Purchasing fertility drugs in the EU/EEA

You can claim reimbursement for your expenses for fertility drugs once you have paid the user fee of NOK 20,176 (2024). This also applies when the drugs are purchased 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 3.

Pills

1

Your rights

You are entitled to claim reimbursement for your expenses for drugs used in assisted reproductive treatment/infertility treatment up to the amount you would have been entitled to claim in Norway. Please note that you must pay the same user fee as in Norway.

Find out more about what you will need in order to claim reimbursement for your expenses for drugs purchased in Norway on the page about involuntary childlessness and infertility treatment

You must be a woman who is married, cohabiting in a marriage-like relationship or single. You will only be considered to be single if you do not live with any other adults.

You, and your partner if you have one, must fulfil the conditions for the treatment of childlessness set out in the Biotechnology Act (in Norwegian). It is the person who undergoes the drug treatment who is considered to be the applicant and therefore entitled to reimbursement for their expenses. However, the claim form and the personal declaration (see step 2) must be signed by both the applicant and any partner.

In order to have your expenses for fertility drugs reimbursed, you and your partner (if you have one) must fulfil a number of conditions. You must

  • fulfil the conditions set out in the Biotechnology Act (in Norwegian) for infertility
  • receive infertility treatment which is not in breach of the Biotechnology Act
  • use drugs which are marketed in Norway or contain the same active ingredient as drugs covered by a marketing authorisation in Norway
  • have a prescription for the drugs

In order to claim your treatment expenses, you must be a member of the Norwegian National Insurance scheme.

If you are considered to be resident in another EU/EEA country, you will not be entitled to receive support from Helfo for treatment in the country in which you are considered to be resident. Click here for important information about when you are considered to be resident in another country and who may be entitled to use the scheme.

In total, you can claim for drugs for up to three treatment cycles per child, either in Norway or abroad.

If you are also going to receive infertility treatment in another EU/EEA country, separate rules apply to the reimbursement of expenses for the infertility treatment itself. Find out more about infertility treatment in another EU/EEA country here.

Gro and Magnus are married and want to have infertility treatment. They have a prescription for the necessary drugs and have decided to purchase them while they are on holiday in Denmark.

2

Don’t forget the documentation!

It is important that you have all the necessary documentation.

To apply for reimbursement of your expenses, you will need the following documentation: 

  • copy of a prescription or other documentation showing that the drugs were purchased on prescription
  • receipt or other documentation showing that the expense has been paid
  • copy of the packaging stating the active ingredient
  • original itemised invoice with the name of the drug, the number of packs and the price

Helfo may also need additional documentation. It may therefore be a good idea to bring a copy of your medical records or discharge summary if the drugs were used in connection with treatment carried out abroad.

Have you had assisted fertilisation carried out abroad?

Then you must also enclose

  • a childcare certificate of conduct (police certificate of conduct)
  • the following form completed and signed by the treating physician:

Gro and Magnus make sure they obtain a medical certificate from the treating physician.

3

Submit your application

Once you, and your partner if you have one, exceed the user fee of NOK 20,176 (2024), you can apply to Helfo for reimbursement. You do this by submitting all your receipts within six months from the date on which you exceed the user fee.

Log in to Helfo's digital form and apply for a refund of expenses (only in Norwegian)

 

To claim reimbursement for any further expenses after this, you must submit your claim within six months after each individual drug purchase.

For details about the applicable documentation requirements, see "Don't forget the documentation". 

Paper form

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

Send this along with a signed

and other documentation to: Helfo, Postboks 2415, 3104 Tønsberg.

Gro and Magnus purchases drugs at a cost of more than NOK 20,176. They submit a claim with the necessary documentation using the digital form. They know that they must submit a claim within six months after each purchase date.

Guidance Helsenorge

If you have any questions, please call Guidance Helsenorge: +47 23 32 70 00

Content provided by Helfo

Helfo. Purchasing fertility drugs in the EU/EEA. [Internet]. Oslo: The Norwegian Directorate of Health; updated Monday, January 1, 2024 [retrieved Friday, December 6, 2024]. Available from: https://www.helsenorge.no/en/treatment-abroad/purchasing-fertility-drugs-in-the-eueea/

Last updated Monday, January 1, 2024