If you have vocational training from abroad, you can apply to HK-dir to get it recognized in Norway. Recognition means your education is considered equivalent to a Norwegian trade or journeyman certificate, and it is free to apply. This guide explains who can apply and how to do it per 2026.

Many who come to Norway have vocational training they cannot use, because employers do not recognize it. Recognition makes your skills visible and can help you find the right job and salary. HK-dir stands for Directorate for Higher Education and Competence, and is the state body that evaluates education from abroad. At SamfunnPrep, we want you to use what you can do.

What is recognition of vocational training?

Recognition is an official assessment that compares your education to a Norwegian apprenticeship trade. HK-dir maps your training and looks at the level, duration and subject content, and decides whether it corresponds to a Norwegian trade or journeyman certificate.

You do not get a Norwegian trade certificate. You get a decision that says your education is considered equivalent to the final competence in a Norwegian apprenticeship trade. This can be attached when you apply for a job, negotiate salary, or participate in public tenders. It is therefore a document that proves what you can do, not the trade certificate itself.

This is different from taking a Norwegian trade certificate as an adult, which is about passing the trade exam in Norway. It is also different from recognition of higher education such as bachelor and master degrees, which follows a separate scheme.

Who can apply in 2026?

The scheme has been built up step by step and covers per 2026 vocational training from nine countries:

  • Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and Germany.

It applies to 26 apprenticeship trades, including:

  • chef, waiter, hairdresser and beautician
  • carpenter, bricklayer, plumber, sheet metal worker and roofer
  • car mechanic, car body technician and industrial mechanic
  • butcher, sausage maker, furniture maker and sales assistant

If your training is from another country or another trade, this scheme does not cover it yet. In that case, you can instead ask HK-dir for a general statement, or have your competence assessed in other ways. HK-dir expands the scheme with more countries and trades over time, so it may be worth checking again later.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Check that you are within the scheme – the right country and trade from the list.
  2. Gather your documents – certificates, trade or journeyman certificates and documentation of practice. If you only have some of the papers, apply anyway and explain the situation.
  3. Translate if necessary. You must pay for authorized translation yourself if the documents are not in a Scandinavian language or English. This is the only cost in the process.
  4. Apply through HK-dir's digital application portal. You log in and upload the documents. The application itself is free.
  5. Wait for the decision. Processing time varies between schemes – follow up in the application portal. If you are rejected, you have the right to appeal the decision.

Once you have recognition, it is useful when you apply for a job in Norway. Attach the decision to your CV and application, so the employer quickly sees what your competence corresponds to.

Good to know before you apply

Some practical tips can save you time:

  • One recognition applies to one apprenticeship trade. If you have competence in several trades, you need to consider what is most relevant for the job you want.
  • Recognition is voluntary. You do not need to have it to work in an unregulated trade, but it significantly strengthens your application.
  • Keep your original documents. Never hand over your only copies – use scans and photocopies.

At SamfunnPrep we gather such practical guides in our tools, so you find your way faster.

Is your trade regulated?

Some trades are regulated in Norway. This means you need a special license or approval to be allowed to work – for example as an electrician, nurse or teacher. Then a normal recognition of vocational training is not enough.

If you work in a regulated trade, you must apply to the authority that controls the trade. Read more in the guide about recognition for regulated professions, which explains who to contact for different trades.

In short

If you have vocational training from one of the nine countries and within the 26 trades, you can get it assessed for free as equivalent to a Norwegian trade certificate at HK-dir. You do not get the certificate itself, but a decision that proves your competence for work and salary. If your trade is regulated, you must also apply to the right authority.

Many of the rules about education, work and the public are also part of the civics exam curriculum – practice for free on SamfunnPrep.