Nursing in Norway: How to Get Authorisation If You Trained Outside the EU/EEA (2026 Guide)

Part of our Nursing Councils of the World series. Last checked: November 2026.

Norway recruits nurses from abroad, but if you trained outside the EU/EEA the route to authorisation is long. The Norwegian Directorate of Health currently quotes a processing time of 23 months, and that is before the extra requirements begin. Knowing the steps now lets you use the waiting time well.

Imagine waiting almost two years for a decision, then learning you still need B2 Norwegian, a national course and a practical test, with three years to finish them all. Starting Norwegian lessons on the day you apply changes the whole timeline.

Who can apply as a general nurse

The Norwegian general nurse education is a bachelor’s degree. If your nursing education is at a lower level, the Directorate suggests applying as a health care worker (helsefagarbeider) instead.

Step 1: Apply to the Directorate of Health

You apply online in Altinn and pay the NOK 1,665 processing fee when you register the application. Attach a scan of your passport or European ID card; the name on the form must match it, in the same order.

• Always required: your diploma or degree certificate and your transcript of records.
• Sometimes required: a programme description or curriculum, proof that you passed a national licensing exam (if your country has one), your professional licence or registration, reading lists and course syllabuses, and employment certificates (not employment contracts).
• Format: scan the originals as PDF, in colour if they are in colour. Photographs of documents are not accepted.
• Translations: documents not in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English need an authorised translation, in the same file as the original.

Some schools must send your transcript directly. This applies if you studied in Afghanistan, the DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Hong Kong, Yemen, Cameroon, Liberia, Libya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Taiwan or the United States. Applicants from Pakistan need DataFlow verification, and applicants from China need a CSSD verification report.

How long it takes

The Directorate gives a processing time of 23 months, longer if your application is incomplete. Processing time depends on the country where you completed your foundational education. If you have practised with full professional rights in an EEA country for at least three years, the Directorate says processing takes about three months; you must say so on the form and provide proof.

Step 2: The additional requirements

Requirement	What it involves
Norwegian language (B2)	Pass “Test i norsk – høyere nivå” or the HK-direktoratet Norwegian test with B2 in all parts. Older Bergenstest passes still count. Equal skills in Swedish or Danish are accepted.
National course (Kurs i nasjonale fag)	Norwegian health services, health legislation and society. Held every spring and autumn.
Safe handling of medicines	Drug regulations, handling of medicines and medication calculation. Held together with the national course.
Proficiency test	A practical and oral test run by the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), in spring and autumn. You may be exempt if you have full rights in another Nordic country.

You must complete all the additional requirements within three years, with three attempts at each course or test. If you need more time, the Directorate publishes criteria for extending the deadline.

But is Norway worth such a long wait?

It depends on your plans. The decision alone takes about two years, and then you have up to three years for the requirements, so this route suits nurses who are serious about building a life in Norway. B2 Norwegian is the step that takes most nurses longest, and it is the one you can start today. Nurses who already have three years of full practice rights in an EEA country get a decision far faster.

Sources: Norwegian Directorate of Health (Helsedirektoratet), “Apply for authorisation as a General Nurse (sykepleier) – educated outside the EU/EEA” and “Language requirements and course requirements”, checked November 2026. Fees and processing times change, so check before you apply.