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.
Confirmation of healthcare entitlements
In many cases, the documentation from Helfo confirming your health care entitlements outside of Norway will be approved by the institution, and you will be exempt from having to take out health insurance through them. However, approval is discretionary on the part of the institution. At certain institutions, you may be required to take out separate health insurance.
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:
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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).
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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 us a digital form:
If you need a confirmation of entitlement to healthcare services both for you and dependent family members, or if you for other reasons are unable to use our digital form, you can complete the following form instead:
Send the form together with the necessary documentation to Helfo, Postboks 2415, 3104 Tønsberg.
Do you have dependent family members?
Benefits from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund (Lånekassen) are intended to support one person. As a student with a loan from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund, you are therefore considered to be the provider for your own children, but not your spouse.
Spouses and own children who, pursuant to the Norwegian National Insurance Act, do not have independent rights to benefits for health care services abroad, can apply to NAV for voluntary membership in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme. With voluntary membership in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme, family members also receive the right to coverage of expenses for healthcare services abroad.
A spouse is considered to be
- a person who has entered into marriage pursuant to the Norwegian Marriage Act or has entered into marriage abroad that is recognised in Norway
- a cohabitant where the cohabiting couple have or have had joint children, or were previously married to one another (children refers to people under the age of 18)
If the stay is intended to be for less than one year and the accompanying spouse is not working, the spouse shall retain membership in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme and will be considered a tourist. This means that the accompanying spouse is not entitled to coverage of expenses for health care services in the country of study and has to take out private insurance. The spouse is still entitled to health care services in Norway.
If you work
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.
Student in the USA and Quebec
If you intend to study in the USA or Quebec in Canada, there are a few things you should be aware of.
Example
The cohabiting couple, Anders and Annette, are each studying for their bachelor's 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.
