yourphotograph, national identity number, and signature printed on it. All banksoffer online banking which allows you to transfer money and pay bills. Onlinebanking is the easiest and cheapest way to transfer money to a foreign bankaccount.

2.2 ATM

Automated teller machine (ATM) is called Minibank in Norway. The keypad isthe international standard with Norwegian names on the three command keys:Klar (Enter), Feil (Clear), and Avbryt (Cancel). The order of interactive on-screen text varies from bank to bank, but almost all include the basic commandslisted in Table 2.

3 Bookstores

There are a number of Tapir bookstores in NTNU campuses. Norli, Ark, andLibris are another popular bookstores.

Second-hand books can be purchased from second-hand book shops, loppe-marked, or Fretex shops.

4 Children

You are entitled to child benefit if your child/children is/are living in Norway.You may want to send your child/children to a preschool (kindergarten), to

a local public school, where the main language of instruction is Norwegian, orto an international school, where the main language of instruction is English.

Public schools.There are two English-language international schools: Birralee, which offers

schooling based on the British National Curriculum, or the Trondheim Inter-national School, which is certified as an International Baccalaureate school forgrades 1-10.

4

5 Climate, clothing, and time

5.1 Climate and weather

Compared to other regions at the same latitude, Norway has a relatively highertemperatures. Temperatures in Trondheim range from 10 to 26◦C in summer,0 to 15◦C in autumn and spring, and -26 to 5◦C in winter.

In Trondheim, the weather may change quite easily throughout the day. Thesky is often cloudy and it rains quite frequently.

Winters are long and usually last from November to April. At certain nightsyou may be able to see the beautiful northern lights.

It is easy to catch a cold during winter. It is recommended to take cod liveroil (tran), which you can buy at local supermarkets, especially during winter.Children as well as adults can protect their faces in cold weather with a fat-content cream when they go outdoors.

An interesting phenomenon in Norway is the seasonal change in the lengthof day and night. In midwinter, daylight lasts for about four hours in centralNorway, including Trondheim. In midsummer, daylight takes over and there isno “real” night during June and July.

For weather forecast, visit yr.no.

5.2 Clothing and footwear

Below are some guidance for dressing for the cold:

1. Match clothing to your activity. The less you move, the more clothing youneed.

2. Stay dry. Water is a good heat conductor, so wet clothing quickly losesits insulating value. You should avoid high cotton content garments forwinter wear as cotton easily retains moisture. Waterproof jacket and shoesare necessary for Trondheim’s wet climate.

3. Layers are best. Air is a good insulator. Several thin layers trap more airthan a single thick layer.

4. Overlap to prevent gap. Be sure that upper and lower body garments arelong enough to overlap at the waist and that socks overlap legs of longunderwear.

5. Wind depresses the effective temperature to -11◦C. So you should dressnot just for temperature, but for wind as well.

6. Most of the heat lost from the clothed body escapes from your head,therefore it is best to wear a hat that covers the ears.

7. Mittens are warmer than gloves. Fingers maintain their warmth betterwhen they are in contact with each other.

A temperature drop after a rain makes pavements and roads icy and slippery.You can gain a secure foothold on ice and snow by fitting your shoes or bootswith crampons (metal studs fixed to a rubber slip-over). These can be purchasedin sports shops and some supermarkets.

5

5.3 Heating

Most houses are installed with electric heaters and some have wood ovens. It ispossible to buy portable heaters if you need more warmth in the house.

5.4 Time

Norway is in the Central European time zone, written GMT+1. The EU practicefor summer time is followed: clocks are advanced one hour at 02.00 on the lastSunday in March, and turned back one hour at 03.00 on the last Sunday inOctober.

Weeks begin on Mondays and end on Sundays. The weeks of the year areconsecutively numbered, from 01 to 52 or 53, with week 01 being the one thatincludes the first Thursday of the year.

6 Currency

The unit of currency in Norway is krone, commonly abbreviated kr or NOK.The krone is divided into 100 øre. Today, five coins (50 øre, 1 kr, 5 kr, 10 kr,and 20 kr) and five bank notes (50 kr, 100 kr, 200 kr, 500 kr, 1000 kr) are incirculation.

7 Departure and arrival

7.1 Pre-departure

1. Do not forget to bring your important documents.

2. Bring some most recent passport photographs.

3. It is recommended that you bring some Norwegian krone.

4. The electricity supply in Norway is 230 V, but appliances up to 240 V willwork. Plugs have two round pins.

5. Because of Trondheim’s coastal climate and weather changes, we suggestthat you bring a waterproof jacket and a pair of waterproof shoes or boots.

6. If you come in winter, it is recommended that you bring long johns andfleece jackets.

7. It is good to bring some practical medications and supplements such ascold relief, multivitamin, eye drop, and antiseptic.

7.2 Air ticket

Most airlines do not fly directly to Trondheim. Moreover, it is often cheaper touse a combination of airlines. Students have been using the following airlinesto fly to Trondheim from their home countries: KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas, SAS,Thai, Malaysian, Qatar, Turkish. You will likely make one or more stops in thesecities: Singapore, Bangkok, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Stockholm, Copenhagen,

6

Figure 1: Flybussen (Source: Wikipedia).

Oslo. Waiting time at the airports can be long. You may want to bring somefood in your hand luggage.

If you are flying with a combination of different airlines, make sure that theflights are connected, so that your luggage is transferred automatically from oneairline to the other.

7.3 Arrival

From Værnes airport, which is situated about 32 km east of Trondheim, youcan take the airport bus (Flybussen) to the city with 90 NOK (see Fig. 1). Itdeparts from the airport every 15 minutes. Keep your airport bus ticket.

To get to Moholt Studentby, alight from the airport bus at Studenter Sam-fundet (distinguished by its circular shape and red colour). At the busstop, waitfor bus number 5 marked “Dragvoll.” Show your airport bus ticket to the busdriver so that you do not have to pay. Normally, the bus fare is 30 NOK perjourney. Alight at Moholt Studentby busstop.

Alternatively, you may take a taxi from the airport, which costs 295 NOKper person.

8 Driving license

Driving licences from countries outside the EEA/EU area may only be used for12 months. If you wish to settle in Norway, you must exchange your drivinglicence for a Norwegian driving licence within 12 months. More information isavailable from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.

9 EEA/EU

EEA is short for European Economic Area, while EU is short for EuropeanUnion. See Fig. 2.

10 Food

Meals at the SiT cafeteria are normally cheaper than those outside campus, butit is still cheaper to cook your own meals.

Some commonly used cookery terms which you may find when buying foodproducts in the supermarket are listed in Table 3.

7

Table 3: Some commonly used cookery terms.

Norwegian English

agurk cucumberappelsin orangeaubergine eggplantbakepulver baking powderbland mixblomkal cauliflowerboller bunsbrød breaddruer grapesfisk fishfar muttonfryse freezegjær yeastgrønnsaker vegetablesgulrot carrothvete wheatkalkun turkeykanel cinnamonkjøttdeig minced meatkinakal Chinese cabbagekokos coconutkokt boiledkremfløte whipped creamkylling chickenlaks Atlantic salmonlam lambløk onionmais cornmandel almondost cheesepølse sausagereinsdyr reindeerreke shrimpris ricerøkt smokedsmør buttersopp mushroomstek fry, bakestorfe beefstrimler stripssvin porktorsk Atlantic cod

8

Figure 2: Relationships between various multinational European organisations(Source: Wikipedia).

It is safe to drink cold water directly from the tap.

11 Health and medical services

11.1 Medical check-up and tuberculosis test

11.2 Personal doctor

Everyone registered as resident in a Norwegian municipality is entitled to a per-sonal doctor (fastlege). You need to apply for the scheme through MinFastlege,using MinID to login. You are entitled to change your personal doctor up totwice a year.

The typical fee for a visit to your personal doctor is 130 NOK.

11.3 Dental care

Dental care for adults over the age of 20 is mainly private, which means youhave to pay for your dental treatment. A normal check without need for specialtreatment typically cost 600 to 800 NOK.

11.4 Hospital

HospitalTo call an ambulance in an emergency, dial 113.

9

11.5 Pregnancy

Pregnant women receive all health services related to the pregnancy free ofcharge. You can find out more about pregnancy in Norway from this booklet.

11.6 Medicines

In Norway, medicines are sold at pharmacies (apotek). Some medicines arefreely available, but most medicines are prescription drugs. A limited selectionof medicines are available in ordinary supermarkets.

12 Holidays

The public holidays during the year are1 January New Year’s DayMarch/April Maundy Thursday (Skjærtorsdag)March/April Good Friday (Langfredag)March/April Easter Sunday (Paskesøndag)March/April Easter Monday (2. Paskedag)1 May Labour Day17 May Constitution DayMay/June Ascension DayMay/June Whit Monday25 December Christmas Day26 December Boxing Day

Shop opening hours are restricted on Sundays and public holidays.

13 Internet

14 Language

In Norway there are three official written languages, i.e. Bokmal, Nynorsk, andSami, and a wide range of spoken dialects. Bokmal is the dominant language.

You have to complete 300 hours of Norwegian language training to obtain apermanent residence permit in Norway. This is to ensure that everyone residingpermanently in Norway has a minimum knowledge of Norwegian language andsociety. However, for temporary positions, for example PhD fellows, postdoc-toral fellows, and researchers, knowledge of Norwegian is generally not required.

Although most Norwegians speak good English, it is useful to know somebasic Norwegian, especially since most written information are in Norwegian.Tips for learning Norwegian include reading the Donald Duck comics or othercomic books as the language in comic books is simple and correct, listeningto or watching children’s programme on the radio and TV as the vocabularyis simple and the actors speak clearly and slowly, watching films with soundin your mother tongue and Norwegian subtitles, or volunteering at a day-carecentre.

Dictionaries accessible from NTNU’s Intranet:OrdnettClue

10

Places where you can learn Norwegian:Learning Norwegian onlineFolkeuniversitetetAOF

15 Libraries

Membership at public librariesBibsys is an online database for all Norwegian university libraries, the Na-

tional Library, and several research libraries.

16 MinID

MinID is a personalised login system for accessing online public services fromthe Norwegian public sector. Everyone registered in the National PopulationRegister over the age of 13 years can create a public ID with MinID. To createyours, visit this link.

17 National population register

17.1 Personal identification number

Once you get your residence permit, you can apply for a personal identificationnumber (fødselsnummer) at the Trondheim Tax Office. You have to fill out thisform. Bring your passport which has been stamped with the residence permitstamp. The 11-digit personal identification number starts with your birthdateand ends in 5 randomly generated digits. This number is needed for practicallyall administration matters, such as opening a bank account and paying taxes.A letter certifying your personal identification number will be sent by post toyour address. You should keep this document even though you remember yourpersonal identification number.

17.2 Tax card

At the Tax Office you also apply for a tax card (skattekort). The card shows howmuch tax your employer must deduct before paying your salary. This appliesfor PhD students, who are considered as employees at NTNU. To apply, bringyour job contract and passport. After you get your tax card, you need to handin a copy of your tax card to the salary section at your department. Your taxcard will usually not be ready before you get your first salary, so according tothe regulations, a 50% tax will automatically be withheld from your first salary.However, once the salary section has received your tax card, it is possible to getthe balance back in your salary for the subsequent month.

17.3 Moving to a new address

You should notify the National population registry (Folkeregisteret) within eightdays after you move to a new address. This can be done online via Altinn. Formore information visit this link.

11

18 Norway and Norwegian

Facts about Norway can be found here.Norwegian society is egalitarian. This is reflected, for instance, in NTNU’s

policy regarding women in academic positions.Norwegians.

19 NTNU

NTNU is Norway’s second largest university. Founded in 1910, it was thenknown as Norwegian Institute of Technology (NTH). It has in total about 20,000students studying in 7 faculties and 53 departments.

NTNU Campuses

19.1 Tuition fees

There are no tuition fees at public higher education institutions in Norway.

19.2 Study programmes

International Master’s ProgrammesErasmus Mundus ProgrammesDoctoral degrees

19.3 Courses

Each academic year at NTNU is divided into two semesters. The autumn (høst)semester starts in August. The spring (var) semester starts in January.

Course registrationStudentweb is an online application for students to administer their curricu-

lum.It’s learning is NTNU’s e-learning system.

19.4 Examination

ScheduleVenue

19.5 Student life

International Student Festival (ISFiT)Studenter SamfundetUKA

20 Part-time work

VacanciesSummer jobs

12

apel

and.

no

Jordkloden har feber. Vi må alle bidra til å redusere energibruk og utslipp. Å pante er en liten, men viktig innsats for en stor sak. Gjenvinning av bokser og flasker er svært miljøvennlig i forhold til å lage ny aluminium eller plast.

Gjør noe lite for noe stort: Send alle bokser og flasker på rep!

Gjør noe lite for noe stort!

Gi oss ditt miljøtips og vinn en elbil!Vet du om små ting som alle kan gjøre for å redusere energibruk eller utslipp? Send tipset på SMS med kodeord PANT til 2002, eller gå inn på pant.no. Da er du med i trekningen av en Buddy elbil!

Pant alt. Alltid.

Figure 3: Refundable deposit labels.

21 Phone services

Mobile communication providers include Chess, Netcom, Telenor, Djuice, etc.If you buy mobile phones in Norway, it is likely that the mobile phone will havea lock-in period of usually 12 months, in which it can be used only with theservices provided by the service provider.

To call overseas, you may use some web-based VoIP. You need to buy creditsand make online payment. Service providers include Skype, Betamax, etc. Be-tamax offers cheaper prices with products such as voipwise, 12voip, cheapvoip,etc. For price comparison, see this link.

22 Postal services

posten.noIf you are moving to a new address, you can apply online for redirection of

your mails free of charge for a period of one month.

23 Recycling and waste

Deposit is added to the price of almost all containers of domestic beer andsoft drinks and is refunded upon return, usually to reverse vending machines(returautomat). Containers with refundable deposit have a small label (seeFig. 3) with the amount of the deposit 1 kr or 2.50 kr.

24 Residence permit

Residence permit can be applied from your home country.New arrivals in Norway need to go to the Norwegian Directorate of Immi-

gration (UDI), which is co-located with the Trondheim Police Station (map) toregister as soon as possible after arrival. If you bring your family with you toNorway, you will all need to go together to get your permits.

The UDI section is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from10.00 to 14.00. You may take a queue number from 08.00 but it is advised tobe at the Police Station even earlier, say at 07.00. On Tuesdays from 09.00 to12.00, the UDI section is open to skilled workers and specialists (PhD fellowsincluded), as well as to their related family. It is not necessary to get thereearlier as no queue number will be distributed.

13

Figure 4: Front view of Trondheim Police Station (Source: politi.no).

Figure 5: Supermarket logos.

Once you get your residence permit, you can register with the national pop-ulation register.

Renewals of residence permit should be done at the Police Station at leastone month before the current permit expires. Use this form. Once submitted,processing times for residence permits vary anywhere from 1 to 4 months. Aletter confirming you have been granted a residence permit will be sent in themail. With the letter, you must go back to the Police Station with your passportand picture to get the permit stamp.

25 Shopping

A number of supermarkets are scattered around Trondheim. There you canbuy bread, meat, fruits, vegetables, rice, dairy produce, soap, detergent, andother household items. The supermarkets are REMA1000, Bunnpris, Coop,ICA, RIMI, and ULTRA. See Fig. 5. REMA1000 and Bunnpris are the mostcommon and have the cheapest items in general. However, the supermarketsoften have offers and discounts for selected items, which vary from week to week.You may want to bring your own shopping bags as the plastic bags from thesupermarkets are not free. Opening hours are displayed in a form that indicatessix business days, typically 9-21 (10-18), which means that the shop is openfrom 9 am to 9 pm Monday to Friday and 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday.

You can get Asian spices and ingredients from Asian stores.

14

At Ravnkloa, you may find fishermen’s boat selling fresh shrimps (reker)and fish.

Supermarkets in Storlien, Sweden offer goods at a lower price compared tothose in Trondheim. They also offer food items with Halal labels. Free busesare available and it takes about two hours from Trondheim to Storlien.

Loppemarked (flea market), which runs at certain weekends in the year, is agood opportunity to find second-hand items, such as furnitures, kitchenwares,electric appliances, clothings, books, sports equipment, and children toys, atextremely low prices. Information about past and future loppemarked can befound here and here.

Another place to find second-hand items is Fretex, which has some shops inTrondheim. It opens on weekdays and has similar items as loppemarked.

Bicycle auction (sykkelauksjon) is held periodically. Visit Falck for the in-formation.

Trondheim has several shopping centres: Trondheim Torg, Solsiden, By-haven, and Mercur, all located in the city centre, as well as others not so faraway from the city centre, such as Valentinlyst centre and KBS centre. CityLade and City Syd are two very large shopping areas at Lade and Tiller, re-spectively.

G-Sport and XXL specialize in sports equipment.Electronics and electrical equipment can be bought from Lefdal, Elkjøp,

Elprice, or Expert.Clas Ohlson offers a wide selection of hardwares, hand tools, and utensils.At IKEA you can buy furnitures, cooking utensils, and other home appli-

ances. A free bus to and from the IKEA store at Leangen IKEA departs fromBritannia Hotel at the city centre every hour from 09.00 to 23.00 on Mondaysto Fridays, and to 20.00 on Saturdays.

Crazy Day (Toilldag) is held on two Saturdays a year, one in March and theother in October. On the day, many stores in Trondheim offer great discounts.

In addition, finn.no has an online marketplace.

26 Sightseeing

The following are some nice places to see in Trondheim:

1. Nidaros Cathedral and the Archbishop’s Palace

Nidaros Cathedral is the worlds most northerly cathedral, and Norwaysnational sanctuary.

2. Bakklandet

Bakklandet is Trondheim’s old quarter, and lies on the eastern side of theNidelva. It is a charming mixture of houses, shops, and cafes.

3. Kristiansten Fortress

4. Munkholmen

Munkholmen is a small island outside Trondheim. It is open from 20 Mayto 3 September. Boats depart daily every hour from Ravnkloa (the fishmarket). The schedule can be found here.

15

5. Bymarka and Estenstadmarka

The city maintains two public parks with extensive trail networks: thelarger, Bymarka (literally, city land) lies to the west, while Estendstad-marka, right next to NTNU’s Dragvoll campus, lies to the east. The twoparks collectively offer 460 km of paths and trails for hiking and walking,of which 160 km are maintained in the winter as groomed cross-countryski trails.

6. Museums

Trøndelag Folk Museum, Sverresborg,Ringve Music Museum,Science Museum,Jewish Museum,National Museum of Justice,Tramway Museum,Trondheim Art Museum,Maritime Museum

7. Science Centre

8. Stiftsgarden (Royal Residence)

9. Gamle Bybru (Old Town Bridge)

10. Trampe Bicycle Lift

11. Tyholt Tower

12. Var Frue Kirke (Church of Our Lady)

13. Lerkendal Stadium

Lerkendal Stadium is the home ground of Rosenborg Ballklub.

14. Pirbadet

This is Norway’s largest indoor swimming baths.

The locations of the above can be found in this interactive map.On 17 May (Constitution Day), you will have the chance to see Norwegians

dressed in their national folk costumes ‘bunad’ and enjoy parades, music, andperformances in the city centre.

27 Sports and recreation

The following are some of the favourite sports and recreation you can do in andaround Trondheim:

1. Football

2. Hiking

16

3. Cycling

Trondheim and its surroundings offer a rich choice of marked paths forwalkers and cyclists. Cycling maps can be obtained from the TouristOffice.

4. Berry picking

Picking wild berries is a popular pastime in the autumn.

5. Fishing

Fishing in salt water is a public right, and it is free. Fishing in rivers andlakes and in fresh water is not free.

6. Ski

7. Snowboarding

8. Ice skating

9. Kayaking

10. Swimming

Pirbadet

11. Badminton

28 Tax

For information on applying for a tax card, see National population register.Every year you need to file a personal tax return (selvangivelse). The pre-

filled form will be sent to your registered address in the spring of the yearfollowing the income year. You are required to check its content and any changesis to be returned to the tax authorities by April 30. You do not need to returnthe form if you agree with its content. As a foreigner, you may be entitled toa 10% tax reduction for your first 2 years in Norway. This should be indicatedwhen you return the form.

Filing of personal tax returns can be done via the online portal Altinn, whichis a common Internet portal for public reporting. You need your MinID to login.

Once the tax office has processed your tax return, you will receive a taxsettlement notice. It contains information about the income on which tax hasbeen calculated, how much tax your employer has deducted and whether youhave paid too much or too little tax. The tax settlement notice arrives in eitherJune or October in the year following the income year.

Further information on the Norwegian tax system and regulations can beobtained from Skatteetaten, as well as these booklets: About tax, tax deductioncards and tax returns and The tax return.

17

29 Transportation

29.1 Bus

A single trip by bus in Trondheim costs 30 NOK for adult and 15 NOK forchildren if you pay by cash. Using klippekort (clip card), 8 trips cost 200 NOK.Klippekort will no longer be in use after 31 October 2010. More details aboutfares can be found here.

t:kort is an electronic travel card. The card is free if you order online fromthis website. Various ticket types are available and are cheaper than paying bycash. With Autoreise, for example, a single trip costs 22.50 NOK. For thosewho travel very frequently, the Periode will be more suitable.

If you need to change buses you can reuse your ticket or ask for a transferticket (overgang) so that you don’t have to pay twice. The transfer is valid for1 hour and can also be used to transfer between the buses and the tram. Youcan also purchase a ticket that is valid for unlimited use in a 24 hour period.

Bus guides are available for free on buses as well as from the Team-Trafikkoffice.

29.2 Tram

29.3 Boat

29.4 Taxi

29.5 Bicycle

30 Trondheim

Trondheim is the third largest city in Norway. It was founded as Nidaros byKing Olav Tryggvason in 997. Situated by the Trondheim fjord, it is surroundedby forested hills, with the River Nidelva winding through the centre of the city.

To find your way around Trondheim, use this map.

31 Working hours

The average working hours in Norway is 37.5 hours per week, with 25 days ofpaid vacation. Most offices start work at 8 am and finish at 4 pm. Almost allpublic and private offices have Saturday off.

32 Worship places

ChurchesMosqueSynagogue

Useful links

1. Study in Norway

18

2. Euraxess Norway

This site is directed to researchers, but it contains much useful informationfor anybody intending to live in Norway.

3. UDI (Norwegian Directorate of Immigration)

4. Official Site of Norway

5. Norway.no

The official gateway to public services and information.

6. New in Norway

7. Office of International Relations

8. Trondheim Kommune

9. Trondheim

10. Team-Trafikk

By typing your questions, you can find out what time the next bus goesfrom one location to another in Trondheim.

11. Travel planner for South-Trøndelag

12. Visit Norway

Norway’s tourism portal.

13. Weather forecast

14. NTNU

15. VIKO

VIKO is an interactive course in information literacy designed for studentsat NTNU.

Important phone numbers

Fire 110Police 112Ambulance 113

Bibliography

Brady, Michael M. 2005. Living and Working in Norway. Oxford: How ToBooks Ltd.

19