Health and care services for refugees, asylum seekers and reunited family members

The health service will give special attention to asylum seekers, refugees and reunited family members who come from areas where there is a high risk for certain infectious diseases or, for example, who

• Have been subjected to torture or other serious trauma
• Do not have a family/network
• Are minors and came to Norway alone
• Are pregnant
• Are single parents
• Have been subjected to rape or other sexual violence
• Have been or are at risk of being subjected to genital mutilation
• Have (signs of) mental health problems

Asylum seekers, refugees and reunited family members

Legal residence is not required for persons under the age of 18. By law, illegal residents who are over the age of 18 are only entitled to emergency health care.

The services are free, unless payment of a fee is required by law or regulation.

Patient and interpreter. A brochure about interpretation in the health services

These are statutory services. See:

Chapter 3 Municipal responsibility for health care services of the Health Care Act 

Section 2-1b Right to necessary medical assistance from the specialist health service of the Patient Rights Act.

Forskrift om helsestasjons- og skolehelsetjenesten
Helse- og omsorgstjenesteloven
Pasient- og brukerrettighetsloven

The municipality must ensure that refugees, asylum seekers and reunited family members are offered health care services as part of the primary and specialist health service.

If you feel that you are not receiving the necessary assistance, or are dissatisfied with how the service is rendered, you can submit a complaint to the municipality or directly to the service provider. Explain what you are dissatisfied with and what changes you would like to see.