Videregående in Norway: Admissions (VIGO), Your Rights, and the Absence Limit (Fraværsgrensen)

Upper secondary education (videregående) is where teenagers’ options expand—but also where bureaucratic rules can quietly derail them. Two areas matter most: admissions and attendance/absence.

Admissions: VIGO and deadlines

• Applications for upper secondary school are typically submitted via VIGO.
• The standard deadline is often 1 March, with earlier deadlines for some groups (often 1 February).
• If the pupil has the right to upper secondary education, they have the right to admission to one of three programmes they applied for at Vg1.

Rights: who has the “right to place”?

Udir explains the right to upper secondary education and how to check whether a young person has that right. This matters for families who move, for newcomers, and for youth who have taken breaks.

The absence limit (fraværsgrensen) — the silent grade killer

In upper secondary, if a pupil’s absence in a subject exceeds the absence limit, the pupil may not receive a standpunkt grade in that subject unless the absence is handled according to the rules. The rules are set in regulation (opplæringsforskriften), and Udir publishes a detailed circular on how the absence limit works.

Parent survival checklist (teen years)

1. Confirm VIGO login and deadlines early (don’t wait until March).
2. Keep medical/health documentation where relevant.
3. Teach your teenager: report absence correctly and on time.
4. If your child is struggling (health, stress, conflict), ask the school what support exists and get answers in writing.

Sources & further reading

• Udir: Admissions and placement (Inntak og formidling)
• Udir: Can I get upper secondary education? (VIGO guidance)
• Udir: Circular on the absence limit (fraværsgrensen)
• Lovdata: Regulation on absence and grades (opplæringsforskriften § 9-7)

Do Better Norge note: Teen education is where paperwork becomes destiny. Admissions and absence rules don’t care about chaos at home. If your family is under stress, build routines and documentation early—before the system turns problems into permanent “lost years.”