FAQ

All persons registered in the National Registry as living in Norway have the right to a General Practitioner/family doctor. Note that persons who have D-numbers are not entitled to a GP.

You will automatically be allocated a GP after registration in the national registry. Helse Norge provides details of your entitlements as a patient.

Norway has a public health service.  All persons registered as resident in the country are entitled to essential medical support through the public health service. A deductible amount is paid for some consultations up to an amount set by the government. After this all treatment is free for the remaining year.

Private health facilities are also available. They offer a full range of medical services that are paid for via an agreement or for individual visits.

Depending on the degree of your illness there are three options:

• For general health enquires you should contact your General Practitioner
• For acute medical attention you should attend the emergency ward. All municipalities in Norway offer emergency medical assistance that is available 24 hours a day.
• For life threatening situation you should call the emergency medical service who will send an ambulance.

Dental treatment is provided free of charge to children up to 18 years (not including braces), the elderly, chronically ill patients, and patients with mental illness in and outside of institutions. They receive treatment via the Public Dental Health Service.

Dental care for all other adults is private and fees are charged for treatment.

If you require specialist treatment you should first contact your GP. After a consultation, your GP will refer you to the relevant specialist for treatment.

If you have a preferred specialist, you can request that your GP refers you to him/her.

If you are from a country outside the EU/EEA and wish to work in Norway, you need a residence permit. If you do not already have a residence permit, you must apply for a residence permit for work.

If you are an EU/EEA citizen who is going to work and live in Norway for more than three months, you must register with the UDI - The Directorate of Immigration.

Nordic citizens do not need a work permit or UDI registration.

The UDI provides detailed information on their web pages.

It depends on the type of permit you have applied for. Currently the waiting time for residence permit as a skilled worker is about 3 months.

Very special circumstances are required for a case to be moved to the front of the queue. In general, only life-threatening, acute illness or death within the close family are accepted as reasons.

In general, only spouses/cohabitants and children can apply for family immigration. It is very difficult for other types of family members to be granted family immigration. You can only be granted family immigration if the UDI believes that strong humanitarian considerations apply in your case.

The ID-number is the permanent identity number for residents living in Norway. This number is also called personal number “fødselsnummer” (birth number) or social security number. The number consists of 11 digits and starts with your date of birth. For security reasons: learn the number by heart and do not share it in emails etc.

The D-number is a preliminary identity number for stays up to 6 months.

If you earn more than NOK 60000/year, you must have a tax deduction card.

It is only possible to apply for the tax card after coming to Norway. If you have (or waiting to receive) your ID number, you must apply for the tax card online.

If not, you must book an appointment at the tax office to order the tax card. Processing time: 1-2 weeks.