If you have a foreign education or professional qualification and wish to practice your profession in Norway, you generally need approval or authorisation. You will find information about documentation requirements, the application process and regulations here. The competent authority will assess whether you meet the requirements to practice the profession and use the professional title in Norway. If you intend to establish in Norway and work permanently in your chosen profession, the rules below apply to you. However, if you wish to work in Norway for shorter periods of time within your chosen profession, the rules for temporary provision of services apply.
Please submit the application electronically via the service Application form for specialist with specialist approval from abroad. If you do not already have a Norwegian national ID-number, please contact the Norwegian Directorate of Health for alternative log in.
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Applications can only be submitted electronically by the professional/individual through the Altinn application form for specialist with specialist approval from abroad. You need a Norwegian authorization as a doctor and you need a Norwegian ID or D-number. Please contact the Norwegian Directorate of Health if you do not have a Norwegian ID. You can find the contact information for the competent authority on the bottom of this page.
Establishment:
If you wish to establish or work for an extended period in Norway within your profession, you must apply for approval/authorization from the responsible competent authority before practicing this profession in Norway.
Temporary/occasional provision of service:
You can work temporarily in this profession if you are already legally established in an EEA country or Switzerland and are allowed to practice the same profession in that country. To work temporarily in this profession in Norway, you must submit a prior notification to the competent authority
Documentation requirements for application upon establishment:
- Register for Health Personnel (HPR) number (seven digits) / applicants who do not hold Norwegian authorisation, must apply for authorisation before applying for specialist approval.
- Evidence of specialist qualifications from another country (country of education and any other countries that have approved the specialty). A coloured scanned copy of the original qualification document must be uploaded in the original language, accompanied by a Norwegian or English certified translation.
- Certificate of Current Professional Status/Certificate of Good Standing from the country where the applicants worked for the past three months may be enclosed. If not enclosed, this will be obtained in connection with the case processing. Please provide information about the country you worked for the last three months prior to the application.
- If relevant, documentation of change of name.
Documentation requirements for temporary provision of services:
You must provide evidence of:
- Identity and nationality.
- Proof that you are legally established in another EEA state or in Switzerland for the purpose of exercising the profession in question and that you are not prohibited from practicing the profession, not even temporarily.
- Professional qualifications.
- Proof that you have practiced the profession for at least one of the last ten years, if the profession is not regulated by law in the country in which the service provider has established its business.
Comments
- All original documents and diplomas not issued in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English must be translated by a state authorised translator.
- Original translations must be scanned in colour and uploaded as a PDF file.
- Original documents sent by post will not be returned.
- If your specialist approval has already been converted to and from another EU/EEA country, you must inform about this in the application.
- If you apply with a personal ID number or D number, you do not have to submit a copy of your ID or HPR number.
- You need a Norwegian authorization as a doctor and you need a Norwegian ID or D-number. Please contact the Norwegian Directorate of Health if you do not have a Norwegian ID. The contact information is available at the bottom of this page.
Language requirements:
No.
Criteria/conditions for recognition:
The statutory requirements for being entitled to authorisation are stipulated in the Norwegian Health Personnel Act, Section 48 a.
Case processing deadlines:
- Establishment:
The competent authority must acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 month of receipt and inform you of any missing documents.
The competent authority shall take a justified decision no later than 3 months following the submission of your complete application. The competent authority must acknowledge receipt of your application within one month of receiving it and inform you of any missing or incomplete documentation.
Following the submission of a complete application, the competent authority should complete processing your application within three months.
- Temporary/occasional provision of service:
You can practice your profession any time after you have notified the competent authority and provided the necessary documents.
Fees:
Everyone who applies for specialist approval must pay a fee. The amount differs depending on the type of application.
Specialist registration EU/EEA (doctor) : NOK 5000.
The fee is paid via Altinn when you register your application for specialist approval.
Right of appeal:
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the decision, you may appeal in writing, pursuant to Chapter VI of the Public Administration Act. If your application is processed in accordance with the Professional Qualifications Act, the right of appeal also applies if the competent authority has exceeded the case processing deadlines (see Case processing deadlines above).
Competent authority
The Norwegian Directorate of Health
P. O. Box 220, Skøyen,
0213 Oslo
E-mail: godkjenning@helsedir.no
Phone: (+47) 21 52 97 00
