If you have education from abroad but lack verifiable diplomas, there are special schemes in Norway. HK-dir can assess your competence without complete documentation, and it is free. This guide explains the two main pathways – the UVD scheme and qualification assessment – per 2026.

Many refugees must leave their home country quickly and lose their diplomas along the way. Without papers, it is easy to think that years of education are lost. That is not true. HK-dir stands for the Directorate for Higher Education and Competence, and Norway is committed through the Lisbon Convention to assess competence even when documentation is lacking. The Lisbon Convention is an international agreement on recognition of education. At SamfunnPrep, we want you to know this right.

Two pathways when papers are missing

The short answer: if you have higher education that you cannot fully document, you apply for the UVD scheme. If that does not fit you – for example because your education was interrupted – you can get a qualification assessment. Both are free and conducted by HK-dir.

  • The UVD scheme (recognition for persons without verifiable documentation) is an interview-based recognition for you who have higher education but lack papers that can be verified. It is designed specifically for refugees and people in refugee-like situations.
  • Qualification assessment is an alternative for you who do not meet the requirements of the UVD scheme, often because you have interrupted higher education.

Both schemes are about higher education, that is university and college. If you have vocational or professional training instead, different rules apply.

The UVD scheme: recognition through interview

In the UVD scheme, experts assess your education through conversations and professional tests instead of just papers. Professionals with knowledge of your field talk with you about what you have learned. The goal is a decision on recognition in the same way as with ordinary document-based recognition.

If you come from certain countries, your application is automatically sent to this scheme, because documents from there are difficult to verify. Per 2026, this applies to, among others, Afghanistan, DR Congo, Yemen, Liberia, Libya, Sierra Leone and Somalia. You apply through HK-dir's ordinary application portal for recognition of foreign education, and you are referred further to where it is appropriate. So you do not need to know in advance which scheme is right for you.

Qualification assessment: a standardized proof

A qualification assessment does not end in full recognition, but in a standardized document that describes your highest education, other qualifications, relevant work experience and language skills. The document is valid for three years and can be attached when you apply for a job or education.

Two things make the scheme easy to access:

  • There are no language requirements to participate.
  • You may be asked to submit a CV and work references, or to fill in a mapping form after the conversation.

Such proof helps employers understand what you can do, even if you do not have your diploma in hand. It is not the same as full recognition, but it gives you something concrete to show.

How to get started

  1. Apply for recognition with HK-dir through the digital application portal. Explain clearly that you lack documentation.
  2. Be referred to the right scheme. HK-dir assesses whether you belong to the UVD scheme, a qualification assessment or ordinary recognition.
  3. Participate in conversation and mapping. Tell about education, work and skills as well and honestly as you can. Bring what papers you may have, even if they are incomplete.
  4. Get the decision or document and use it further towards a job and education.

While you wait, you can strengthen your path to work. Learn Norwegian for free and use your rights in the introduction programme, which many refugees have the right and duty to participate in. At SamfunnPrep, we gather such guides in our tools.

What can the result be used for?

Both a decision from the UVD scheme and a document from a qualification assessment are tools for the way forward:

  • Job search. Attach the proof to your application so the employer understands your level, even without a diploma.
  • Further education. Universities and colleges can use the assessment when they consider whether you can be admitted to studies.
  • Planning with NAV and the municipality. An assessment of your competence makes it easier to find the right course, apprenticeship or supplementary education.

Remember that proof of competence is not the same as a job. Often you also need to learn Norwegian and perhaps retake some subjects. But the assessment gives you a concrete starting point instead of starting completely from scratch.

In short

Missing papers do not exclude you. If you have higher education without documentation, the UVD scheme gives interview-based recognition; if that does not fit, a qualification assessment gives a standardized proof that is valid for three years. Both are free, and for certain countries the referral happens automatically.

Rights, education and work are also part of the syllabus for the civic knowledge test – practice for free at SamfunnPrep.