Regulated professions

When coming to Norway with a foreign education or foreign professional qualification, it is important to check whether or not you need authorisation or recognition of your education in order to practice your profession here.

Some professions are regulated by law. This means that you must fulfill certain requirements in order to practice the profession and/or use a certain professional title in Norway. In order to work within a regulated profession, you must apply for and receive an authorisation/recognition from the competent authority in charge of your profession. In most cases, you do not need to first apply for recognition from the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills before applying for authorisation/recognition.

In the List of Industries you will find an overview of most regulated professions in Norway. Most of these are regulated by the EU Professional Directive. However, there are other directives that govern certain professions, such as those within the aviation and maritime sectors.

Most professions are not regulated, and you do not need an authorisation/recognition in order to start working. If you do not find your profession in the List of industries, you most likely do not need an authorisation/recognition.

EU Professional Qualifications Directive

Within the EU/EEA there are rules in place to streamline the recognition of regulated professions. If your education is from a country within the EU/EEA, your application for authorisation/recognition will be processed in accordance with the EU Professional Qualifications Directive (2005/36/EC). Third country nationals (citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA) may also be affected by the directive.

In 2013, EU adopted Directive 2013/55/EU amending Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications. Directive 2013/55/EU introduces several new measures, such as the European Professional Card and alert mechanisms. 

In the List of Regulated Professions you can find an overview of all the professions that are regulated by the professional qualifications directive in Norway.

If you know the competent authority that is responsible for your profession, you can find contact information to all recognition authorities in Norway here.

How can we help you?

The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills is the Norwegian assistance centre for the Professional Qualifications Directive. We provide guidance to professionals about the directive, Norwegian legislation and regulated professions, and cooperate with assistance centers in other EU/EEA countries, as well as Altinn, the Norwegian contact point for the Services in the Internal Market Directive (2006/123/EC). We can also assist Norwegian citizens who wish to work in a regulated profession in the EU/EEA.

The Directorate is the responsible authority for the recognition of foreign teacher qualifications (school and kindergarten) in Norway. Apply for recognition of teacher qualifications (school and kindergarten) here. 

If you have questions related to the professional qualifications directive, please send an email to enic-naric@hkdir.no

Assistance centres in other countries

Are you planning on working or relocating to another EU/EEA country? Do you need information on national rules and how to apply for recognition of your qualifications? We advise you to contact the assistance centre in the relevant country. They will provide you with information on recognition processes for regulated professions.

EU logoFind assistance centres in other countries

On the Your Europe website you can find more information about the recognition of regulated professions in the EU/EEA.