Insurance during your outbound exchange

If you are a member of the Norwegian National Insurance scheme, or a citizen of an EEA country or Switzerland, and will be staying in another EEA country, you are entitled to healthcare service coverage through the European Health Insurance scheme. Please always carry your European Health Insurance card and familiarize yourself with the coverage.

 With financial support from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund

If you receive support from the Norwegian Loan Fund to study abroad, you will automatically receive a letter/ document from Helfo confirming your healthcare entitlements outside Norway. The document will be sent to the home address registered in the National Population Register.

If you need healthcare services abroad outside the EEA, you must pay out of pocket for hospitalization, treatment, medicines, etc. You must keep the receipts for your expenses and apply to Helfo afterwards to have them refunded. Read more at helsenorge.no.

Without financial support from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund

If you study abroad without the support of the Norwegian National Loan Fund, your membership in the National Insurance scheme will generally be revoked after one year. If you apply to NAV, you may be entitled to remain a member beyond the one-year period. If you are going on exchange without financial aid from the Norwegian Loan Fund, please contact Helfo to clarify your rights prior to departure. 

For many years, Norway had an agreement with the American insurance agent Optum. This agreement provided students with assistance in documentation, access to healthcare services, and coverage of medical expenses in the USA. Unfortunately, the agreement expired in September 2022. Now, regular rules apply for stays in countries outside the EU/EEA. Norwegian students must either have private health insurance or pay for treatment and seek reimbursement from Helfo. Find more information about this at helsenorge.no.

Most American educational institutions require students to have health insurance. You may need to demonstrate proof of adequate health insurance or purchase an American health insurance plan through the host institution. In some cases, you can apply for a waiver to avoid purchasing the institution’s health insurance. Please contact your insurance company or Helfo for guidance.

The Norwegian National Insurance System’s support system does not always provide comprehensive coverage. It does not include travel and accident insurance, household contents insurance, or repatriation in case of illness.

To have comprehensive coverage, we recommend that you also take out private insurance. The insurance must cover the purpose and duration of your exchange. Please familiarize yourself with the terms and conditions of your insurance policy.

Most insurance companies offer a “student abroad insurance” that is usually sufficient in addition to any coverage through the Norwegian National Insurance System.

Please contact your insurance company well in advance of your departure. It’s essential to assess your insurance needs. Make sure to inform your insurance company about your specific study situation during your time abroad. This is especially important if you are going on a traineeship.

The occupational injury coverage in the Norwegian National Insurance System provides special benefits beyond the regular support system. To be covered, you must be a member of the Norwegian National Insurance System.

According to the National Insurance Act, you are covered for occupational injuries if the injury occurs during a “teaching situation.” This means that the injury must have happened while you were at the educational institution and during teaching hours.

According to section 13-10, third paragraph of the Norwegian National Insurance Act, the provisions regarding occupational injuries also apply to teaching locations other than the usual educational setting. The condition is that the teaching occurs under the university’s supervision

NAV (the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration) determines whether an injury is approved under the National Insurance Act.

If you are participating in a traineeship, you must make sure that you are covered while on site. You will need a liability policy that covers any liability in the event you inflict harm on other people when performing practice-related tasks. 

Please contact your insurance company for more information.

Membership in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme is a prerequisite for several entitlements under the National Insurance Act.

International students who come to Norway will not automatically become a member of this social benefits scheme. As a general rule, if you study in Norway for less than a year, you will not become a member.

Read more about membership in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme for foreign students in Norway.

The first thing you need to do is find out whether you are already a member of the National Insurance Scheme. 

• If you are a member, please contact your local NAV office to check whether they can export your membership to the country you are travelling to in connection with your exchange. 

• If you are not a member, you have no entitlements under the National Insurance Act. You may be able to apply for voluntary membership.

With regard to additional insurance to any coverage you may have under the National Insurance Scheme, the above recommendations and guidelines apply.

Please note that you may face different requirements than Norwegian students when purchasing insurance. You may need to purchase insurance from your home country.