Lawyer
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 tilsynet.noAbout this form
The application can be submitted to the Supervisory Council for Legal Practice by the professional practitioner or by the employer.
If the applicant has earned their professional qualification in a country outside of the EEA or Switzerland, the application for authorization must be submitted by a principal/employer in Norway.
Please submit your application with attachments to The Supervisory Council for Legal Practice at post@tilsynet.no.
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.
Common requirements for working as a lawyer in Norway:
- Confirmation that a general insurance company furnishes security in the amount of NOK 5 million to compensate for losses.
- Receipt for fees paid to the Supervisory Council for Legal Practice and the Disciplinary Committee.
- Declaration from an authorised/registered accountant confirming that he/she accepts the assignment as auditor for your lawyer practice. Note: In-house lawyers working for an employer may apply for an exemption from these rules.
- Your law firm must be registered in Norway.
Additional documentation that needs to be submitted with the application:
- Recognition as a Lawyer in Norway when you hold a professional title from another EEA country or Switzerland:
- Confirmation of completed aptitude test from the Faculty of Law at University of Oslo (UIO). Alternatively, a confirmation that the professional has worked as a registered EU/EEA lawyer for at least 3 years in Norway and during this period has worked mainly with Norwegian law.
- Registration as an EEA lawyer in Norway.
Confirmation from the responsible authority in the home country (usually the responsible association for lawyers) that the applican holds a permit to practice law and that there are no ongoing sanctions regarding the professional.
Comments
- All copies submitted must be certified by a lawyer, court of law or a court-like body. Any documentation that was not issued in English, Danish or Swedish must be translated by a government authorised translator.
- If you hold a professional title from an EEA country, you can register as an EEA lawyer in Norway, but you have to use your title from your home country. You are not entitled to use the Norwegian title Advokat.
Language requirements:
No.
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 220 and the Regulations for Advocates Chapters 9 and 10.
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 to the Supervisory Council for Legal Practice and the Disciplinary Committee: 4,200 NOK
Aptitude test: 12 000 NOK
When a notification of the commencement of activities is received by the Supervisory Council, the professional will receive information about what needs to be arranged before the activities can start. A payment slip for fees to the Supervisory Council and the Disciplinary Committee will be sent out at the same time.
The applicant will be registered as a practicing lawyer once the payment has been registered, requirements for security has been met, and it has been clarified whether the lawyer should be subject to auditing requirements or if an application for exemption from the auditing requirement has been received and accepted by the Supervisory Council.
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
