Health, Medical Aid and Insurance

Health Insurance and Health Care                           

Students from EU/EEA countries must have social security coverage from their home country. They must obtain the European Health Insurance Card(replaces the old E 128 form) which entitles them to medical treatment in accordance with the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme. For further information about the card please contact the nearest insurance office in your home country.

Voluntary Membership in the National Insurance Scheme

International students from other parts of the world may, and SHOULD, apply for voluntary enrolment in the Norwegian National Health Scheme after arrival.  See more details here: http://www.nav.no/English/Membership+in+The+National+Insurance+Scheme.

If you intend to study in Norway more than 12 months, you may enroll at the beginning of your stay. The application form can be downloaded here.

Services such as dental care are not covered in the insurance scheme so we recommend you buy  accident coverage in your insurance.

The Personal Doctor System (Fastlegeordningen) gives all residents of Norway the right to have one specific doctor as their personal doctor. If you are staying for more than 6 months, it is important that the International Relations Office receives your personal ID number in order to register you in the personal doctor system. You will then be assigned one. For students who are spending less than six months in Norway, the easiest way to see a doctor will be to call the Emergency clinic in Tønsberg between the hours of 2 pm and 8 am Monday-Friday, or Sat-Sun all day/night. There is no special health centre for students at Vestfold University College.

The European Health Insurance Card and/or the student card should be presented at each consultation. You should note that the insurance is limited to the cost within the public insurance scheme and will not cover additional expenses for the few private doctors/clinics that are not attached to this scheme. For all categories of students the insurance covers regular medical consultations, except for a nominal fee to be paid by the patient. It also covers hospitalization in Norway. Note that the Norwegian National Health Scheme will not be valid when travelling outside Norway, so you need to buy regular travel insurance when travelling outside Norway.

ISEP exchange students: the coverage provided by ISEPs Health Insurance Scheme covers the medical insurance needs while in Norway.

Tuberculosis                                                                   

All persons from a country with a high risk of tuberculosis who will be residing in Norway for more than 3 months are required to take a tuberculosis test at the local health centre immediately upon arrival in Norway. No charge is made for these tests. This also applies to persons returning from a stay of more than 3 months in a country with a high risk of tuberculosis. The control consists of a tuberculin (skin) test (Mantoux Test) by the local health office and an X-Ray of the lungs by a national hospital. After the registration at the aliens office the police will notify the municipal doctor and you will receive a letter with the time and date for your tuberculosis test. Note: The timing of the two parts of the Mantoux Test is crucial - first the test and 72 hours later the results must be measured. Persons from Western Europe and certain other countries with declared tuberculosis status do not normally need to take a tuberculosis test. Documentation required by students:                                                     

√ Travel document with valid resident permit                                              

√ Post address and student e-mail address in Norway                                                         

√ Personal medical documentation if deemed relevant by the student

Dental Care                                                 

Contact the Information desk at SIV for a list of available dentist

MRSA Test - for Students at the Faculty of Health Science:                                         

All students doing clinical practice must take an MRSA test. You can have it taken prior to leaving your home country, but then you must not enter a hospital again after being tested. Results must be faxed to the Faculty of Health Science here at the college. You can otherwise take the test immediately upon arrival in Norway (between Monday - Friday). As it takes two days to receive results, you will not be able to begin your clinical work before receiving a negative result.

Emergency Telephone Numbers         

• Ambulance 113                                                       
• Police 112                                                                  
• Fire 110                                                              
• Emergency Clinic in Horten: 33 08 70 00                                                      
• Emergency Clinic in Tønsberg: 33 31 63 50