Power of attorney when an individual lacks the legal capacity to give consent regarding healthcare decisions

You can be granted power of attorney to use Helsenorge on behalf of someone who lacks the legal capacity to give their consent regarding healthcare decisions if you are their next of kin.

How to apply for power of attorney

1

Obtain confirmation from a doctor or use a verified lasting power of attorney

To apply for power of attorney, you must either have confirmation from a doctor that the person you are applying on behalf of lacks the legal capacity to give consent regarding healthcare decisions, or a verified lasting power of attorney (fremtidsfullmakt).

Confirmation from a doctor regarding a lack of legal capacity to give consent concerning healthcare decisions

Lasting power of attorney (fremtidsfullmakt)

  • A lasting power of attorney is a written declaration in which a person grants another person the right to act on their behalf if they become seriously ill or develop dementia.
  • For the lasting power of attorney to be valid, it must cover the areas of ‘personal affairs’ and/or ‘health’.
  • The lasting power of attorney must also be confirmed by the County Governor. Confirmation of a lasting power of attorney means that the County Governor verifies that the power of attorney has come into effect and is valid. Read more about lasting power of attorney at the Norwegian Civil Affairs Authority (In Norwegian).
2

Log in to Helsenorge

In order to complete and submit the power of attorney form, you must be logged in to Helsenorge.

You must log in to Helsenorge to confirm that you are who you claim to be. You log in to Helsenorge via ID-porten. Read more about logging in to Helsenorge.

3

Complete the digital power of attorney form

Please complete the digital form and submit it. The form is in Norwegian. For the application to be processed, you will need to upload either confirmation from a doctor or a lasting power of attorney (fremtidsfullmakt).

Application form for power of attorney on behalf of individuals who lack the legal capacity to give consent regarding healthcare decisions (in Norwegian)

The form will be stored on Helsenorge

Once you have submitted the form, a copy of it will be sent to your Helsenorge inbox. This is your personal copy which you can delete whenever you want. A copy of the form can also be found in Documents. 

Frequently asked questions

  • A person lacks the legal capacity to give consent regarding healthcare decisions if it is evident that they are unable to look after their own interests and do not understand what consent means. This may be due to physical or mental disorders, dementia or intellectual disabilities.

  • You are considered to be next of kin if the treating doctor has confirmed that you are the person who has the most frequent ongoing contact with the individual over time. You can read more about this in Section 1-3 of the Patient and User Rights Act (in Norwegian).

    Alternatively, the person lacking legal capacity to give consent regarding healthcare decisions may have specified their next of kin in a lasting power of attorney (fremtidsfullmakt).

What are you permitted to see and do when you have power of attorney?

If you are using Helsenorge on behalf of someone who lacks the legal capacity to give consent regarding healthcare decisions, you will have access to all Helsenorge services that are available to an individual who has been granted power of attorney.

For example, you will have access to the same services for individuals over 12 years old as those available for children under 12, except for the ‘Change General Practitioner’ service. To change your GP, you must contact the Helsenorge guidance service. Read more about how you can use Helsenorge.

Do you have any questions about power of attorney?

  • Only next of kin can be granted power of attorney to use Helsenorge on behalf of someone who lacks the legal capacity to give consent regarding healthcare decisions. In addition, you must be over 18 years old. The person on whose behalf you are using Helsenorge must be over 12 years old.

  • The power of attorney will be valid indefinitely. If you have already created a power of attorney with a duration of five years, you must renew the power of attorney when it expires. The power of attorney can be renewed by submitting a new confirmation form from a doctor. The new power of attorney will be valid indefinitely.

    The confirmation form from a doctor was recently updated with information about the period of validity of the power of attorney. If you want the power of attorney to be valid indefinitely, it is important that you submit the updated form. If you submit the form that does not have the updated information about the duration of the power of attorney, the power of attorney will be valid for five years.

  • If you wish to terminate a power of attorney, you can log in to Helsenorge and choose to end it under ‘Power of Attorney’.

Guidance Helsenorge

23 32 70 00

Monday-Friday from 08:00 to 15:30

Content provided by Norsk helsenett

Norsk helsenett. Power of attorney when an individual lacks the legal capacity to give consent regarding healthcare decisions. [Internet]. Oslo: The Norwegian Directorate of Health; updated Wednesday, February 12, 2025 [retrieved Friday, February 21, 2025]. Available from: https://www.helsenorge.no/en/power-of-attorney/om/fullmakt-pa-vegne-av-personer-med-manglende-samtykkekompetanse-en/