Apply for authorisation as a Psychologist (psykolog) – educated outside the EU/EEA

Important information before you apply

In Norway, psychologist is a regulated healthcare profession. Authorised psychologists are qualified to assess, diagnose and treat patients with mental health difficulties and mental disorders. Psychologists may practise independently in clinical settings and work across all parts of the health and care services.

To obtain authorisation as a psychologist in Norway based on qualifications from an EU/EEA country, you must be qualified, or have the legal right, to practise a corresponding professional role in the country where you completed your education.

This normally means that your qualification must provide access to independent clinical practice as a psychologist, including responsibility for the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Qualifications that primarily prepare graduates for counselling, educational work, research or other non-clinical psychological practice will not normally be considered equivalent to Norwegian psychologist authorisation.

Before applying for authorisation, we recommend that you read:

• Frequently asked questions – psychologists
• Healthcare qualifications obtained abroad – tips before choosing a programme of study.

The Norwegian Directorate of Health cannot provide advance approval of qualifications obtained abroad. We can only assess whether a qualification provides a basis for authorisation once the programme has been completed and the relevant documentation has been submitted.

Before you apply

For applicants educated outside the EU/EEA, additional requirements must be completed before authorisation can be granted. It is important that you familiarise yourself with the requirements and associated costs before applying for authorisation.

Have previously received a decision requiring you to complete additional requirements, but were unable to do so within the deadline, you can read more about what you have to do here.

Extension of deadline for additional requirements

Have you received a decision requiring you to complete additional requirements within three years?

Read more about the criteria for obtaining an extension and how to apply here: Extension of deadline for completing additional requirements.

You must attach these documents when you apply:

1. Diploma / Degree Certificate
2. Transcript of Records / Academic Transcript

In some cases, you may also be required to provide documentation of the following:

1. Curriculum / Program Description
   • A curriculum is a detailed description of the content and scope of the education, including learning outcomes, theoretical and practical components, and clinical/practical training periods
   • The curriculum must be issued by the educational institution, apply to the period during which you completed your education, and include the institution’s contact information
2. Proof of passing the national licensing examination
   • If passing a national licensing examination is a requirement in your country of education
3. Professional License / Registration
   • Documentation showing that you are authorised to practise the profession in your country of education and/or another country
4. Reading list and course syllabus 
   • An overview of the literature and course syllabus included in the education program, as well as any digital learning resources with source references
   • The overview must be issued by the educational institution and be valid for the years during which the education was completed
5. Employment Certificate(s)
   To document relevant professional experience. The certificate(s) must include:
   • Information about the type of position held and the duties performed
   • The employer’s letterhead and official stamp
   • The signature of a manager/supervisor, including their name and position
   • Contact information for the workplace
   • Do not submit employment agreements or employment contracts. Submit only employment certificate(s)

The Norwegian Directorate of Health may, in certain cases, request additional information and documentation beyond what is listed above.

Please note: In some countries, the educational institution must send transcripts or course descriptions directly to the Norwegian Directorate of Health, or the relevant authorities must certify the documents before you submit them. Information about which countries this applies to is provided at the bottom of this page.

Please note the following regarding your documents

• All documents must be scanned as PDF-copies of the original documents. If the original documents are in colour, the scanned copies attached to the application must also be in colour. Photographs of documents will not be accepted.
• If an original document has multiple pages, all scanned pages must be assemled into one document, in the correct order and correctly oriented
• All original documents that are not in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English must be translated into one of these languages by a authorised translator. The translation must be scanned/submitted in the same file as the original document

Any attempt to obtain recognition with fraudulent documents will be reported to the police.

You apply in Altinn

You must attach a scanned copy of valid passport or European ID card in your application.
First name and surname in the application form must be the same as in the passport/ID card, and be written in the same order.

You pay the processing fee when you apply

You must pay a processing fee of NOK 1.665,-

You pay the fee in Altinn when you register your application.

Processing time is 23 months

• If your application is incomplete, the processing time will be extended
• If you have obtained your education in multiple countries, the processing time will be based on the country where you completed your foundational (primary) education.

If you have practised your profession with full professional rights in an EEA country for at least three years, the processing time for your application is three (3) months. You must indicate this in the application form and provide the necessary supporting documentation.

Unique documentation requirements for some countries

Applicants who have completed their education in one of the countries listed below must ask their educational institution to send the transcript directly to The Norwegian Directorate of Health:

1. Afghanistan
2. The Democratic Republic of Congo
3. Eritrea
4. Ethiopia
5. Hong Kong
6. Yemen
7. Cameroon
8. Liberia
9. Libya
10. Nigeria
11. Sierra Leone
12. Somalia
13. Taiwan
14. United States

The Norwegian Directorate of Health cannot receive and accept letters and packages where fees, customs duties etc. are required. Transcript must be sent by post to:

The Norwegian Directorate of Health,
Department of Authorisation,
PB 220 Skøyen,
0213 Oslo,
Norway

Mail delivered by courier should be sent to:
The Norwegian Directorate of Health,
Department of Authorisation,
Vitaminveien 4
0483 Oslo
Norway

The educational institution must provide contact information (name, e-mail address and telephone number) to at least one person from the institution.

Other countries of education with special documentation requirements

Pakistan

The Norwegian Directorate of Health uses the verification service Dataflow Group for verifying documents from Pakistan. Consequently, you must have your documents verified by Dataflow for The Norwegian Directorate of Health to consider them in your application: DataFlow Group
Read more about this here:Verification of documentation issued in Pakistan

If you have a previous report issued to another authority, you can choose the "Reissue Existing Report" option in the DataFlow portal. You must also verify all documents required by the Norwegian Directorate of Health that have not been verified previously.

The previous requirement for HEC attestation has now been replaced with DataFlow verification. Only applicants with a valid decision who manage to complete the additional requirements within the three year deadline are exempt from having their documents verified through DataFlow. If you are unable to complete the additional requirements within the three year deadline and need to reapply, the requirement for DataFlow verification will apply to you.

Ukraine

Due to the current situation in Ukraine, it is difficult to get Apostille of educational documents. In such cases, the Norwegian Directorate of Health will accept Ukrainian documentation without an Apostille until further notice.

Information and Image Center of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine: http://apostille.in.ua/en/

China

Applicants with a degree from China must have their educational documents, Graduation Certificate, Degree Certificate and Transcript of Records, verified by the Center for Student Services and Development (CSSD). The verification reports are sent directly to you from CSSD so that you can forward them to the Norwegian Directorate of Health.

You can order the verification reports on the CSSD website.

If you have been granted a decision requiring supervised practice (licence)

If you have been instructed to complete a period of supervised practice before authorisation can be granted, information and guidance are available here.

Guidelines

For candidates:

• Guidelines for supervised practice for licensed psychologists (PDF)

For supervisors and employers:

• Guidelines and information for employers and supervisors of psychologist candidates during the adaptation period (PDF)

Since 1 November 2022, supervisors must either be a specialist psychologist or have at least three years of work experience as an authorised psychologist in Norway.

Have you received a decision before 1 November 2022?

If your decision regarding supervised practice was issued before 1 November 2022, the previous guidelines apply:

• Guidelines for supervised practice (PDF)

Certificate form

Once the practice period has been completed, the supervisor must document the practice using the following form:

• Certificate form (DOC)