Health care services in Norway
If you have legal employment in Norway, you will, as a rule, become a member of the National Insurance scheme from your first working day even if you are not deemed to be resident here. Membership is automatic.
The membership includes:
- all benefits from NAV (Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration)
- health service benefits (treatment by a doctor, psychologist or expenditure on medicines of major importance in long-term use)
- primary doctor scheme
- free medical care to children under the age of 16
- free dental care to children under the age of 18
More information: About the Norwegian public health care service at New in Norway (nyinorge.no).
Children and School
Day Care Centres
The municipalities are responsible for pre-school day care centres in Norway. There are both private and public pre-school day care centres for children between the ages of one and five. Submit an application for a place at a pre-school day care centre on a separate form that is available from the relevant day care centre or the municipality. Rates and admission requirements may vary from one day care centre to another. Admissions usually take place once a year.
Pre-schools at:
- Halden kommune
- Fredrikstad kommune, phone: +47 69 30 6000, email: torget@fredrikstad.kommune.no
Primary and lower secondary school (age 6 to 13)
All children in Norway must attend school for ten years. The first ten years of the Norwegian school system is called ‘grunnskole’, which comprises primary and lower secondary education. Children start school in August of the year in which they turn six. All public primary/lower secondary education is free.
If you are the parent of a child of primary/lower secondary school age, you must contact your local school or your municipality to register your child at the school.
Upper secondary school (from age 13)
Young people who have completed primary/lower secondary education or similar, are entitled to three years of upper secondary education. After completing three years of upper secondary education, students will have higher education entrance qualifications, a vocational qualification or lower-level qualifications.
Students have a right to free upper secondary education, but they may be required to cover the costs of necessary equipment.
More information about schools:
- Halden kommune
- Fredrikstad kommune, phone: +47 69 30 6000, email: torget@fredrikstad.kommune.no
- Children’s international school in Fredrikstad
More information: New in Norway - Children & Schools (nyinorge.no)
New in Halden
Halden municipality offers useful information to their new citizens in English. We recommend to visit their website: