Foreign Nurses in Norway: Authorisation Steps for Nurses Trained Outside the EU/EEA

Nursing is one of the occupations Norwegian employers say is hard to fill. But a nurse cannot simply start work with a foreign diploma. In Norway the title and the right to practise come from an authorisation granted by the Norwegian Directorate of Health (Helsedirektoratet), and the steps depend on where you studied, not on your passport.

Where you studied matters more than your citizenship

Helsedirektoratet decides the route by the country of your education. As we read the pages, a nurse of any citizenship who trained in India falls under the additional requirements, and a nurse of any citizenship who trained in Germany falls in the EU/EEA education group. Citizenship matters separately, for the question of whether you need a residence permit. That is a decision for UDI, not for Helsedirektoratet. For EU/EEA citizens, UDI says no residence permit is needed to work in Norway; see our guide on looking for work in Norway without a job offer.

The additional requirements for nurses educated outside the EU/EEA

According to Helsedirektoratet's page on additional requirements, general nurses educated outside the EU/EEA must complete the following:

• Language: an approved Norwegian test at CEFR level B2. Helsedirektoratet accepts the Norwegian language test from HK-dir with B2 on all subtests, and past passes of the older "Test i norsk, høyere nivå" (formerly the Bergen test). Certain Norwegian school and university qualifications are accepted as alternatives. Partial combinations of test results are not accepted, and there is no exemption from the language requirement. It must be completed first.
• Course in national subjects: a course on Norwegian health services, health and social security law and cultural understanding. Helsedirektoratet names Folkeuniversitetet as the only approved provider.
• Safe handling of medicine: a course required for nurses, pharmacists, medical practitioners and dentists.
• Proficiency test: a practical and oral test for general nurses, medical practitioners and dentists. A nurse with full rights to practise independently in another Nordic country may apply for exemption from the test; the Directorate decides.

You have three attempts at each course and, if needed, the proficiency test. The requirements must be completed within three years of your education being judged equivalent, and the applicant pays the costs. Work experience alone does not give an exemption from the additional requirements, according to Helsedirektoratet. The page on additional requirements was last updated on 12 December 2025.

The application itself

The nurse page says you apply in Altinn, pay the fee when you register and attach a diploma and transcript, plus other documents in some cases. A scanned passport or European ID card is required. For some countries the educational institution must send the transcript directly to the Directorate, and Pakistan and China have special verification routes, so check the page for your country. The fee table shows NOK 1,665 for applicants educated outside the EU/EEA.

On processing time, Helsedirektoratet's table states 3 months for EU/EEA-educated applicants. For applicants educated outside the EU/EEA, Helsedirektoratet states 23 months, and says this also applies to applications already received (page updated 7 October 2026). The nurse page says the time is 3 months if you have worked with full professional rights in an EEA country for at least three years. Times run from when the application is received and are extended if documents are missing. If you are refused, you have three weeks to appeal, and Helsedirektoratet states that appeals for cases from outside the EU/EEA take around 12 months.

Authorisation and the residence permit are two separate things

UDI's skilled worker page gives health personnel as an example of an occupation that needs authorisation from the Directorate of Health before the permit conditions can be met. A non-EU/EEA nurse generally needs both: a concrete job offer for a job that requires skilled qualifications, and the authorisation that goes with the profession. See our skilled worker permit guide. The pages we read do not say in which order the two should be done, so check with UDI and Helsedirektoratet for your case. Language also matters in practice; our guide on working in Norway without speaking Norwegian explains why health care is one of the sectors where it cannot be avoided.

Shortage does not replace authorisation

Our guide to jobs in demand in Norway explains how employers' recruitment difficulties differ from your legal and professional eligibility. A shortage does not shorten the authorisation process and does not remove the requirements above. Do not trust anyone who promises quick authorisation or a guaranteed job for a fee; see Never Pay for a Job.

Key takeaways

• The route depends on the country where you studied, not on your citizenship.
• Nurses educated outside the EU/EEA must pass a B2 Norwegian test, two courses and a proficiency test before authorisation.
• The requirements must be completed within three years, with three attempts per course or test, and at your own cost.
• Helsedirektoratet states a processing time of 23 months for applicants educated outside the EU/EEA, so plan for a long wait.
• Authorisation from Helsedirektoratet is separate from a residence permit from UDI.
• Labour shortages in health care do not change these requirements.

Sources

• General nurse educated outside the EU/EEA (Helsedirektoratet): application steps, documents, fee. First published 19 January 2024, last professional update 2 March 2023 as shown on the page; read 21 October 2026.
• Additional requirements for applicants educated outside the EU/EEA (Helsedirektoratet): language, courses, proficiency test, attempts, deadline. Last updated 12 December 2025; read 21 October 2026.
• Language requirements and course requirements (Helsedirektoratet): accepted B2 tests and alternatives. No date shown; read 21 October 2026.
• Fees, processing times, decisions and appeals (Helsedirektoratet): fees, processing times, appeals. Last updated 7 October 2026; read 21 and 22 October 2026.
• Skilled workers (UDI): authorisation for health personnel, job offer requirement. No update date shown; read 21 October 2026.

Related guides: Work and residence permits: an overview · Does work experience count as skilled?