Purchases of medicines in the EU/EEA
You may be entitled to reimbursement of your expenses for purchases of medicines in another EU/EEA country. Go through all the steps in this guide to understand your rights and what you need to do. You will find the claim form in step 4.
Illustration: Morten Rakke / Helfo
Your rights
You may be entitled to reimbursement of your expenses for medicines purchased in another EU/EEA country.
This applies to medicines that give entitlement to reimbursement in Norway in accordance with the blue prescription (blåresept) scheme, or which have been requisitioned on an h-prescription (in Norwegian). This does not apply to medicines bought through an online pharmacy abroad that you get sent to Norway.
To be entitled to reimbursement for your expenses, you must be a member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme. In many cases, the scheme also applies to family members. You are not entitled to an allowance from Norway for treatment in an EU/EEA country you are considered to be ordinarily resident in. Click here for important information about eligibility for this scheme and how residence is assessed.
In order to receive reimbursement from Helfo, you must submit original receipts stating the name of the medicine and the dose you have received. You must also send in a copy of the blue prescription (in Norwegian) or other confirmation from your doctor showing that you met the conditions for reimbursement in accordance with the Blue Prescription Regulation in Norway at the time of the purchase.
See also the information on reimbursement of expenses for medical supplies (in Norwegian) and reimbursement of expenses for fertility drugs.
Example
Kari spends four months abroad every winter. She has a low metabolism and has to take medication every day. Kari therefore has to purchase medicines in the country in which she is staying. She uses a preparation that is pre-approved on a blue prescription in Norway, which was prescribed by her Norwegian doctor. She goes to the pharmacy in the country in which she is staying and collects the medicine there.
No prior notification
Helfo will not provide a provisional assessment of whether you are entitled to reimbursement. You must submit your application afterwards.
What can you be covered for?
You will be reimbursed according to what you would have received in Norway.
As a general rule, you must have a blue prescription or an h-prescription for the medicine in order to receive reimbursement. If you paid more than you would have paid in Norway, you will have to pay the difference yourself. You will not be reimbursed for expenses relating to medicines if no equivalent product is available in Norway.
Find out more about blue prescriptions and h-prescriptions (in Norwegian).
Example
Kari has been issued with a prescription for medicine from a doctor in the country in which she is staying. If this is medicine she would receive in Norway, she may be entitled to reimbursement for her expenses for this product when she applies.
Don’t forget the documentation!
Remember to bring the correct documentation before you submit an application to Helfo.
To apply to Helfo for reimbursement, you will need:
- documentation of the types of medicines purchased
- original receipts for all expenses
- documentation that the expenses have been paid
If the need for treatment arose abroad, you will also need documentation confirming that you would have received the medicine on a blue prescription or h-prescription (h-resept) in Norway.
You must be able to document that the medicines has been dispensed from a pharmacy or other outlet that has permission to sell medicines in the country you are staying in. You must also document that the medicine has been dispensed for personal use.
Example
Kari makes sure she retains the prescription and documentation proving that the medicine has been paid for.
Submit your application to Helfo
Once you have purchased your medicines, you can apply to Helfo for reimbursement. This must be done within six months.
For details about the applicable documentation requirements, see “Don't forget the documentation". The appropriate forms and documentation must be sent to Helfo within six months from the date of each purchase.
Paper form
If you are unable to use our digital form, you can complete the following form instead:
Send this form together with the necessary documentation to Helfo, Postboks 2415, 3104 Tønsberg.
Example
Kari submits a digital form together with all relevant documentation before six months have passed.
Guidance Helsenorge
If you have any questions, please call Guidance Helsenorge: +47 23 32 70 00
Exemption card
Several types of healthcare provide entitlement to an exemption card for healthcare expenses once you have paid user fees up to a certain amount (the user-fee limit).
This also applies if the healthcare is received in another EU/EEA country.
The user fee payable will be calculated during processing of your claim for reimbursement for treatment abroad. This user fee will be entered in the user-fee registry and will form the basis for a healthcare exemption card. If you already hold an exemption card, the user fee will be paid to you together with the reimbursement.
Once you have been issued with an exemption card by Helfo, you will no longer have to pay user fees for healthcare covered by the exemption card scheme. The exemption card is valid in Norway. In other EU/EEA countries you must pay for treatment out of pocket.