Norway
Regulations on entry, stay, residence, and treatment access for people living with HIV
The categories of restriction are:
- No restrictions on entry or staying.
The types of restriction are:
- No restrictions.
Restrictions on entry to Norway
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on entry to Norway based on HIV status.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Norway does not have any HIV-related restrictions on entry.
Nothing on the website of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington or on the website of the Directorate of Immigration (UDI), suggests an HIV-related restriction on entry.
Restrictions on short-term stay in Norway
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on short-term stay in Norway based on HIV status.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Norway does not have any HIV-related restrictions on short-term stay.
Nothing on the website of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington or on the website of the Directorate of Immigration (UDI), suggests an HIV-related restriction on short-term stay.
Restrictions on long-term stay in Norway
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on long-term stay in Norway based on HIV status.
The website of the Directorate of Immigration (UDI), has personalised checklists for a diversity of permits, which depend on country of origin, age and other criteria. We found nothing to indicate that any HIV-related restriction is in place. See for example Checklist for employee of a humanitarian, non-profit or religious organisation.
According to the Norwegian Immigration Regulations, non-nationals should undergo tuberculosis testing if they remain for more than three months. There is no such suggestion for HIV testing.
The immigration regulations also contain no reference to health requirements to obtain permits or reside in the Norwegian territory. Furthermore, the government has been active in inviting other government to eliminate travel bans.
Historic regulations in Norway
In 2007, Norway’s foreign ministry, together with activists from the HIV community, announced a two-day conference in Oslo at which the various facets of discriminatory entry regulations – particularly with reference to migrants – were discussed.
The foreign ministers of Norway, Sweden and Denmark address their American colleague Condoleezza Rice with an open letter requesting reconsideration of the regulations directed against PLHIV. This is the first time that the dispute was taken to the state level.
Treatment access in Norway
The following summarises available information on access to healthcare for people living with HIV in Norway. There is no evidence that non-nationals are restricted from accessing treatment in the same way as nationals.
According to HIV Norge, people living with HIV are entitled to free HIV treatment and care. This applies to everyone present in Norway, including tourists, students, other visitors, people without legal residence and undocumented persons.
Additional regulations apply if HIV related expenses are not covered by the Norwegian health system. These expenses may be covered by the social welfare office (NAV).
GPs, health centres and sexual assault centres in Norway offer free testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). A list of testing centres is available here.
More information on PrEP is available here.
In-depth information on healthcare in Norway for foreigners is available here.
Sources
The HIV Justice Network's Global HIV Criminalisation Database
People living with HIV may be criminalised in Norway. While there are no HIV-specific laws in force, we are aware of reported prosecutions of alleged HIV ‘exposure’, non-disclosure, and/or transmission under general criminal laws.
Visit the Norway page on the Global HIV Criminalisation Database to see more information about known HIV criminalisation laws in this country, an overview of how the laws are used, and any significant advocacy developments.
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