Teacher in Primary, Lower and Upper Secondary School, and/or First Language Teacher

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.

Find the form at hkdir.no

About this form

Applications can only be submitted by the professional/individual. 

Please submit the application, with attachments, electronically via  hkdir.no
Alternatively you can send the application to the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills.

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.

  • A valid identity document that contains your full name, date of birth and photography. 
  • If applicable, proof of name change, such as marriage certificate. 
  • Your education diploma, transcript and diploma supplement in the original language.
  • Relevant work references in the original language. 
  • Translations of all documents not issued in Norwegian or a Nordic language.  

Please note that NOKUT sometimes need to request additional documentation. 

First Language Teacher

If your qualification is obtained from outside of the EU/EEA or Switzerland, you must also attach the following documents:

Comments:

Work references
You should document all relevant work experience with certificates of employment. This could have a positive effect on the outcome of your application.

Translation 
Documents issued in a different language than English or one of the Nordic languages must be translated into Norwegian or English.  NOKUT requires that you send in your documents in both the original language and translations of the documents into Norwegian or English.  

NOKUT accepts the following: 

  • Translations done by a government authorised translator. You can find authorised translators in Norway through Translatørportalen, website of the Association of Government Authorised Translators in Norway.   
  • Translations done by other professional translators in Norway or abroad, Tolketjenesten, embassies, etc. You can find translators operating in Norway in The Brønnøysund Register Service. 
  • Documents issued in English by the university at which you studied or received your degree. 
  • Are your documents issued in Icelandic and Finnish? If the answer is yes, we recommend that you translate them into Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English. This will ensure faster processing of your application. 

NOKUT does not require that translated documents have an apostille. 

The name of the translator must be apparent on the translation. If the submitted translations are insufficient, NOKUT reserves the right to request new translations. 

NOKUT does not accept translations done by yourself or other private persons. 

Language requirements for teachers

There are no language skills requirements for being recognised as a qualified teacher.

Criteria/conditions for recognition: 

If you acquired your professional qualifications in an EEA country or Switzerland, you may have the right to have your application processed in accordance with the Professional Qualifications Act and Regulations on the approval of professional qualifications. In addition, there are national regulations related to the practice of the profession as stipulated in

the regulations (FOR 2006-06-23 nr 724) with amendments (FOR-2018-02-20-261) based on the Education Act (LOV-1998-07-17-61), Section §14-1, and at least one of the requirements in Sections §14-2, §14-3 or §14-4. In order to be recognised as a First Language Teacher, you must satisfy at least one of the requirements in Section §14--5.

Case processing deadlines:

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 4 months following the submission of your complete application.

Fees:

NOKUT does not charge a fee for processing applications for recognition.

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. In your application is processed in accordance with the Professional Qualifications Act, the right of appeal also applies if the recognition authority has exceeded the case processing deadlines (see Case processing deadlines above).

Competent authority

The Directorate for Higher Education and Skills
P.O. Box 1093
5809 Bergen

E-mail: enic-naric@hkdir.no
Phone: (+47) 21 49 56 29

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