Foreign proficiency certificates

All persons working with dangerous equipment like trucks, cranes and earth moving machines in Norway are required to provide documentation of certified safety training.

Training requirements

Certified safety training is required for the following types of equipment:

  • Gantry cranes and overhead travelling cranes (if use involves danger to life or health).
  • Tower cranes
  • Mobile cranes
  • Portal cranes
  • Cranes with a capacity greater than 2 tm when mounted on a truck or truck trailer
  • Lifting and stacking vehicles for goods with a permanent operator’s cabin on the vehicle (for the Norwegian truck classification, click on the link to the right).
  • Earth moving machines with an effect greater than 15 kW (20.4 hp)
  • Offshore crane

Permit to use a foreign operator’s licence

Proficiency certificates, such as licences or training certificates for trucks, cranes and earth moving machines are not automatically valid in Norway. In order to use a foreign proficiency certificate, you must apply to the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority for a permit. For safety reasons, Norway imposes strict requirements on training before permitting the use of such equipment.

A foreign proficiency certificate may only be used in Norway when accompanied by a permit from the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority.

A permit is to be granted if the applicant can document that the training was conducted as required by the authorities of the country where training took place. Unless specific requirements are imposed by the authorities of the country where the proficiency certificate was issued, a permit shall be granted if the applicant is able to document that he/she has worked with the specific machine categories (truck, crane and/or earth moving machines) for a minimum of one year during the previous ten years.

In some cases, the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority may grant a permit on the sole basis of working experience. This is because working experience may in itself be deemed equivalent to a proficiency certificate in the case of countries that impose no specific requirements on use of this type of equipment.

Normal practice

Proficiency certificates from Nordic countries

Permits to use proficiency certificates from Nordic countries are normally granted when the applicant presents the following documentation:

  • Proof of nationality.
  • A Nordic proficiency certificate (licence, training certificate) required for the equipment concerned in a Nordic country.

Proficiency certificates from other EEA countries

The applicant is permitted to use a proficiency certificate from an EEA country if he/she can document completion of training as required by the authorities of the country where training took place. If the authorities of the country concerned impose no specific training requirements, the applicant will be granted a permit if it can be documented that he/she has worked with the specific equipment for a minimum of one year during the previous ten years.

Applicants must also provide the same documentation as applicants from Nordic countries:

  • Proof of nationality
  • Proficiency certificates (licences, training certificates) required for the equipment concerned in an EEA country.

Proficiency certificates from countries outside the EEA

These proficiency certificates are not normally accepted. Applicants who hold proficiency certificates outside the EEA must contact a certified training facility to receive the training required in Norway.

A list of certified training facilities is available at www.sert555.no

How to apply

The same application process applies to proficiency certificates for trucks, cranes or earth moving machines.

1: Fill in the application form.

Download the application form that you must fill in:

Download application for a permit for use of a foreign proficiency certificate for forklift trucks, cranes and/or earth moving machines – (docx)

Download application for a permit for use of a foreign proficiency certificate for forklift trucks, cranes and/or earth moving machines – (pdf)

2: Enclose copies of the following documentation with your application:

  • Proof of nationality (passport or other ID card).
  • A copy of the proficiency certificate (licence, training certificate)
  • If your country of origin or the country where training took place imposes no specific training requirements, enclose documentation that you have worked with the specific equipment (truck, crane and/or earth moving machine) for a minimum of two years during the previous ten years. Such documentation may be confirmation from a previous employer specifying the period worked by the applicant and the equipment he/she used. If no such confirmation is available, pay slips may be accepted as alternative documentation. The pay slips must in such case specify the period when the work was carried out and the equipment that was used.

The completed application form enclosing the applicant’s contact details is to be sent to:

The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority Central Norway
Postboks 4720 Torgard
7468 Trondheim

The application may also be sent by e-mail to post@arbeidstilsynet.no

Processing time

The decision to permit use of the foreign proficiency certificate must be made at the latest four months after the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority receives all documents concerning the application. The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority must acknowledge receipt of the application and request any missing information within one month of receiving the application.

Provisional permit

EEA citizens who use their foreign proficiency certificate provisionally in Norway must also apply for a permit. However, if the applicant documents that he or she is legally established in an EEA member state and has not been banned from carrying out such activities, the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority must attempt to decide the matter at the latest one month after receipt of the application. If there is a risk of delay, the applicant must be notified within one month concerning the reason for the delay, and be provided with a time schedule for a decision. The decision must be made at the latest two months after receipt of complete documentation by the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority.

If the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority has not made a decision concerning a provisional permit within the time limit, the worker may use the equipment.

The permit

Although you receive a permit from the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority, the proficiency certificate is not converted to a Norwegian proficiency certificate (change of practice from 2013). The permit shall therefore not be forwarded to Norsk kompetanseregister [Norwegian Competence Register] for conversion.

The permit from the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority is to be used in conjunction with the foreign proficiency certificate. Norwegian proficiency certificates are only awarded following the Norwegian certified training.

A list of training establishments providing certified training is available at www.sert555.no

The permit is not in itself sufficient to qualify use of the equipment concerned. The employer is responsible for providing adequate training at the workplace for the tasks to be performed with the equipment concerned.