Norway is one of the top destinations for international students and ex-pats. The amazing nature, strong economy and infrastructure, and very high quality of health services attract so many people from around the world to this country in Europe.
What is the procedure you have to follow?
This is the procedure you have to follow to become a nurse in Norway.
Norwegian language fluency.
The first step you need to pass to become a nurse in Norway is to get a Norwegian language proficiency certificate. English is common, and people speak it to some levels, but you need Norwegian to become a nurse.
If you want to study for a nursing degree in Norway, the courses are in Norwegian. Only some MAs and Ph. D courses are in English. Remember that the universe might require English language fluency as well. This is because you need to study some texts in English, and it’s common in Norway.
Find a nursing degree in a Norwegian university.
After you fulfill the language fluency and spend enough time for it to meet the requirements, you need to find a nursing course in Norway. There are some universities that offer it, and you need to find them out.
- Molde University College Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Care
- University of Agder
- Oslo Metropolitan University Department of Nursing and Health Promotion
- University of Oslo Institute of Health and Society
- Ostfold University College.
- Diakonova University College
Visit the university’s website and determine the exact list of requirements. You need to learn and fulfill all of them. This is a sample of the requirements;
- Norwegian language fluency certificate.
- English language fluency certificate.
- Cover letter or motivation letter, or SOP.
- Latest educational degree.
- Transcripts.
- Translation of documents.
- Application fee (if required).
- hemistry 1 & 2, Physics 1, and Mathematics R1/S1 + S2.
- Etc.
You need to find out the exact requirements from the university’s website. The above list is just a sample. Also, you need to find out the language requiems level and fulfill it. Apply to the university and wait for the result. If they agree and grant admission, they send you an admission letter. Now you can apply for a Norway student visa.
Norway student visa.
If you are an EU national, you do not need a student visa to study in Norway. But if you are a non-EU national, you need a student visa to study for a nursing degree. The duration of a nursing degree is 3 years, and you need a visa for this long duration.
You need to gather the list of supporting documents and submit them to the Norwegian officials. This is a list of the documents you have to gather;
No 1. Application fee.
No 2. Your Admission letter.
No 3. Proof of having enough funds to cover your expenses.
No 4. Receipt of paid tuition or proof of having funds for your tuition.
No 5. Proof of accommodation.
No 6. Ties or proof of returning to your home country.
No 7. Residence permit.
No 9. The printed checklist of the required documents.
The above list is a sample of the documents, and you might have to submit further documents by your nationality. The checklist will tell you the full list of documents.
You need to complete an application form on the UDI website. You need to create an account and submit the scanned form of documents. Then you need to submit your documents and biometrics to a Norwegian embassy or consulate.
You can visit the Visa Library page on Norway’s student visa or watch the video we have prepared on our YouTube channel to learn more about the student visa procedure.
After you get your student visa, you can move to Norway and begin your studies. You have to complete them and get your degree. You need to follow the procedures to get your license.
Pass the national licensure exam.
After you get your degree, you need to take a license from the Norwegian Registration Authority for Health Personnel. You need to gather the documents and submit them to the Norwegian Registration Authority. You can find out how to do it in the following section.
Get a work permit as a nurse.
You do not need a work permit to work in Norway if you are an EU national. You can work, but you need to inform the officials. But, if you are a non-EU national, you need a work permit and a work visa to work in Norway. As you are already in Norway, you just need to apply for a work permit.
You, as a nurse, need an employer to apply for a work permit. The Norwegian employer you want to work for can apply for a work permit as well. But you need an employer, so you have to find an employer who needs your skills as a nurse. It’s easy, and you already know where to look for a job. Hospitals and clinics are the companies that need you. So you should reach them and find a job.
After you find the job, you and the employer have to sign an employment contract. It must state every aspect or terms of your employment;
1, Duration of employment,
2, your salary
3, Perks and bonuses
4, working hours
& everything else.
You, as the nurse or the employer, can start the application on the UDI website. Someone must complete the UDI’s employment offer form and submit the supporting documents.
If you are outside of Norway at the time of application and your study permit is not valid, you need a work visa to enter Norway. You can learn more about Norway’s work visa and work permit application process from the Visa Library article. You can also watch the video we have prepared on our YouTube channel.
How can foreign nurses work in Norway?
If you get a nursing degree from outside of Norway, you can still work in Norway as a nurse. But you need to send your documents and degree from recognition to the Norwegian Directorate of Health. The procedure is different for EU and non-Eu nationals. Follow this section to know you can get your degree recognized.
You got your nursing degree in EU/EEA.
If you are an EU/EEA national and got your degree from one of these countries, you need to follow this procedure to get your degree recognized in Norway.
First, you need to visit the Norwegian Directorate of Health website. You need to pick from the options that you got your degree from an EU/EEA country. Then you need to choose your profession, which is nursing, from the various options. After that, you will enter another page that contains the list of supporting documents you have t gather and the application form to complete.
This is a list of the documents you have to gather;Â
- Your educational diploma.
- Transcript/Diploma Supplement
- The confirmation or proof that your education is equivalent to the least requirements by the EU directive. Its name is often Certificate of Conformity.
- Confirmation of your professional status. The other name is Certificate of current professional status (CCPS) or Certificate of good standing.
All of your documents must be in PDF format. In case the original document is a colored document, your scanned copy must be colored as well. If the original document has a few pages, you need to scan them into one PDF file. All of the scanned files must be in the correct order. Also, if your documents are not in Swedish, Danish, or English, you must have them translated into one of these languages by a verified translation office.
There is a platform called Altinn, and you need to apply through it. You can find the link on the Norwegian Directorate of Health website.
There is also a fee that you need to pay.
The processing time is about 3 months, and the Norwegian officials will inform you of the result. If they recognize your degree, you can work as a nurse in Norway.
You got your degree in a non-EU/EEA country.
You need to submit these documents to the Norwegian Directorate of Health:
- Diploma.
- Transcript.
- Your curriculum shows the specific subject content.
- Confirmation of the completed licensing exam.
- Approval shows that you have the right to practice as a nurse.
- Certificate showing relevant work experience after graduating.
You might have to submit further documents. The Norwegian Directorate of Health website will tell you if you have to submit further documents.
All of your documents must be in PDF format. In case the original document is a colored document, your scanned copy must be colored as well. If the original document has a few pages, you need to scan them into one PDF file. All of the scanned files must be in the correct order. Also, if your documents are not in Swedish, Danish, or English, you must have them translated into one of these languages by a verified translation office.
You need to gather the scanned form of documents and apply through the Altinn platform. There is a NOK 3.500 fee that you have to pay online as well.
The processing time is about 11 months. It’s long and tedious, and Norwegian officials might ask for further supporting documents.
The Norwegian Directorate of Health will process your application and decide whether you can work as a nurse in Norway or not. If they agree and recognize your documents, you can begin looking for a job as a nurse.
Find a job as a nurse.
After the Norwegian Directorate of Health recognizes your degree, you need to find a job in Norway as a nurse. You have to find a job as you need an employer who needs your skills to apply for a work permit. Every non-EU national who wants to work in Norway needs a work permit, and you need one employer to apply for it.
There are various ways to find a job in Norway. The first one is the websites that advertise job positions in the country. This is a list of them:Â
- Arbeidsplassen.nav.no
- Ec.europa.eu
- Gulesider
- Finn.no
- Gulesider (a private recruitment agency)
- Indeed Norway
- Tinkerlist
- Jobs in Oslo
- The Local
- Finn Jobs
- Jobbnorge
- Adecco
- Career Builder
- Jobbsafari
- Career Builder
- AngelList
- CV Jobs Norway
- Jobisland
- Manpower
- Learn4Good
- Dittarbeid.
- Jobbforalle
- Nav.no
You can also search the hospitals or clinics in Norway and send your resume. Also, you can visit Norway and visit the hospitals to find a job. If you are not among the visa-waived countries, you can apply for a Norway tourist visa to enter the country and look for a job.
After you find a job, you need to sign an employment contract with a Norwegian employer or hospital. It must cover all the terms and conditions of your employment;Â
- Duration of employment.
- Salary.
- The beginning date.
- Location.
- Duties & responsibilities.
- Confidentiality.
- Bonus and rewards.
- Investment opportunities.
- Etc.
Then you need to apply for a work permit. You, as a nurse, or the employer, can do it. You have to complete the UDI’s employment offer form, complete the application form, gather the supporting documents, and submit them on the UDI website. There are other steps you have to follow as well, and they depend on your conditions. You can learn more about Norway’s work permits and a work visa from the Visa Library article or watch the related video on our YouTube channel. The links are provided in the above section.
Is it difficult to study for a nursing degree in Norway?
The beginning or entering a Norwegian university is the hardest part. They are strict over the language and other requirements, and it can be hard to fulfill them. One example is that the University of Oslo only takes 220 applicants every year. Also, the University of Bergen only takes 185 students per year. So the competition is highly tough, and you will have to compete with the best of the best.
You see that Norwegian universities take a small number of students. So you’d better work hard and improve your conditions. But you should know that these universities want to expand the number of applicants. So if you are in the preparation stage, you still have a chance. Hard work always pays off.
How can I become a nurse in Norway as a foreigner?
There are two ways to do it. The first way is to study for a nursing degree in Norway. You need to fulfill the admission requirements and get admission from a university that offers a nursing course. Then you need to get a student visa and complete the procedure to become a nurse.
The second way is that you get your degree from a foreign country and not Norway. In this case, you will have to send your documents to the Norwegian officials for recognition. If they recognize your degree and approve that you can work as a nurse in Norway, you need to find a job and apply for a work permit and a work visa.
The two ways are explained in the above section.
How long does it take to become a nurse in Norway?
It’s up to the way you pick to immigrate and work in Norway as a nurse. First, if you want to study for a nursing degree in Norway, it takes you 3 years; then, you need to pass the tests and get the license. Finding a job and applying for a work permit is up to your conditions and hard work.
If you get your degree in a foreign country, you need to apply for recognition. You will have to send your documents and degree to the Norwegian officials. The processing time is about 3 months for EU/EEA nationals and 11 months for non-EU nationals. But it might take longer.
Nurses’ salaries in Norway.
Your salary as a nurse in Norway is up to various factors. Different sources have mentioned different figures for your salary.
According to Salary Explorer, the average salary is about 459,000 NOK per year, while the lowest salary is about 211,000 NOK, and the highest salary is about 729,000 NOK.
According to Glassdoor, the average salary is about NOK 537,660 per year.
Let’s sum up…
You learned how to immigrate and work in Norway as a nurse through this page of the Visa Library. You learned about the requirements and the procedure you have to follow. As you read, there are two ways to do it; one is to study for a nursing degree in Norway, and the second one is to get your degree abroad and apply for recognition in Norway.
If you have questions regarding the procedure, write them in the comment section. The Visa Library team will answer them.
Frequently asked questions about immigration to Norway as a nurse.
How long does it take to become a nurse in Norway?
Studying takes 3 years, recognition for EU nationals takes 3 months, and for non-EU nationals, 11 months.
Can I become a nurse in Norway if I have studied abroad?
Yes, but you need to pass the recognition.
Does Norway need nurses?
Yes, Norway lacks skilled nurses, and they welcome foreign nurses, but you need to pass the recognition process.