Everyone living in Norway is entitled to essential medical and care services. This includes refugees and other immigrants who are lawfully resident in the country. Asylum seekers are entitled to medical care, but adult asylum seekers don't have a right to other care services.
Anyone staying in Norway is also entitled to medical care in an emergency. For instance: in case you are injured and must be admitted to an hospital, if you need an abortion or if you are going into labour. This is also the case if you are a tourist or if you aren't lawfully resident in the country.
All children under the age of 18 have the same rights to health care, but children that aren't legal residents in the country aren't entitled to a general practitioner. All children have the right to medical screenings and vaccination by the public health centres and school health services.
Where can you get help?
- If possible, always contact your general practitioner first.
- If your general practitioner is not available, and it cannot wait, you can call the out-of-hours medical service at 116 117.
- Call 113 if it is urgent and lives are at stake.
Every municipality also have a public health centre and school health services that offer counselling, follow-ups and health care for pregnant women, for parents with children between the ages 0 and 5, and for youth up to the age of 20.
If you attend primary school (in Norwegian: "barneskole"), lower secondary school ("ungdomsskole") or upper secondary schoold ("videregående") you can get help from the school health service. The services from the public health centres and school health service is free of charge.
Contact your general practitioner first
All residents in Norway, including asylum seekers, refugees and people granted family reunification, are entitled to be assigned a general practitioner in the municipality in which they live. To be assigned a general practitioner you need to be registered with a national identity number or a D number.
In most cases, if you need to talk with a doctor, you should first contact your general practitioner. The exception is if it is urgent, and your general practitioner is not available. Then you may contact the out-of-hours medical service. If you havn't been assigned a general practitioner yet it is still possible to make an appointment with a doctor without going to the out-of-hours medical service.
If necessary, your general practitioner can refer you to a specialist, for example a gynaecologists or psychologist. The general pracitioner also prescribes medicines and certifies sick leave for his/her patients.
Public health centres
The maternal and child health centres is a service offered pregnant women, children between the ages 0 and 5, and their parents. The public health centre is staffed with a midwife, public health nurse, doctor and a physical therapist. The public health centre works together with other municipal services and with the local hospital.
The public health centre offers health care to all children staying in Norway free of charge. The service provides medical screenings, offers vaccinations and provides advice and counselling for parents. Your child has a right to medical check-ups in the municipality where you live, or stay temporarily. Children without permanent residency in Norway have the same rights.
In some municipalities, the public health centre provides prenatal care and midwife services.
Most municipalities also have youth health centres, where youth up to the age of 20 can get advice and help from a public health nurse, doctor or psychologist on topics like:
- Body and sexuality
- Mental health
- Contraception and abortion
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Violence and abuse, etc.
Many municipalities have extended the services provided by youth health centre to include adolescents up to the age of 23.
Contact the municipal health and care services or look up the webpage of the municipality to get more information about midwives and public health centres in the municipality where you stay.
Cost of health care
Adults living in Norway must pay a fee for the services provided by the out-of-hours medical service, your general practitioner, or a psychologist, up to a certain amount. After your expenses have surpassed this amount, you will be entitled to an exemption card ("frikort"), and don't need to pay any further fees. You don't pay if you are admitted to a hospital. Children younger than 16 do not pay any fees.
If you are a tourist, or if you have been given a Final Denial of your asylum claim, you must as a main rule pay for health care from a doctor and for treatment at a hospital. This is also the case if you give birth.
In case of an emergency you don't pay before after you have received treatment.
If you are unable to pay, your expenses will be covered by the municipality health service or by the hospital.
You have the right to an interpreter
The health professionals must provide an interpreter speaking your language if it's difficult for you to express yourself in Norwegian, and you therefore need to use your own language. It is the responsibility of the health professional to assess whether you need an interpreter. The service is free of charge.
It is important to note that:
- The interpreter is bound by the duty of confidentiality.
- The interpreter should only interpret exactly what is said.
- Questions should be addressed to the health professional, not the interpreter.
