Recognition of foreign professional education in the fire and rescue services
The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) can recognize foreign education as equivalent to the education at the Norwegian Fire and Rescue Academy. This also applies to the performance of tasks within chimney sweeping and inspection of heating systems.
Professions
You can apply for recognition of your professional qualifications within the following professions:
- Firefighter
- Chief Fire Officer
- Journeyman in sweeping chimneys/ies
- Fire prevention personnel
- Deputy Chief Fire Officer Operations
- Deputy Chief Fire Officer Prevention
- Control room operator
- Incident commander
- Crew Commander/Leading Firefighter
Follow the link for the relevant occupation to get to the application form.
Documentation
Documentation to be attached to the application:
- CV, including personal data, education (with dates) and relevant practice (with dates) for the specific profession
- Copy of certificate or diploma confirming the qualification
- Copy of the curriculum for the education
- Copy of certificate of employment confirming completed apprenticeship. (If relevant in the country where the education was obtained.)
- Copy of certificate, craft certificate, journeyman's certificate, or vocational training certificate for the qualification.
- Copy of certificate of employment from current or previous employers, confirming completed practice
In order to carry out the assessment and confirm that the education is sufficient to practice the profession, the documentation must include the content of the education (curriculum or similar) from the educational institution, and your practice.
If it is very difficult to compare the foreign education with the Norwegian, DSB will reject the application.
DSB only accepts documentation and information that has been translated into Norwegian or English by an approved translator, this does not however apply to Swedish and Danish documentation or information.
Case processing time
- You will receive a confirmation that we have received the application within 1 month after the application has been received.
- You will receive an answer to your application within 3 months after DSB has received a complete application.
Police certificate and security clearance
Please note that pursuant to § 18 of the Fire and Explosion Protection Act, there will be a requirement for an exhaustive police certificate and good conduct in the event of employment in the fire and rescue service. In addition, there can be a requirement for security clearance for work at some of the Fire Brigades and at some of the 110 Emergency communications centrals.
Regulations for assessment of your professional qualifications
The statutory qualification requirements for persons who shall work within the fire and rescue services are set out in the regulations concerning the organization, staffing and equipment of the fire and rescue service and the emergency call centers 15th September 2021 no. 2755 (the fire and rescue service regulations), in compliance with the Fire and Explosion Prevention Act 14th June 2002 nr. 20.
In § 36 it is stated that DSB can recognize education as equivalent to the Norwegian education at the Norwegian Fire and Rescue Academy.
Persons who work within the fire and rescue services exercise public authority. Act relating to recognition of professional qualifications (the Professional Qualifications Act) does not apply for professions that exercise public authority.
However, if DSB evaluate and find that the education can be regarded equivalent or sufficient to practice the profession in Norway, and it seems that there are no security matters, DSB can recognize your education, in accordance with Regulations December 22 2017 no. 2384 on the recognition of professional qualifications and Act 16 June 2017 no. 69 on the recognition of professional qualifications (the Professional Qualifications Act), (Directive 2013/55/EU).
Recognition of foreign vocational education and training, foreign tertiary vocational education, and higher education
The fire and rescue service regulations require for certain professions a certain level of education. If you have a higher education from abroad, you can apply the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills for recognition of your higher education. Your education programme will then be evaluated against the Norwegian degree structure.
If your education programme is recognized as a higher education in Norway, you will receive a decision from the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. The decision describes the duration of the education programme, the number of credits it is worth and if it is equivalent to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD.
The recognition does not say anything about the academic content of your education programme. The Directorate for Higher Education's general recognition of higher education is intended as an aid for those who wish to enter the Norwegian job market. Please, find more information at https://hkdir.no/en or e-mail: post@hkdir.no