Guidelines for regulated professions: Teacher qualifications – school and kindergarten

On this page, you will find the legal basis and guidelines for NOKUT’s recognition of regulated professions (teacher qualifications – school and kindergarten). NOKUT took over the responsibility as competent authority from the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training (Udir) on 1 January 2020.

All requirements and guidelines decided by NOKUT are continued as in the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills.

As a basis for case processing, NOKUT has operationalized the provisions in the laws and regulations into guidelines on criteria that a professional qualification needs to fulfil in order to be granted recognition as teacher in schools or head of kindergarten/educational supervisor. NOKUT has mainly upheld the guidelines that were developed and used by the Norwegian Directorate of Education and Training (Udir).

In order to be recognized as teacher or head of kindergarten/educational supervisor in kindergarten in Norway, applicants must have professional qualifications from abroad that are comparable to and at the equivalent level as the qualifying Norwegian qualifications.

Criteria for recognition vary, depending on whether applicants are entitled to practise the profession in accordance with the regulations in the Professional Qualifications Act.

English-Norwegian glossary of significant terms used in NOKUT’s decisions: 

  • Adaptation period: prøveperiode 
  • Aptitude test: egnethetsprøve 
  • Compensation measures: utligningstiltak 
  • Decision: vedtak 
  • Educational supervisor (Pedagogical leader): pedagogisk leder i barnehage
  • Head of kindergarten (Head teacher / Manager): styrer i barnehage
  • Professional qualification: yrkeskvalifikasjon 
  • Substantial differences: vesentlige forskjeller 
  • Teacher: lærer

Teacher

Head of kindergarten/educational supervisor

Teacher

Legal framework

Regulations pertaining to the recognition of foreign professional qualifications as teacher in primary, lower and upper secondary school (legal sources translated into English are referred to when available, legal sources not available in English are referred to in Norwegian): 

  • Regulation pursuant to the Education Act (Forskrift til opplæringslova)  §§ 14-6 and  14-7, cf. §§ 14-1 to 14-5
  • The Professional Qualifications Act § 8, and pursuant regulation (Forskrift om godkjenning av yrkeskvalifikasjoner)  §§ 3-1 to 3-6 and 8-1
  • Regulation concerning quality assurance and quality development in higher education and tertiary vocational education (Studiekvalitetsforskriften) § 6-1 (1), cf. regulation concerning admission to higher education (Forskrift om opptak til høyere utdanning) § 2-2  
  • Regulations concerning framework plans for higher education 

Scope

Applicants who are entitled to practise the profession in another EEA State or Switzerland:

All other applicants:

Pedagogical competence

A minimum of 1 year of higher education / 60 ECTS (or equivalent) in pedagogical subjects, including pedagogical theory, didactics and supervised teaching practice in a school during your education.

Subject competencies

A minimum of ½ year of higher education / 30 ECTS (or equivalent) in an academic subject.

 

Head of kindergarten/educational supervisor

Legal framework

Regulations pertaining to the recognition of foreign professional qualifications as kindergarten teacher for employment as head of kindergarten/educational supervisor (legal sources avaiable in English are referred to when available, legal sources not available in English are referred to in Norwegian):  

  • Regulation concerning the recognition of foreign professional qualifications as head of kindergarten/educational supervisor (Forskrift om godkjenning av yrkeskvalifikasjoner for styrer og pedagogisk leder i barnehage fra annen stat) § 8, cf. the Kindergarten Act (Barnehageloven) §§ 24 and 25 
  • The Professional Qualifications Act § 8, and pursuant regulation (Forskrift om godkjenning av yrkeskvalifikasjoner)  §§ 3-1 to 3-6 and 8-1
  • Regulation concerning quality assurance and quality development in higher education and tertiary vocational education (Studiekvalitetsforskriften) § 6-1 (1), cf. regulation concerning admission to higher education (Forskrift om opptak til høyere utdanning) § 2-2  
  • Regulations concerning framework plans for higher education 

Scope

Applicants who are entitled to practise the profession in another EEA State or Switzerland: Kindergarten teacher education or equivalent from an accredited institution, equivalent to 1.5 years of higher education / 90 ECTS.

All other applicants: Kindergarten teacher education or equivalent from an accredited institution, equivalent to a minimum of 3 years of higher education / 180 ECTS.

Pedagogical competence

A minimum of ½ year of higher education / 30 ECTS (or equivalent) in kindergarten/pre-school pedagogy, including supervised teaching practice in a kindergarten or pre-school during your education.

Subject competencies

Documented ECTS or coursework in subjects directed towards working with kindergarten / pre-school children:

  • aesthetic, practical and social training, such as theater and drama, physical education and music
  • social studies, general religious and ethical education
  • Science subjects, such as natural sciences/environmental studies and mathematics

Knowledge of Norwegian societal conditions and kindergarten conditions

You must document knowledge of Norwegian societal conditions and kindergarten conditions in order to be recognised as head of kindergarten/educational supervisor in kindergarten in Norway. The requirement can be fulfilled by documenting at least one year of full-time working experience in kindergartens in Norway.

Nordic countries: You are exempted from this requirement if you are a kindergarten teacher from a Nordic country, or if one of the Nordic languages is your first language.