Norway - Health
Norway Health for Visitors
The healthcare system in Norway is one of the best in the world. You will find both public hospitals and private clinics in the country.
If you are from another EU/EEA country or Switzerland, it is advisable that you bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) with you. The card serves as proof of your entitlement to necessary treatment covered by the Norwegian National Health Service. See further details here.
Note: The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is not valid in Svalbard, so it is highly advised to purchase travel insurance before visiting.
If coming from Australia – you will be entitled to coverage under the National Insurance Act if you become ill while on holiday in Norway. See further details here.
A private insurance to cover expenses in case of sickness while on holiday in Norway must be purchased by nationals of other countries.
Vaccine-Preventable Diseases:
Make sure you are up-to-date on all routine vaccines.
All visitors to Norway are advised to have a vaccination for Hepatitis A & B and Measles.
Other Disesases:
There are reported cases of Tickborne Encephalitis (TBE) in Norway along the coast in the counties of Agder, Telemark, Vestfold and Buskerud. Lyme borreliosis (Lyme disease) is the most common tick-borne disease in Norway. To find out more information, see the webpage of Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Precautions not to be bitten should be taken.
The CDC webpage provides more details.
Food and Water Concern:
All tap water in Norway is safe to drink.
Most running water in Norway’s mountains and forest is generally safe enough to drink, but it is advised to avoid water from pastures or glacier run-off due to potential harmful microorganisms.
Prescription Drugs:
It is recommended to keep medicines in original packaging. If carrying medicines for personal use, you can show a prescription, medical certificate or pharmacy label on the packaging. When travelling within the EEA, you can carry medicines for personal medicinal purposes equivalent to up to one year’s use for each medicine. When travelling from a country outside the EEA, you can carry medicines for personal use equivalent to up to three months’ use for each medicine. For further details, see here.
Emergency Numbers:
Last updated: August 2024
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Clearance August 2024:
We tried to set up a SeaSafe account, but didn’t manage because it seems to be set up for professionals only. We arrived from Scotland without prior notice, then called +4702800. We were transferred to a border force officer, who informed us that we should have notified them by e-mail prior to coming to Norway. The e-mail address for arriving in Agder Province (Southern Norway) is: Agder.grensekontroll@politiet.no
No one needs to take a test before or after entering Norway. The info on here is dated.
Thanks for letting us know Steve – really helpful. Yes I see rules changed last week and we’ve updated the biosecurity section accordingly.
The best pilot guide we used was, in fact, an app downloaded to our iPad and phone: https://www.harbourguide.com.
Norway is very capable when it comes to gas refilling. We found that our existing UK Calor bottles could be refilled with Propane by a professional for the same or less than in the UK. We did not have to buy a Norwegian bottle.
Rorvik and Harstad are where we filled our bottles but it seems like you can do it in most major towns. This site is useful: https://www.mylpg.eu/stations/norway/
To be more precise phasing out is a process as I have explained here: http://59nord.pl/en/radio-2/
It will be finished at the and of the current year, so there is still a good chance that this season visitors to Norway may be able to use their FM receivers.
When it comes to weather forecasts I have elaborated on that here: http://59nord.pl/en/weather-forcast-on-nrk-radio/ and here: http://59nord.pl/en/marine-radio-weather-forecast/
I want to highlight that Norwegian radio has shut down their FM senders from 2017 and the only way to access public radio is by having Dab+ in your boat as this is the only transmission remaining.
To access weather, check VHF Ch 16 where they inform which working channel they will broadcast the weather every day at 9:00, 12:00, 15:00 and 21:00 local time.
Being Norwegian, I would like to expand on your statement about all shoreline being private (Restrictions section).
Few countries, if any, give a sailor better access than Norway. The public intention is to keep all shoreline within 100m open to the public. Deviations from this rule are unfortunately many. Some because of existing buildings when the law was passed, some because of too good lawyers. But the general rule is that you can freely use the shoreline.
You can anchor outside the private property. You can take your dinghy ashore anywhere that is not obviously private. You can spend the day at the shore, collect firewood, and pick berries. All this without asking anybody for permission.
Any “private” signs are most often illegal. With exceptions for the densely populated southeastern part of Norway, the vast majority of the shoreline is free to use.