• Apply for a sabbatical leave
• Learn about sabbatical funding
• Apply for economic support during your sabattical leave

Deadline: The application deadline is 2 May for sabbatical leaves starting the following academic year.

Keep in mind: There are many steps in the overall process that take time, such as obtaining a visa or getting approval from NAV for social security coverage for your spouse/partner and/or family. Therefore, familiarize yourself with the guide for preparations before a research stay abroad.

Checklist - make certain you have:

• Applied for a visa well in advance, particularly for the USA
• A passport or ID card (in Norwegian)
• Applied to NAV to remain a member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme
• Made all the arrangments necessary for insurance coverage
• Obtained a European Health Insurance Card if your sabbatical is in an EEA country
• Checked to see if your trip requires vaccines before you leave
• Housing and sabbatical abroad
• Rented out your housing here (if applicable)
• Created a list of important contacts if there is a problem while abroad
• Checked that your credit card will work abroad
• Notified the Norwegian Population Register that you are going abroad
• Reported your move of workplace to your faculty
• Notified your HR contact of your stay abroad (This is essential for getting your tax settlement in order).
• Registered a travel requests and advances
• Reserved your tickets from travel agent Berg-Hansen (in Norwegian) | More about travel

With respect to NTNU, you should have:

• An agreement with NTNU as to what you will accomplish during your sabbatical
• Arranged for a substitute for any teaching or advising responsibilities you might have
• Applied for travel advance if you need it

You should familiarize yourself with the regulations that govern taxes during a sabbatical abroad

• Find out about tax agreements that Norway might have negotiated with other countries
• Arrange for your tax deduction card for the period during which you will be abroad
• Note that the tax regulations may be different if you are staying abroad for two calendar years
• Remember that your research grant is in general considered taxable
• Check your wage and tax summaries from NTNU

Family-related issues

• Your spouse or partner's career
• Schools for your children

In an emergency: Useful contacts, links and advice

Documentation: Save all your receipts to be able to deduct expenses from your sabbatical. You may register expenses during your stay in the Self-service portal or DFØ-app.

Holiday leave: How to register a holiday request in the Self-service portal | Log in to the Self-service portal | More about holiday leave

Leave of absence while during your sabbatical: Request a leave of absence during your sabbatical

Illness: Useful information in case you fall ill during your sabbatical leave

Before your return you have to

• Send a form certifying your return to the Norwegian Population Register
• Talk to your supervisor regarding your planned return and tasks that you will need to take up when you return
• Apply for a new tax card, if needed

Follow-up work

• Academic report and financial settlement after your sabbatical
• You must update your tax card if you have changed this before departure. This applies in particular to those who have received reduced tax in connection with a research stay in the USA.
• If you have reported moving to the National Population Register you must report moving back to Norway.
• Write about your experiences to share with other NTNU colleague

Don't start your planning too late: Many of the steps you need to go through can take much more time than you might expect -- it can take a full year for all the paperwork to clear before you are finally able to go on sabbatical leave. If you are leaving for longer than 3 months, there is a whole other world of paper chasing that you will have to undergo.

Don't wait too long to clarify your advisory responsibilities with your PhD candidates: Whether you pass these responsibilities on, or choose to pursue them while you are abroad, it is important that you have a firm agreement as to how you will handle your PhD candidates before you leave on sabbatical.

Unnecessary tax deductions: If you don't submit the right documentation in a timely manner, your grant may be taxed, even if it shouldn't be. Don't make this mistake.

Failing to take advantage of NTNU's travel agreements: Using NTNU's agreed-upon companies and travel agencies gives you extra benefits when you are on the road, both in terms of security and extra insurance coverage. For this reason, you shouldn't necessarily just choose the cheapest means of travel, but should weigh the benefits of using NTNU's vendors.

Failing to use your NTNU credit card: If you pay most of your travel expenses by Eurocard you will get better travel insurance -- take advantage of it.

Child benefit: You may not be paid your family allowance/child benefit in certain countries - particularly if you go to the USA. You shouldn't forget to factor this into your budgeting.