Patient travel for foreign citizens
As a foreign citizen, you may be entitled to reimbursement for your travel expenses while you are in Norway.
Primarily, you should arrange your own travel and apply for compensation of travel expenses afterwards. You may apply for compensation of travel expenses electronically or via the paper-based travel expenses form.
The paper-based travel expenses form is available for download from Helsenorge or can be obtained from your treatment center.
The completed form should be submitted to:
Pasientreiser HF
Postboks 2533 Kjørbekk
3702 Skien
Closest centre
You may choose where you wish to be treated, but travels to treatment centers within your primary health service (for example, your general practitioner) will ordinarily only be compensated up to the value of travel to the nearest location where the health service can be provided. Generally, the rule is that the nearest location of your general practitioner should be within your municipality of residence.
For travels to specialist treatment (for example, hospital), the nearest location is considered to be within your health region.
For travels of this kind, you will pay the ordinary user fee for the journey, unless you have an exemption card ("frikort") or the treatment you are attending is exempt.
If you have received treatment outside of your health region and have used your right to free choice of treatment, you may be compensated for your travel expenses but with a higher user fee.
Standard rate per kilometer
Patient travels will usually be covered by a standard rate per kilometer instead of being compensated at a rate equal to the cheapest form of public transport available on the route you are travelling.
If the journey is longer than 300 kilometers each way, you will be compensated equal to the expense of the cheapest available mode of public transport for the journey in question.
The travel must be longer than ten kilometers in each direction. If you could have travelled with public transportation for a minimum fare within one travel zone, you are not entitled for compensation.
Please note that you may still apply for compensation of travel expenses that do not fulfill these requirements if you are able to provide documentation from your treatment center stating that it was necessary for you to use your car or a taxi due to health reasons.
Air travel
If you need to travel by air as part of your journey, your local patient travel office should book this on your behalf. The patient travel office can be contacted by phone on 915 05 515.
If you choose to pay for the travel yourself, you will be compensated at the standard rate per kilometer for journeys of less than 300 kilometers. For travels of more than 300 kilometers, you will be compensated for the cost equal to the cheapest form of public transportation instead of a standard rate per kilometer.
Adapted transport
If it is not possible for you to use public transport to and from your treatment center, your medical practitioner or local patient travel office may requisition adapted transportation on your behalf.
Travelling by requisitioned transportation means that the patient travel office organizes your travel on your behalf, and chooses the type of transportation that is most appropriate. You will only pay a user fee for the journey.
There must either be health- or traffic-related reasons for why you cannot use public transportation for all or parts of your travel. If there are health reasons for why you cannot use public transport, you must contact your medical practitioner. If there are traffic-related reasons for why you cannot use public transport, such as no available public transport for the route you are traveling, you must contact the local patient travel office by phone on 915 05 515.
Reduced documentation requirements
As a patient, you do not have to provide confirmation of attendance from your treatment center to apply for compensation of travel expenses. This information will instead be obtained from available records. Please note that if you, as a guardian, apply for compensation of travel expenses for a child aged 12 to 18 years old, confirmation of attendance must be provided. This is due to the child's right to privacy.
If you have been a travel companion to a patient and are applying for compensation of your travel expenses, you must also provide confirmation of attendance that shows that the patient has attended their treatment and that they required a companion.
Reimbursement of additional expenses
You may get compensation for travels with taxi or additional expenses related to the use of a car (for example, car ferry, parking, tolls or winter tires) if you have documentation that this is necessary and provide receipts along with your application.
Your medical practitioner must confirm that you need to use a private car or taxi for health reasons. If there are traffic-related reasons for why you need to use a private car or taxi as part of your journey, the patient travel office must confirm this.
If you are unable to document that a private car is necessary, you will generally be compensated at a standard rate per kilometer.
Ferry
You will also be compensated a standard rate per kilometer if you have travelled by car ferry for parts of your journey. However, if you do not take your car on the ferry, you will be compensated for a passenger ticket instead of the standard rate per kilometer for the distance travelled by ferry. A receipt for the ticket must be provided with the application.
Travel companions
Companions are entitled to compensation of travel expenses if the medical practitioner documents that a travel companion is necessary because of health reasons. If the patient and travel companion have travelled by car, only one standard rate per kilometer will be compensated.
If the patient and travel companion have used public transport, the travel companion and patient may both be compensated at the standard rate. A receipt or ticket must be provided with the application.
When children under the age of 18 are accompanied by a companion, the requirement for a companion does not need to be documented. Primarily, the travel expenses of one companion will be compensated, but if the child is hospitalized then both parents may have their travel expenses compensated regardless of whether they accompany the child as a companion. Both parents may also be compensated for their travel expenses if they accompany a seriously ill child to and from treatment.
Further information
If you have any questions or require further information in relation to patient travel, please contact your local patient travel office by phone on 915 05 515.