Legal Advisor
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.
About this form
Applications can only be submitted by the professional/individual. Please submit your application with attachments to the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway.
Establishment:
If you wish to establish yourself or work for an extended period in Norway within your profession, you must apply for recognition from the competent recognition authority before you can practice this profession in Norway.
Temporary provision of services:
You can work temporarily in this profession if you are already legally established in an EEA country or Switzerland and can practice the same profession in that country. You do not need to appply for recognition in order to work temporarily in this profession in Norway.
- Confirmation that the Supervisory Council for Legal Practice has been notified of start-up of legal aid practice.
- Confirmation that a general insurance company will furnish security in the amount of at least NOK 5 million.
Language requirements
If the lawyer's command of the Norwegian language is not satisfactory, the person in question must appear jointly with a Norwegian lawyer during litigation, unless the court gives its consent for the advocate to appear by him/herself. In other special instances, the court may stipulate as a condition for accepting that a foreign lawyer may appear as counsel or defence attorney that the lawyer shall appear jointly with a Norwegian lawyer, cf. the Regulations for Advocates Section 10-4 third paragraph.
Criteria/conditions for recognition:
The statutory qualification requirements related to the practice of the profession are stipulated in the Norwegian Courts of Justice Act Section 218 second paragraph 4) and the Regulations for Advocates Chapters 10 Part I.
The statutory requirements for being entitled to recognition of professional qualification from abroad are stipulated in the Act on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications (Professional Qualifications Act) and the Regulation on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications (Professional Qualifications Regulation).
Case processing deadlines:
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.
Fees:
Fee for starting legal aid practice - Notification to the Supervisory Council:
The amount of the annual fee for starting the legal aid practice is NOK 2800 per 2023.
The amount must be paid to account number; 6038.05.54545 before starting the practice as a legal advisor. If the practice starts after 30th of June, only half of the fee/contribution must be paid.
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 Supervisory Council for Legal Practice
P.O. Box 720 Sentrum,
NO-0106 Oslo
E-mail: post@tilsynet.no
Phone: (+47) 22 00 75 00
Visiting address: Rådhusgaten 23, second floor, 0158 Oslo
