Healthcare for UK nationals living in Norway (2024)

If you started living in Norway before 1 January 2021, your rights to access healthcare in Norway will stay the same for as long as you remain resident.

This guidance explains what you need to do in Norway depending on your circ*mstances.

Anyone registered as a resident in Norway has a right to access the Norwegian state healthcare system.

State healthcare in Norway is not completely free. Healthcare costs are covered by both the state and through patient contributions (user fees).

UK nationals usually access the Norwegian healthcare system (called Helfo) in one of these ways:

• registering a UK-issued S1 form with the National Insurance Scheme (see ‘UK-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Norway’ below)
• making contributions to the National Insurance Scheme through their employer or as a self-employed person
• using a GHIC or EHIC for temporary stays when studying, or as a ‘posted’ (detached) worker
• taking out private health insurance

Healthcare if you live and work in Norway

If you are planning on moving to Norway, see the guidance on Living in Norway for more information about visa and residency requirements.

You must register as a resident if you’re living in Norway for more than 3 months.

Once you’re a resident, you’re entitled to state healthcare on the same basis as a Norwegian citizen.

If you’re employed or self-employed, you’ll make contributions to the National Insurance Scheme.

Once you’re a resident, you may also be entitled to a Norwegian EHIC for travel.

How to register for healthcare

You first need to register as a resident in Norway. You’ll receive a Norwegian ID number. This is the same number you’ll use for healthcare access.

If you’re employed, your employer will sign you up to the National Insurance Scheme automatically. You’ll make contributions through your payroll.

If you’re self-employed, you first need to register your business on the national register (website in Norwegian). You can then sign up to the National Insurance Scheme.

Once you’ve joined, you’ll be able to access healthcare services through the Norwegian state healthcare system, Helfo.

Give your Norwegian ID number when you register with a GP and each time you have an appointment.

To be referred to a specialist you need to see your GP first.

How much you’ll pay

State healthcare in Norway is not completely free. You may have to pay some of the cost of any treatment.

Find out how much you’ll need to pay for health services

If you’re a hospital inpatient, treatment is free. There are charges for outpatient treatment.

If you have an occupational health injury, Helfo may cover the full cost of your treatment.

Dentists and dental hygienist fees will vary as they can set their own prices.

Once you’ve spent a certain amount on state healthcare in a calendar year, you can get an exemption card (‘frikort’).

Your exemption card means the National Insurance Scheme will cover most of your user fees for the rest of the calendar year.

If your UK employer has sent you to Norway temporarily (‘posted workers’)

A posted worker, also known as a detached worker, is someone employed or self-employed in the UK, but temporarily sent to a European Economic Area (EEA) country.

You can use your GHIC, EHIC or registered S1 form to access healthcare in Norway on the same basis as a Norwegian citizen.

HMRC has a helpline for National Insurance enquiries from non-UK residents. They can answer questions about posted worker status and explain which documents you will need to get healthcare while posted.

UK-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Norway

There’s different guidance if you have an S1 as a posted worker (see ‘If your UK employer has sent you to Norway temporarily (‘posted workers’)’ above).

You may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if you’re a Norwegian resident and receive either:

• a UK State Pension
• some other ‘exportable benefits’

You may also be entitled to an S1 form if you’re a frontier worker (someone who works in one state and lives in another). You must contact HMRC National Insurance enquiries to find out if you’re eligible.

Once you have an S1 form, you must register it on the Norwegian system.

This will mean you and your dependants will be entitled to healthcare in Norway on the same basis as a Norwegian citizen.

You’ll also get:

• a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for travel
• planned treatments in the EEA

You can find out more about using your GHIC or EHIC abroad and the rules on planned treatments in the EEA on the NHS website.

Dependants and family members may be classified differently in Norway than the UK.

Check with the local authorities when you register your S1 form.

How to get an S1 form

If you have a UK State Pension or another qualifying exportable benefit, you must request an application form by phone from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services (see contact details above).

How to use an S1 form in Norway

You must register your S1 with the Norwegian state healthcare service Helfo. Send your S1 form to:

Give your Norwegian ID number each time you access healthcare. This will prove that you’re an S1 holder and are entitled to healthcare on the same basis as a Norwegian citizen.

If you are experiencing delays registering your S1 with local authorities and require emergency or urgent treatment, contact the Overseas Healthcare Services on +44 (0)191 218 1999.

Studying in Norway

You should apply for a StudentGHICto get medically necessary, state-provided healthcare for the duration of your study period in Norway, whether this is for part or all of your course. This means that you’ll get necessary healthcare services on the same basis as a Norwegian citizen either for free or at a reduced cost.

If you already hold a valid StudentEHICyou can use this until the card expires.

Read more about eligibility and how to apply on the NHS website.

Speak to your university for advice.

Getting treatment in the UK

Because the NHS is a residency-based system, under NHS rules UK nationals who move abroad on a permanent basis may lose their entitlement to free NHS healthcare.

If you are a UK national and move to the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you should not expect to be able to use NHS services for free when visiting the UK unless you have an EHIC, PRC or S2 to show your healthcare costs are funded by the EU country in which you now live or by Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, or another exemption applies.

Some former UK residents do not have to pay for NHS treatment when visiting England. This includes:

• UK war pensioners
• UK government employees
• UK nationals living in the EU on or before 31 December 2020, once they have a registered, UK-issued S1

Read more about using the NHS when you no longer live in the UK (see ‘UK nationals who no longer live in the UK’ in Healthcare for visitors to the UK from the EU).

If you return to live in the UK, you’ll be able to use the NHS like any other UK resident.

Read more about using the NHS when you return to live in the UK.

1. 15 January 2024

   Various changes to the text to reflect EEA and EFTA changes that came into force on 1 January 2024.

2. 22 October 2021

   Updated 'UK-funded healthcare' to include guidance for S1 holders who are experiencing delays in registering their S1. Updated 'Getting treatment in the UK' to provide additional detail about NHS access when visiting the UK.

3. 12 February 2021

   Updated 'posted worker' section to reflect that posted workers can continue working and accessing state healthcare in Norway, and added detail to ‘getting treatment in the UK’ section about healthcare when you no longer live in the UK.

4. 31 December 2020

   Updated sections on living and working in Norway, using an S1 form in Norway, posted workers and studying in Norway. Changes reflect healthcare arrangements for people moving to Norway from 1 January 2021, including use of UK passports to access healthcare during temporary stays.

5. 9 November 2020

   Updated 2 sections: ‘Healthcare if you’re using an S1 form in Norway' and ‘Healthcare if you’re studying in Norway’. Students and people with a registered S1 in Norway can now apply for a new UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) that will remain valid from 1 January 2021.

6. 23 September 2019

   First published.