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 approval. If you do not already have a Norwegian national ID-number, you will need to register a user account for the Altinn services. Please access the registration procedure here.

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About this form

Applications can only be submitted by the professional/individual.

Please submit the application electronically via the service Application for authorisation and license as a healthcare professional.

  • Copy of ID (e.g. passport).
  • Register for Health Personnel (HPR) number (seven digits) / applicants who do not hold Norwegian authorisation, must apply for authorisation before applying for specialist approval.
  • If relevant, documentation of change of name.
  • Evidence of specialist qualifications from another country (country of education and any other countries that have approved the speciality) It must be enclosed in the original language with a Norwegian or English translation enclosed.
  • Certificate of Current Professional Status/Certificate of Good Standing from the country where the applicants worked for the past three month may be enclosed. If not enclosed, it will be obtained in connection with the case processing.

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.

Language requirements:

No.

Criteria/conditions for recognition: 

The statutory requirements for being entitled to authorisation are stipulated in the Regulations relating to specialist approval, Section 7a, and Norwegian Health Personnel Act Section 48 a.

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:

Everyone who applies for specialist approval must pay a fee. The amount differs depending on the type of application.

Conversion of dental practitioner specialist approval: NOK 3,000.

The fee is paid via Altinn when your 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

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