User fees for treatment by a psychologist

You can have a proportion of your costs covered for treatment by a psychologist who specialises in clinical psychology. You will normally have to pay a user fee, which will count towards your exemption card for health services.

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Check user fees and find your exemption card

Limit for exemption card for health services

You will receive your exemption card within three weeks after you have paid the maximum limit of NOK 3,165 in approved user fees.

Psychologists, other treatment and service providers are required to report all approved user fees to Helfo at least every 14 days. These user fees will be automatically registered under your name. Find out more about what happens when you have an exemption card or have paid more than the user fee limit.

Check the exemption card and user fees

Log in to find your exemption card, see registered user fees and change your account number.

You must have a referral to a psychologist

You will need a referral from a doctor, psychologist or child welfare officer in order to have your expenses covered. 

Without a referral, you can have the cost of up to three assessment appointments covered.

The psychologist must have an agreement with Helfo and a regional health authority

In order for you to be entitled to benefits from the National Insurance scheme, your psychologist must have: 

  • an agreement with Helfo regarding direct settlement
  • a funding contract with a regional health authority

If you see a psychologist who does not have a funding contract, you will have to pay all the costs yourself. Read more about the conditions for treatment by a psychologist here.

Normal user fees for treatment by a psychologist

You must pay a fixed user fee for each treatment appointment you have with a psychologist. Only approved user fees count towards an exemption card for health services.

The user fee varies depending on how long the consultation lasts. The Regulations laid down pursuant to the National Insurance Act, Section 5-7, list the user fees that have been approved.

 

 
Psychologist User fee
Ordinary user fee (1/2 or 1 hour) NOK 403
Session 1.5 hours NOK 604
Session 2 hours NOK 806
Session 2.5 hours ​NOK 1008
Session 3 hours NOK 1,209
Group therapy, at least 2 hours NOK 403
Group therapy, at least 3 hours NOK 604

Children and young people do not have to pay a user fee for treatment by a psychologist

Children and young people under the age of 18 do not have to pay a user fee for treatment by a psychologist.

If you believe a psychologist has overcharged you for your user fee, you should discuss the matter with the psychologist. You can also bring up the matter with your regional health authority.

Requirement for agreements concerning direct settlement and funding

You must ensure that your psychologist has an agreement regarding direct settlement with Helfo before any assessment or treatment is commenced. 

The psychologist has a duty to inform you as their patient if they do not have an agreement with Helfo regarding direct settlement, so that you know before the treatment starts whether or not you will have to pay the entire bill yourself. This obligation follows from Section 6 of the Health Personnel Act. 

In order to have your expenses covered, your psychologist must also have a funding contract with a regional health authority. You can find out whether a psychologist has such a contract either by asking the psychologist directly or by visiting the regional health authority’s website (see the links further down the page).

Psychologists with a funding contract

Below, you will find links to the websites of each health region, with an overview of psychologists who have a funding contract with a regional health authority (only in Norwegian):

Content provided by Helfo

Helfo. User fees for treatment by a psychologist. [Internet]. Oslo: The Norwegian Directorate of Health; updated Monday, September 2, 2024 [retrieved Thursday, October 24, 2024]. Available from: https://www.helsenorge.no/en/payment-for-health-services/user-fees-for-treatment-by-a-psychologist/

Last updated Monday, September 2, 2024