European Health Insurance Card

If you are a member of the National Insurance Scheme in Norway and are a citizen either of Norway, another EU/EEA country, or Switzerland, you are entitled to a European Health Insurance Card from Norway.

If you are a pensioner who has moved to another EU/EEA country, you may also be entitled to a European Health Insurance Card from Norway. Read more about pensioners' entitlement to a European Health Insurance Card.

If you are entitled to the European Health Insurance Card, your family members may also be entitled. Read more under "Family members".

If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland, you cannot in principle obtain a European Health Insurance Card from Norway. Although most EU countries issue European Health Insurance Cards to their residents regardless of citizenship, this does not apply to Norway, which is an EEA/EFTA country with different regulations.

The following groups may be entitled to a European Health Insurance Card from Norway even if they do not have citizenship from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland:

• stateless persons
• persons with refugee status
• UK nationals who have been resident in Norway since before 31 December 2020 or have an S1 certificate from Norway
• family members of persons entitled to a European Health Insurance Card

Suppose you are a Norwegian National Insurance Scheme member but do not have the right to a European Health Insurance Card because you have citizenship from a country outside the EU/EEA. In that case, you may still be entitled to public healthcare services when travelling in another Nordic country, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Hungary, or Austria. This is because Norway has separate social security agreements with these countries. You are entitled to coverage on the same terms as the country's residents and must pay the same user fees.

You may need to show documentation. For example, in the Nordic countries you will need to provide your residential address in a Nordic country and show your ID. If you are travelling to the United Kingdom, you can contact Helfo to obtain documentation that may be useful for your trip.

If you are not entitled to a European Health Insurance Card, you may still be entitled to reimbursement of your healthcare expenses during temporary stays in other EU/EEA countries. Read more under "Have you had to pay for an examination or treatment?".

Are you a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA and are a student or posted worker in an EU/EEA country other than Norway? If so, you may be entitled to reimbursement of costs for healthcare services. Read more about being a student in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland and being a posted worker in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland.

Family in this context means

• spouse
• estranged spouse
• children under the age of 18 for whom you have parental responsibility
• children over the age of 18 who you support
• cohabitants who have or have had children together

You can apply for the European Health Insurance Card for children under the age of 18 for whom you have parental responsibility. As a general rule, other family members must apply themselves.

Please note that each family member must bring their own card with them during temporary stays in other EU/EEA countries or Switzerland. 

Family members with citizenship from countries outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland

Suppose you have family members with citizenship from countries outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland. In that case, they may also be entitled to the European Health Insurance Card if both these conditions are met:  

• You are entitled to a European Health Insurance Card.
• Your family members are members of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme or hold an S1/S072 certificate from Norway.

Family members who live in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland

Family members living in another EU/EEA country or in Switzerland are entitled to a European Health Insurance Card from Norway if they have an S1/S072 certificate from Norway.

For information on how to apply for such family members, go to "How to apply for the European Health Insurance Card".

Certificate S1 for employees, posted workers and pensioners

Read more about certificate S1 and family members.

Illustration: Morten Rakke / Helfo

You are entitled to coverage on the same terms as the country's citizens, and you must pay the same user fees as them. Helfo does not pay reimbursement for these user fees.

You cannot expect the treatment you receive to be the same as you would receive in Norway. Please note that the standard of treatment may vary from country to country.

When assessing what constitutes necessary treatment and your entitlement with the European Health Insurance Card, account shall be taken of the type of health service concerned and how long your stay is intended to last. You are entitled to the healthcare services that are necessary so that you can continue your stay in the country you are visiting, in full medical safety.

The European Health Insurance Card may entitle you to certain necessary nursing and care services in accordance with the rules of the country you are visiting. You must independently contact the country where you are staying to find out what rules apply.

The European Health Insurance Card does not entitle you to coverage of expenses if the purpose of your trip is to receive medical treatment.

Changes to your right to use the European Health Insurance Card

The European Health Insurance Card is usually valid for three years. Even if the period on the card has not expired, you are only entitled to use the card as long as the conditions to get the European Health Insurance Card from Norway are met. You should not use the card if you, for example, no longer work in Norway or move to another country. Contact Guidance Helsenorge if you are in doubt.

In the event of misuse of the European Health Insurance Card, the person to whom the card belongs can be held liable for the losses incurred by the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme.

As a general rule, the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme does not cover expenses for healthcare services during tourist trips outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland or the UK. You should therefore also purchase travel insurance for such trips.

The United Kingdom and Norway have a social security agreement. If you travel to the United Kingdom as a tourist, you can, because of this agreement, use the European Health Insurance Card there.

Please note that British citizens who have a European Health Insurance Card from Norway cannot use this in Switzerland.

Click here for an overview of where you can use the European Health Insurance Card (only in Norwegian).

Your healthcare entitlements under the EEA Agreement are limited. It is therefore important to have private travel insurance in addition to the European Health Insurance Card.

In many countries, the public sector does not fully reimburse healthcare expenses. This may also apply to hospital admissions.

The European Health Insurance Card does not cover expenses for travel home when you have become ill or have suffered an accident. Travel insurance will provide coverage for expenses not covered by the country you are visiting, or expenses for travel home.

It is important to bring your European Health Insurance Card with you when travelling.

However, if you have forgotten to bring the card, Helfo may issue an emergency form to you or the institution where you are receiving treatment. An emergency form is a paper version of the European Health Insurance Card, and gives you the same rights as the European Health Insurance Card.

An emergency form may also be issued retroactively. This means that you can obtain an emergency decision regarding treatment you have already received, as long as you have not paid for the treatment.

If you need an emergency form, contact Guidance Helsenorge on telephone: +47 23 32 70 00 during opening hours from Monday to Friday between 08.00 and 15.30. 

If the institution where you are receiving treatment does not recognise or accept your European Health Insurance Card, and you must pay for the examination/treatment yourself, you can apply to Helfo for reimbursement of your expenses. Make sure you obtain an invoice, receipt and documentation of the treatment provided, and attach this to your application.

You can also apply to Helfo for reimbursement if you have forgotten to use your European Health Insurance Card, or if you have been treated at a hospital and/or by a therapist not affiliated with the public health service. For treatment in Switzerland and the United Kingdom, you are only entitled to reimbursement if the therapist is affiliated with the public health service.

Read more about the types of healthcare that might be covered.

Deadline for submitting an application

You must send the application form and documentation to Helfo within 6 months.

• If you have settled on the spot, we will calculate the deadline from the treatment date.
• If you have not settled on the spot but have paid later, we will calculate the deadline for a reimbursement claim from the invoice date or the day of the payment. The calculations will depend on which reimbursement schemes that might apply to you.

Paper form

If you are unable to use our digital form, you can send a paper form instead.

Fill in and send the following form to Helfo, P.O. Box 2415, N-3104 Tønsberg, Norway:

You can apply for the European Health Insurance Card in the following ways:

• Log in to Helsenorge with BankID.
• If you do not have BankID, you must call Guidance Helsenorge on +47 23 32 70 00.

The card will be sent to your address registered with the National Population Register.

It normally takes up to 10 working days from the date you have applied for the European Health Insurance Card from Helfo until it is delivered to your mailbox.

On behalf of others

If you log in to Helsenorge, you can apply for the European Health Insurance Card for children under the age of 18 for whom you have parental responsibility. Keep in mind that when applying for children, you must use the same application form that applies to you. If you have applied for children for whom you have parental responsibility, the card will be sent to the child's address registered in the National Population Register.

Foster parents can apply for the European Health Insurance Card for foster children who are registered in the National Population Register on the same address as themselves. Applying must be done by calling Guidance Helsenorge on +47 23 32 70 00.

Children over the age of 18, a spouse or cohabitant, must apply themselves. If parents/guardians are to apply for the European Health Insurance Card for children over the age of 18, they must have a power of attorney to do so.

If you wish to apply for someone who is not able to use the self-service system, such as elderly parents, please call Guidance Helsenorge on +47 23 32 70 00. The person in question must either be present during the call to confirm his or her identity, or you must have a power of attorney.

Click here to read more about power of attorney and find the power of attorney form (only in Norwegian).

Family members without a Norwegian national ID number

Do you have certificate S1 that also covers your spouse or children, and they need a European Health Insurance Card from Norway?

In certain cases, you have to call Guidance Helsenorge on +47 23 32 70 00 for help to apply for the European Health Insurance Card for your child/spouse. It is not possible to apply for the European Health Insurance Card via Helsenorge for

• children/spouses who do not have a Norwegian ID number (national identity number or D-number)
• children/spouses who are covered by your S1 certificate, or have their own S1 certificate

Employees not listed in the State Register of Employers and Employees (Aa-register)

A small number of employers and contractors are exempt from the obligation to report to the State Register of Employers and Employees. If this applies to your employer, Helfo will not have access to the necessary information about your employment.

You can apply for the European Health Insurance Card by completing and submitting this form to Helfo, P.O. Box 2415, N-3104 Tønsberg, Norway: