Students outside the EU/EEA
When you are a full-time student outside of the EU/EEA, you might be entitled to reimbursement for expenses for healthcare services.

Illustration: Morten Rakke / Helfo
When you are a full-time student outside of the EU/EEA, you might be entitled to reimbursement for expenses for healthcare services.
Illustration: Morten Rakke / Helfo
When you are a full-time student at a college or university outside of the EU/EEA and are a member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme, you are entitled to reimbursement for expenses for health care services.
To ensure you are a member, read more about this at NAV's website (in Norwegian).
You are not considered a full-time student if you intend to study for the examen philosophicum or examen facultatum overseas and take the exam in Norway, or if you intend to study at a Norwegian educational institution via the Internet. Therefore, the same rules that apply for tourists also apply for you.
If you are a Norwegian citizen and receive support from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund (Lånekassen) to study abroad, you will automatically receive a document/letter from Helfo confirming your healthcare entitlements outside of Norway. The document will be sent to your address that is registered in the Norwegian National Registry. It takes approximately 15 working days from when the support is approved until you receive confirmation. During certain periods it may take somewhat longer before you receive confirmation.
If you are not a Norwegian citizen or do not receive support from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund and intend to study abroad for more than one year, you have to apply for voluntary membership in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme to be entitled to coverage of expenses for healthcare services. Read more about this at NAV's website.
If you do not receive support from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund and intend to study abroad for less than one year, and if you receive support from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund without having a Norwegian citizenship, you have to send the following information to Helfo:
Name and date of birth
Nationality
Study documentation issued by the educational institution. The documentation must clearly state that you are undertaking organised studies abroad, the period of time in which you study/will study at the educational institution and the scope of the studies (full-time/number of hours per week).
If you are an exchange student: written confirmation from the university/school in Norway that the planned period of study abroad will be undertaken in connection with studies in Norway.
Do this by sending the form
to Helfo, Postboks 2415, 3104 Tønsberg.
Spouses and cohabitants with joint children may be entitled to voluntary membership in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme. It is NAV Social Insurance and Contributions that decides this. With voluntary membership in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme, family members also receive the right to coverage of expenses for healthcare services abroad. If you have one or more dependent children, the children will have the same rights as yourself in the country in which you are studying.
Read more about being a student outside the EU/EEA and having your family with you under «Frequently asked questions for students outside the EU/EEA».
If you do any form of work while studying abroad, it might affect your membership in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme, and thereby in your right to subsidisation for healthcare expenses from Helfo. You should contact NAV Social Insurance and Contributions to find out if you keep your membership in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme.
If you intend to study in the USA or Quebec in Canada, there are a few things you should be aware of. Read more about this under «Frequently asked questions for students outside the EU/EEA».
The cohabiting couple, Anders and Annette, are each studying for their bachelor degrees in Australia. Both are full-time students and members of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme. They have their nine year old daughter Sara with them who has the same rights as her parents. Neither Anders nor Annette work while they are studying. They therefore retain their membership in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme.
If you require healthcare services during your period of study, you have to pay for the treatment yourself and then afterwards apply to Helfo for reimbursement.
Your rights apply regardless of whether you choose to use the public or private healthcare system.
In the USA, Helfo has an agreement with the insurance broker Optum (previously known as Equian). Read more about what this involves here.
Illustration: Morten Rakke / Helfo
Anders and Annette's daughter develops appendicitis while they are staying in Australia. They see a doctor and Sara is sent to a hospital. Anders and Annette pay for all consultations and treatments.
The majority of people who study outside of the EEA are entitled to extended subsidisation.
This entails that healthcare expenses are covered according to the same rates as in Norway. Expenses for necessary hospital stays and hospital treatment are fully covered.
Read about what extended subsidisation cover during residence abroad.
Coverage is provided for 75% of necessary expenses for:
In connection with their daughter's hospital stay, Anders and Annette have incurred expenses for medical assistance and the hospital treatment. Coverage is provided for 75 percent of the expenses for medical assistance and the hospital expenses are covered in full.
When the treatment is completed, you have to take home with you:
All documentation must be in Norwegian, Danish, Swedish or English. You should therefore try to get the documentation issued in one of these languages. If the original documents are in another language, Helfo may, if necessary, ask you to have them translated. You must pay for the translation yourself. If you enclose a translation, you must also enclose the original.
Anders and Annette make sure that they look after the documentation of the examinations and treatments carried out, as well as the discharge report, original receipts and documentation that the expenses have been paid. These must be sent to Helfo together with the application for reimbursement.
If you have any questions, please call Veiledning helsenorge.no (user service): +47 23 32 70 00
Travel expenses are reimbursable under the same rules that apply in Norway.
As in Norway, the main rule is that your travel expenses are reimbursed at a standard rate per kilometre regardless of which means of transport you use. You must travel to the geographically closest location at which the health service can be provided.
If appropriate healthcare is not available where you are staying, this must be confirmed by a doctor at that location in order for travel and accommodation expenses connected with your treatment to be reimbursed. The confirmation must include information on the medical necessity of travelling to another town or another country, and the location of the nearest available appropriate healthcare.
If a companion is necessary for medical or treatment-related reasons, this person's travel expenses will also be reimbursable.
Children under the age of 18 have the right to have a travel companion with them when they are to receive treatment. The travel companion receives coverage for his/her travel expenses when travelling to and from the place of treatment. Other travel while the child is in hospital is not covered.
In order to be reimbursed, the journey must be longer than ten kilometres each way and cost more than the local minimum fare by scheduled public transport. You will have to pay a user fee per journey.
If you are applying for reimbursement of travel costs, use the same form as for claiming your healthcare expenses. The form is available at step 6.
Anders and Annette rent an apartment on the outskirts of Melbourne. Their daughter Sara has received treatment at a private hospital in the centre of the city. This is the nearest place she can receive appropriate healthcare. They enter the travel expenses for Sara and a companion in the digital form that they use for claiming reimbursement for Sara's treatment. Sara's and the companion's travel expenses to the hospital are reimbursed.
When the examination and/or treatment have/has been concluded, you have to fill out the application form and send it together with documentation to Helfo.
Use this form:
This must be done within six months from each treatment date. For details regarding documentation requirements, see under «Remember documentation».
Separate rules apply for students and exemption cards. Read more about this here.
The application must be sent to: Helfo, Postboks 2415, 3104 Tønsberg.
Anders and Annette fill out the application form and send this together with all relevant documentation to Helfo within six months of the treatment date.
Send the application to: Helfo, Postboks 2415, 3104 Tønsberg, Norway
If you have any questions, please call Veiledning helsenorge.no (user service): +47 23 32 70 00
Section 5-24 of the Norwegian National Insurance Act (in Norwegian)