Check user fees and find your exemption card
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.
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, young people and HIV patients do not pay a user fee at psychologist
Some groups do not have to pay user fees for assessments and treatment by their psychologist. This applies for
- children and young people up to the calendar year they turn 26 years
- patients with HIV (infection)
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):
- South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority (in Norwegian)
- Western Norway Regional Health Authority (in Norwegian)
- Central Norway Regional Health Authority (in Norwegian)
- Northern Norway Regional Health Authority (in Norwegian)
Psychologist in EU/EEA
You can get/have psychology treatment covered in the EU/EEA area, according to Norwegian rules. You pay for the treatment, and apply for reimbursement afterwards (This page is only in Norwegian).
Illustration: Morten Rakke / Helfo