Commercial diver Class B

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.

Commercial diver class B (approval of foreign professional qualifications)

About this form

Applications can only be submitted by the professional/individual. Please submit your application with attachments to the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority.

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. To be able to work in this profession temporarily in Norway, you must submit a prior declaration to the competent authority (by applying for temporary recognition). This is because the practice of the profession may have implications for safety and health, and the recognition authorities need to be able to verify that you are qualified to practice the profession before you start working.

Application to become established as a commercial diver:

  • Proof of nationality - Passport or official ID-card.
  • Evidence of formal qualifications documenting that the professional can work as a diver in another EEA country or in Switzerland or Official certified copies of the professional’s certificates of competence as a diver.
  • Confirmation that the professional is legally established in an EEA country or in Switzerland and has not been banned from practising.
  • Official documentation of your training as a diver, including the duration of the training.
  • Documentation of your work experience as a diver.

Required documentation/attachments to applications for temporary provision of services:

  • Proof of nationality - Passport or official ID-card.
  • Evidence of formal qualifications documenting that the professional can work as a diver in another EEA country or in Switzerland or Official certified copies of the professional’s certificates of competence as a diver.
  • Confirmation that the professional is legally established in an EEA country or in Switzerland and has not been banned from practising. 
  • Official documentation of your training as a diver, including the duration of the training.
  • Documentation of your work experience as a diver.

This form should be submitted when applying to perform work under water at depths down to 50 metres inshore in Norway.

Language requirements:

No.

Criteria/conditions for recognition: 

The statutory qualification requirements related to the practice of the profession are stipulated in the Regulations concerning the performance of work, use of work equipment and related technical requirements Chapter 26 on health and safety during work under water or under increased ambient pressure, and the Regulations concerning administrative arrangements Chapter 9 on foreign nationals’ right to use work equipment or perform work under water or under increased ambient pressure.

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:

Establishment:

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 provision of services:

The competent authority shall, within one month of receiving the notification, determine whether you can start working without further scrutiny of your qualifications, or if you need to undergo a compensation measure.

If the competent authority needs more than one month to determine this, you shall be notified of the reason for the delay within one month after the notification was received. In such cases, the competent authority shall make a decision within two months after the reason for the delay has been resolved.

Fees:

The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority 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. 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 Labour Inspection Authority
P.O. Box 4720 Sluppen,
NO-7468 Trondheim

E-mail: post@arbeidstilsynet.no 
Phone: (+47) 73 19 97 00

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