Medical Assistance for International Students
Are you an international student? How you access medical care in Norway depends on how long you will be studying here and whether you have a Norwegian national identity number.
Here you will find all the information you need to know who to contact when you are sick or need medical assistance.
For students staying in Norway for less than 6 months
If your study stay lasts less than six months, you will not be assigned a regular Norwegian national identity number (personnummer). This means that you cannot register with the regular General Practitioner (GP) scheme (fastlegeordningen).
What should you do? You must use the emergency clinic (legevakt) if you need medical care.
Non-urgent medical issues? If your need for medical care is not urgent, it is strongly recommended that you contact the Emergency Clinic during daytime hours. Staffing is better suited for regular consultations during the day, and waiting times are often shorter.
Bodø emergency clinic (Legevakt)
Phone: Call the national out-of-hours medical service number 116 117 or +47 75 55 17 10 before arriving. A nurse will assess your situation and give you an appointment time if necessary.
Address: Plassmyrveien 13, 8008 Bodø
Remember to bring: Your passport/ID card and proof of health insurance (e.g., a European Health Insurance Card). You will be required to pay a consultation fee.
Steinkjer Emergency Clinic (Legevakt)
Phone: Call the national out-of-hours medical service number 116 117 before arriving. A nurse will assess your situation and give you an appointment time if necessary.
Address: Located in the Health and Emergency Preparedness Building (Helse- og beredskapshuset), Seilmakergata 8, 7725 Steinkjer.
Remember to bring: Your passport/ID card and proof of health insurance (e.g., a European Health Insurance Card). You will be required to pay a consultation fee.
Levanger Emergency Clinic (Legevakt)
Phone: Call the national out-of-hours medical service number 116 117 before arriving. A nurse will assess your situation and give you an appointment time if necessary.
Address: Innherred Intermunicipal Emergency Clinic (Innherred interkommunale legevakt), Kirkegata 2D, 7600 Levanger.
Remember to bring: Your passport/ID card and proof of health insurance (e.g., a European Health Insurance Card). You will be required to pay a consultation fee.
For students staying in Norway for more than 6 months
If you are going to study in Norway for more than six months, you will receive a Norwegian national identity number. Once you have received your Norwegian national identity number, you will be assigned a General Practitioner (GP). You can find information about your GP on the Helsenorge website: Information in English – Helsenorge.
Helsenorge is Norway's official public health portal for residents. Here, you can find information about healthcare services, patients' rights, and your assigned GP. To access Helsenorge, you must log in using your Norwegian national identity number and electronic ID (BankID or another approved eID). If you need non-urgent medical assistance, it is recommended that you contact your GP. As a student in Bodø, you may also choose to use the Student Doctor service (Studentlegen).
In the event of a life-threatening emergency
If a serious, life-threatening situation or major accident occurs, do not contact your GP or the emergency clinic.
- Call the Medical Emergency Number immediately: 113 (Available 24/7 and free of charge.)