Driving instructor
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 vegvesen.noAbout this form
Applications can only be submitted by the professional/individual.
The application can be handed in at one of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration's Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office or sent by mail.
Should I apply for recognition by establishment or temporary provision of services?
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 serious implications for safety and health of the recipient of the service, and the recognition authorities need to be able to verify that you are qualified to practice the profession before you start working.
Documentation requirements for establishment and temporary provision of services:
- Application form with information about what the applicant hopes to achieve by applying.
- Certified copy of evidence of formal qualifications issued by the competent authority of another EEA-member state or Switzerland.
- If relevant, documentation of professional experience.
Comments:
Note that the application process takes place in two steps, first the applicant´s professional qualifications are assessed, and the decisions are made related to this assessment. Then, by a positive decision, approval is applied in order to practice the profession. In order to be approved to practice the profession you have to fulfil the following among other things:
- have held a driving license for the category in which instruction is to be given for at least three consecutive years,
- meet the health requirements stipulated for acquiring a driving license for category D and
- have a certificate of good conduct.
See information in the application form. This information will also appear in the decision.
The Norwegian Public Road Administration may demand further documentation and translation of documents if necessary.
Language requirements:
No. Language proficiency in Norwegian is not a requirement for approval of the professional qualification itself, but however teaching staff must have sufficient/enough Norwegian knowledge to be able to perform their profession satisfactory and properly. The employer must ensure that the language skills are adequate. Compensating measures is conducted in Norwegian and decisions are made in Norwegian.
Criteria/conditions for recognition:
The statutory qualification requirements related to the practice of the profession are stipulated in the Regulations relating to vehicle repair shops and Regulations relating to periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers, the Regulations related to the recognition of professional qualifications and Norwegian regulations concerning driver training and driving tests etc. chapter 6, cf. the Road Traffic Act Section 27.
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.
If the competent authority has not processed the application within these deadlines, you may practice the profession.
Fees:
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration requires a fee of NOK 2 150 for the processing of an application for recognition of professional qualifications from another EEA state, The fee must be paid even if you receive a negative decision. Furthermore, a fee is required for those undergoing adaptation period. The fee for conductiong an adaptiation period for a driver instructor is NOK 6 440 and for a driver training manager NOK 4 290. The fee must be paid before the start of the adaptation period and is paid by invoice.
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 Public Roads Administration,
P.O.Box 1010 Nordre Ål
2605 LILLEHAMMER
E-mail: firmapost@vegvesen.no
Phone: +47 22 07 30 00
