Involuntary childlessness and assisted reproduction

You can claim reimbursement for your expenses on medicines for infertility treatment once you have paid the user fee of NOK 20,176 (2024). You will need to provide a statement from a doctor indicating the type of treatment you are receiving.

Reimbursement of expences for infertility treatment and PDG treatment

To be entitled to reimbursement from Helfo on medicine expenses for assisted infertility treatment, you must meet the requirements for treatment of involuntary childlessness in the Norwegian Act relating to the application of biotechnology in medicine (in Norwegian). This scheme applies to both women and men.

Under the Norwegian National Insurance Act (§ 5-22) (in Norwegian) you may be entitled to the following types of assisted reproductive treatment:

  • fertilisation outside the body (IVF treatment or ICSI treatment)
  • insemination (AIH/AID)
  • hormone stimulation, where fertilisation occurs naturally and involving no medical intervention
  • PGD procedure (Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis: genetic testing of the embryo before insertion into the uterus)

If you have been referred to a specialist and have been offered infertility treatment, you can have up to three attempts (cycles) per child covered.

Information on changes in the Norwegian Act relating to the application of biotechnology in medicine

From 1 January 2021, egg donation was allowed. From 1 July 2020, assisted conception for single women living alone was allowed. 

You can read more about these changes in the Biotechnology Act(only in Norwegian.)

What is a 'cycle' and a 'birth'?

Your entitlement to free drugs for IVF treatment and ICSI treatment is limited to three cycles (or 'attempts') per child. The retrieval of eggs and reintroduction of fertilised eggs in the woman's uterus is defined as one cycle.

If more eggs are fertilised and frozen after egg retrieval, the insertion of stored fertilised eggs is not treated as a new cycle. When a pregnancy has lasted for 26 weeks, delivery of the baby is defined as a birth.

If stored eggs from previous retrievals are used for sibling cycles, this will not be treated as a complete cycle. You will still have to pay a new user fee if you start a new treatment cycle after giving birth.

If a woman or a couple wants to have more children, Helfo can subsidise drugs for three new cycles (sibling cycle). This applies both after a birth resulting from successful treatment within the first three cycles; after a subsequent self-financed cycle; and following unassisted fertilisation.

In the case of a change of partner, Helfo can grant reimbursement for three new cycles.

If the couple consists of two women, you can share the three cycles between you. Helfo only grants reimbursement to one woman if both women receive fertility treatment at the same time.

From July 1, 2020, reimbursement may be given to a single woman living alone.

Since 1 January 2021, it has been permissible to use donor eggs in the treatment.

Doctor's statement for each cycle

For each attempt (including FET cycles and discontinued cycles), you must obtain a medical statement from your treatment provider:

You must send in the physician statement to support your claim for reimbursement of your expenses on fertility drugs.

Purchasing fertility drugs

You must either use drugs marketed in Norway or drugs containing the same active ingredient as equivalent drugs marketed in Norway.

If there are special reasons for you to be treated with drugs not marketed in Norway, your treatment provider must make the claim on your behalf. Special reasons are when

  • marketed drugs have been tried but not had the desired effect
  • marketed drugs have had unwanted side effects

Six-month time limit for infertility treatment claims

  • Once you have reached the user fee of NOK 20,176 (2024), you must send the statement from your doctor and original itemised receipts for all your purchases of medicines to Helfo.
  • You must also enclose receipts for medicines which you purchased before reaching the user fee.
  • Once the user fee has been reached, the receipts must be sent within six months of each purchase date. This applies even if you have not obtained a doctor's statement. You must forward the doctor’s statement as soon as possible.

Example:

Kari is taking hormone preparations in connection with infertility treatment. She has kept all her receipts for the medicines she has purchased. In June, she reaches the user fee. She can now apply to Helfo for reimbursement for the amount which exceeds the user fee. Kari uploads all receipts and the doctor’s statement as attachments. She then applies using the digital form (Altinn).

Infertility treatment abroad

Information about reimbursement of expenses on infertility treatment within the EU/EEA

Information about expenses on fertility drugs within the EU/EEA (in Norwegian)

Information about reimbursement of expenses on infertility treatment outside the EU/EEA (in Norwegian)

Submitting your application to Helfo

As soon as you reach the maximum user-fee payable (NOK 20,176 in 2024), you can send in your claim for reimbursement of expenses to Helfo.

You must enclose itemised receipts (or pharmacy lists) as proof of your expenses. These must state

  • name of patient
  • name of drug
  • price of drug
  • purchase date
  • name of prescribing physician

You must also enclose a physician statement with your claim. In the case of treatment abroad, a personal declaration, a police certificate of conduct (childcare certificate of conduct) and a doctor’s statement must also be attached.

To be eligible for reimbursement of your expenses on assisted reproductive treatment/infertility treatment, you must send us the receipts within the time limit. Read about the time limits in the chapter «Six-month time limit for infertility treatment claims» (see above). 

You will find useful information about submitting digital forms here(only in Norwegian.)

Paper form

If you are unable to use our digital form, you can complete the following form instead:

If you received the treatment abroad but purchased the medicines in Norway, you must also complete a personal declaration: 

When the treatment is provided abroad, a childcare certificate of conduct (police certificate of conduct) must also be attached with your personal declaration.

Send your application and any personal declaration together with the doctor’s declaration and original itemised receipts to Helfo, Postboks 2415, 3104 Tønsberg.

Claim processing time

If Helfo requires more than one month to process your claim, Helfo must notify you of this.

The claims processing time at Helfo is up to eight weeks.

Information about infertility treatment

​If you have any questions, please call Guidance Helsenorge at telephone number +47 23 32 70 00.

Content provided by Helfo

Helfo. Involuntary childlessness and assisted reproduction. [Internet]. Oslo: The Norwegian Directorate of Health; updated Wednesday, March 6, 2024 [retrieved Thursday, December 5, 2024]. Available from: https://www.helsenorge.no/en/refusjon-og-stotteordninger/involuntary-childlessness-and-assisted-reproduction/

Last updated Wednesday, March 6, 2024