Youth Health Station (HFU) is a free health service for young people in your municipality. You don't need an appointment, referral, or money. Staff are bound by professional confidentiality. You can come for contraception, testing, difficult thoughts, or questions about your body.
What is a Youth Health Station (HFU)?
Youth Health Station (HFU) is a dedicated health station just for young people. It is located outside school, usually open in the afternoon, and you can visit without an appointment.
This is not the same as the health station for babies and small children. The name is similar, but the age group and services are different.
At HFU, health nurses and doctors work. Some places also have midwives and psychologists. All staff are bound by professional confidentiality (Helsenorge).
You can discuss topics such as:
- body, puberty, and health
- sexuality, gender identity, and relationships
- contraception and pregnancy
- testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STI)
- difficult thoughts, worry, and emotions
- problems at home, violence, or abuse
HFU is not emergency care. In case of life-threatening situations, call 113, and for other emergencies call 116117.
If you are new to Norway and have young people in your family, HFU should be part of your plan early on. SamfunnPrep has a checklist for your first week in Norway with health services you should locate right away.
How old must you be to visit a Youth Health Station?
The national rule is up to 20 years old. All municipalities must provide a health station service for young people up to age 20 (Helsedirektoratet, updated 28 February 2024).
The rule is in the Regulation on municipalities' health promotion and prevention work in health stations and school health services (FOR-2018-10-19-1584). Municipalities must offer the service to children and young people aged 0–20 years.
Helsenorge describes HFU as a service for young people between 12 and 20 years old, and notes that many health stations offer services up to age 25.
Age limits above 20 years are municipal expansions, not a national right. Some municipalities allow up to 23, others 24 or 25. Search for "helsestasjon for ungdom" and your municipality's name to find the address, age limit, and opening hours.
Does it cost anything to visit a Youth Health Station?
No. There is no co-pay at a Youth Health Station. You pay nothing for your visit.
The legal framework is clear. The Health and Care Services Act § 11-2 says that municipalities can only charge fees when required by law or regulation. No regulation allows a co-pay for this service. Furthermore, the regulation's § 3 states: "Municipalities must cover all costs of health station and school health services."
This has a consequence many people don't know about: you do not need an exemption card to visit HFU, and your visit does not count towards your co-pay limit. Exemption cards only apply to services with co-pays. This is how co-pays and exemption cards for doctors in 2026 work for services that do cost money.
Will my parents be told if I visit the health station?
The main rule is that healthcare staff are bound by professional confidentiality, and from age 16 you make your own decisions about healthcare. But there is one exception you should know about, and we explain it openly.
The rules are in the Patients' Rights Act:
- From age 16 you make your own decisions about healthcare (§ 4-3 first paragraph, letter b). The section was renamed to "Who has decision-making authority" following a law change effective 1 June 2026. The old term was "consent capacity."
- Between ages 12 and 16 information must not be given to parents when you "for reasons that should be respected" do not wish it (§ 3-4 second paragraph). In those cases, you also decide for yourself (§ 4-3 first paragraph, letter c).
- Regardless of age parents should not be informed if serious considerations about your welfare speak against it (§ 3-4 third paragraph).
- The exception: if you are under 18 years old, information necessary for parents to fulfill their parental responsibility must still be given. You must be told that the information will be shared (§ 3-4 fourth paragraph). The threshold is high and applies only to serious matters. So "age 16 means complete secrecy" is not correct.
- You should be told both the rules and the exceptions as early as possible (§ 3-4 fifth paragraph).
Feel free to ask right away: "Who can know about this?" You have the right to an answer. See also children's rights and self-determination in Norway.
Can the health station report me to child protection services, police, or UDI?
The main rule is professional confidentiality under the Health Personnel Act § 21. There is one actual duty to report, and it applies to child protection services for serious matters.
Under the Health Personnel Act § 33, healthcare staff must report without undue delay to child protection services if there is reason to believe a child is being abused or has serious deficiencies in daily care, has serious untreated illness or injury, shows serious behavioral problems, or is being trafficked. This rule was changed effective 1 January 2026.
This duty exists to protect you. It is triggered by serious danger or harm. It is not triggered by asking for birth control pills, taking a chlamydia test, or talking about anxiety.
The health station does not verify immigration status, and there is no duty to report to UDI or police for normal use of the service. Confidentiality can only be breached in narrow cases: if you consent (§ 22), or for serious private or public interests, such as preventing serious harm (§ 23).
Free contraception under age 22: rates for 2026
If you are under 22 years old, the national insurance system covers a fixed rate of contraception costs. The scheme applies until the end of the month before you turn 22.
The rates as of 1 January 2026 are (Helsedirektoratet, circular on the National Insurance Act § 5-22):
| Period | Contribution rate (as of 1 January 2026) |
|---|---|
| Three months' supply | 143 kroner |
| Six months' supply | 286 kroner |
| Duration longer than six months (IUD, implant) | 572 kroner per year |
Note two things:
- It is a fixed rate, not full coverage. If your contraception costs more than the rate, you pay the difference yourself.
- You can get a maximum of six months' supply at a time. The exception is extended stays abroad, where the limit is one year.
Contraception must be prescribed by a doctor, health nurse, or midwife. Since 1 January 2022, there is no age limit for health nurses and midwives to prescribe contraception (Helsedirektoratet, updated 21 December 2021). A 15-year-old can therefore get hormonal contraception from the health nurse at HFU without seeing a doctor.
Condoms and lubricant are free and should be readily available at the health station so anyone can take them. The article on contraception and sexual health in Norway explains how the methods work.
Youth Health Station, school health services, or your regular doctor?
HFU and school health services are both free and require no appointment. Your regular doctor costs money from age 16 and requires an appointment.
| Youth Health Station | School health services | Regular doctor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Separate facilities outside school | At your school | Doctor's office |
| When | Often afternoons | During school hours | By appointment |
| Appointment needed | No, drop-in | No, drop-in | Yes |
| Cost | Free | Free | Co-pay from age 16 |
| Who works there | Health nurse, doctor, sometimes midwife and psychologist | Health nurse, sometimes school doctor | Doctor |
| Age | Up to 20 nationally | 5–20 years old | All ages |
School health services are convenient, but they are at school, where classmates see you going in. HFU is not connected to your school. If you prefer more privacy, you can use a health station in a different neighborhood or municipality.
What if you don't have a residence permit?
If you are under 18 years old, you have the right to necessary health and care services from your municipality even without permanent residence, when the child's welfare justifies it (FOR-2011-12-16-1255 § 4). HFU is part of the municipality's health and care service.
If you are 18 years old or older without legal residence, the rules are narrower and must be assessed individually. Then separate rules apply, described in the article on healthcare for undocumented migrants in Norway.
Rights in healthcare, professional confidentiality, and age limits are also topics on the citizenship test. You can practice for free on SamfunnPrep.
