8 Health and social security
8.1 General information
Members of the staff of foreign missions
who enjoy privileges and immunities in Norway are not covered by the
provisions of the National Insurance Act.
A copy of the National Insurance Act can
be found at http://www.lovdata.no/all/nl-19970228-019.html
(Norwegian only).
Members of the mission and consular
officers who are taking up a posting in Norway
and are not covered in Norway
by the public health insurance scheme of their home country are advised to
ensure that they have valid health insurance for the duration of their stay in Norway.
The Norwegian public health care system
is based on the principle of cost-sharing between individual patients and the
municipality in which they live. However, costs will only be shared if the
patient is referred for treatment by a doctor who has an agreement
(“fastlegeavtale”) with the municipality. The municipality will not normally
contribute to the costs of medical treatment in private hospitals or clinics.
More information about the health
care system in Norway
is available from the National Insurance Service (which offers information in
English and can be reached by telephone on 810 33 810 or via its website at www.trygdeetaten.no)
and your local National Insurance office.
8.2 Who is covered by the provisions of the
national insurance scheme?
8.2.1 According to section 2-11 of the National
Insurance Act, persons employed in this
country by a foreign State are exempt from membership in the national
insurance scheme, provided that they are not Norwegian nationals. Special rules
apply to persons permanently resident in Norway.
8.2.2 Spouses
and children of such persons as described in paragraph 8.2.1 above are
exempt from membership in the national insurance scheme, provided that they are
not Norwegian nationals and do not support themselves by means of work.
8.2.3 Private
servants of such persons as described in paragraph 8.2.1 above are exempt
from membership in the national insurance scheme, provided they are not
Norwegian nationals. (As stated, special rules apply to persons permanently
resident in Norway.)
8.2.4 Persons who
are already members of a foreign
national insurance scheme may be exempted from membership in the Norwegian
national insurance scheme, even if they do not fall into the categories
mentioned in paragraphs 8.2.1 to 8.2.3 above.
8.2.5 Persons who are not exempt as described in
paragraphs 8.2.1 to 8.2.4 above will automatically
become members of the Norwegian national insurance scheme when taking up
residence in this country. Under Norwegian law, a person takes up residence
when he/she stays in Norway
legally for more than one year or settles in Norway with the intention of
staying longer than one year.
8.2.6 It should be noted that the Norwegian rules on
exemption from compulsory membership in the national insurance scheme are more
liberal than those laid down in Article 33 of the Vienna Convention on
Diplomatic Relations.
8.2.7 The Agreement on the European Economic Area
(EEA) includes provisions that entitle nationals of EEA states to sickness and
maternity benefits when employed in an EEA state other than the one to whose
social security system they belong. The benefits provided are the same as for
nationals of the state in which they are employed. Consequently, a person from
another EEA country who is employed in Norway is entitled to the same
sickness or maternity benefits as Norwegian nationals. The persons concerned do
not have to make any contribution to the Norwegian national insurance scheme,
but will have to pay the individual patient’s charge (“egenandel”), the level
of which is set by the authorities, when they receive treatment. In order to
receive treatment, form E 106 should be sent to the national insurance
office (“trygdekontor”) in the municipality in which the individual resides. In
addition to the person employed in Norway, dependent family members
should be included in the form.
8.2.8 Information on exemption from membership (as
described in paragraph 8.2.4 above) and on voluntary membership can be obtained
from national insurance offices or the National Insurance Administration, whose
address is:
Rikstrygdeverket
PO Box 5200
Nydalen
NO-0426 Oslo
