Special Instructions and FAQs for Applicants to the Helsedirektoratet (Norwegian Directorate of Health)

Special Instructions

ECFMG partners with the Helsedirektoratet (Norwegian Directorate of Health) to primary-source verify medical education credentials of internationally educated physicians who are applying for registration to practice medicine in Norway. If you are applying for registration with the Directorate and you completed your medical education in a country located outside of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA), you must have certain required credentials verified through EPIC.

If you submitted an application to the Directorate prior to September 1, 2016, and your medical credentials were submitted for verification through ECFMG’s International Credentials Services (EICS), your credentials will continue through the EICS process until either they are verified or attempts to have them verified have been exhausted.

To have your credentials verified through EPIC in support of an application to the Directorate, complete the following steps:

Step 1 – Submit your application for registration to the Helsedirektoratet (Norwegian Directorate of Health).

For more information on applying to the Directorate for registration to practice medicine in Norway, please visit https://helsedirektoratet.no/english/authorisation-and-license-for-health-personnel.
Step 2 – Establish an EPIC Account.

See Getting Started for complete instructions. Once ECFMG has processed your request and established your EPIC Account, ECFMG will e-mail you login information so you can access your EPIC Account.
Step 3 – Confirm your identity with EPIC.

See Confirming Your Identity with EPIC for detailed information. Confirming your identity with EPIC requires you to submit an EPIC Identification Form (EIF). Once this form has been accepted by ECFMG, you will be able to upload credentials required by the Directorate to EPIC for primary-source verification.
Step 4 – Upload the credentials required by the Directorate and select the Directorate to receive an EPIC Report for each credential.

Log in to your EPIC Account and upload the following credentials for primary-source verification:
- Final Medical Diploma
- Final Medical School Transcript
For more information on the credentials verified through EPIC, see Using EPIC.

As you upload each required credential, be sure to select the Helsedirektoratet (Norwegian Directorate of Health) to receive an EPIC Report once the credential is verified. Request reports only for those credentials that the Directorate requires.

Please note: It is very important that you select the Directorate to receive an EPIC Report for each required credential, as you upload it. If you do, an EPIC Report on that credential will be automatically sent to the Directorate when the credential is verified. If you do not select the Directorate to receive an EPIC Report on a credential at the time you upload it, you will be required to send an EPIC Report to the Directorate once your credential is verified.

The Directorate may also require verification of additional credentials in support of your application. If additional credentials require verification, the Directorate will contact you to let you know.

Note that if your credentials have already been primary-source verified by ECFMG for ECFMG Certification or through ECFMG’s International Credentials Services (EICS), you do not need to upload the credentials that were previously verified by ECFMG. These credentials will be added to your EPIC Portfolio at no cost. Simply provide your ECFMG/USMLE ID and/or EICS ID when you establish your EPIC Account. ECFMG will review your file typically within 10 business days; if your file is acceptable, ECFMG will add your previously verified credentials to your EPIC Portfolio.
Step 5 – Ensure reports on all required, verified credentials have been sent to the Directorate.

If you selected the Directorate to receive an EPIC Report when a credential was uploaded, that report will be sent to the Directorate automatically when the credential is verified.

If you did not select the Directorate to receive an EPIC Report at the time you uploaded the credential, you must go to the “My Reports” tab in your EPIC Account and request an EPIC Report for the Directorate. Be sure to select the Helsedirektoratet (Norwegian Directorate of Health) from the drop-down list when sending your report or your request will be rejected.

If you have any questions regarding EPIC and the EPIC verification process, please contact EPIC at info@ecfmgepic.org or +1 (215) 966-3900. Telephone assistance is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time in the United States.

If you have questions regarding the Directorate’s application processes, please contact the Directorate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please also read the general Frequently Asked Questions in the For Physicians section of the website.

About Applying to the Helsedirektoratet (Norwegian Directorate of Health)

I am applying to the Directorate for registration; do I need to use EPIC?

Medical graduates applying for registration to the Directorate who completed their medical education in a country located outside of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) will need to create an EPIC Account and have the credentials (qualifications) required by the Directorate verified through EPIC.

When do I need to start using EPIC?

If you completed your medical education in a country located outside of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) and wish to apply for registration with the Directorate, you will need to create an EPIC Account and have the credentials (qualifications) required by the Directorate primary-source verified through EPIC beginning September 1, 2016.

I already submitted an application to ECFMG’s International Credentials Service (EICS) in support of my application to the Directorate; do I need to have my credentials (qualifications) primary-source verified through EPIC?

If you submitted your credentials to ECFMG for verification through EICS prior to September 1, 2016, you do not need to create an EPIC Account and have your credentials primary-source verified through EPIC. Your credentials will continue through the EICS process until either they are verified or attempts to have them verified have been exhausted. Verification through EICS includes the initial request for verification and up to three reminders, as needed. If attempts to have your credentials verified through EICS are unsuccessful after all attempts have been exhausted, you will need to create an EPIC Account and upload the unverified credentials to EPIC if you wish to have them verified.

Which credentials (qualifications) do I need to submit to the Directorate through EPIC?

Credentials required in support of your application to the Directorate include:

Final Medical Diploma
Final Medical School Transcript

The Directorate may also require verification of additional credentials in support of your application. If additional credentials require verification, the Directorate will contact you to let you know.

If you have questions regarding the credentials you are required to submit, please contact the Directorate.

How soon after applying to the Directorate should I upload my credentials (qualifications) to EPIC?

We recommend that you create an EPIC Account and upload your credentials to EPIC as soon as possible after applying to the Directorate. Through EPIC, your credentials are verified directly with the issuing institution. The time required to complete the verification of credentials varies and depends on a number of factors, including the time it takes for the issuing institution to respond to our verification requests.

About Using EPIC

Will I have access to my medical credentials (qualifications) after I apply to the Directorate?

Yes. The credentials that you upload to EPIC remain available to you as part of your EPIC Portfolio. You can use EPIC to send copies of these credentials along with reports verifying their authenticity to organizations worldwide at any time throughout your career.

Will the Directorate have access to my EPIC Portfolio?

No. The Directorate will not have direct access to your EPIC Portfolio. The Directorate will have access only to the credentials (qualifications) and verification reports that you make available to them through EPIC.

I requested that an EPIC Report be sent to the Directorate. How do I know if the Directorate received the verification report and a copy of my credential?

When an EPIC Report is sent to the Directorate, the Directorate will have access to the report and a copy of your credential through the EPIC Report Portal. If you need to confirm whether the Directorate has accessed your report through the Report Portal, contact the Directorate.

Can verification of my credentials (qualifications) already submitted through EICS be completed using EPIC?

If you submitted your credentials to ECFMG for verification through EICS prior to September 1, 2016, you do not need to have your credentials verified through EPIC. Your credentials will continue through the EICS process until either they are verified or attempts to have them verified have been exhausted. Verification through EICS includes the initial request for verification and up to three reminders, as needed. If attempts to have your credentials verified through EICS are unsuccessful after all attempts have been exhausted, you will need to create an EPIC Account and upload the unverified credentials to EPIC if you wish to have them verified.

Do I need to use EPIC when applying to the Directorate if my credentials (qualifications) have already been verified by ECFMG for a purpose other than applying to the Directorate?

If your credentials have already been primary-source verified by ECFMG for ECFMG Certification or through ECFMG’s International Credentials Services (EICS), you will need to create an EPIC Account and use EPIC to provide your credentials and verification reports to the Directorate. However, you will not need to upload the credentials that were previously verified by ECFMG; they will be added to your EPIC Account at no cost. Simply provide your ECFMG/USMLE ID and/or EICS ID when you establish your EPIC Account. ECFMG will review your file typically within 10 business days; if your file is acceptable, ECFMG will add your previously verified credentials to your EPIC Portfolio. You can then use EPIC to request that verification reports on the required credentials be provided to the Directorate. Please note that you must submit your application for registration to the Directorate before you request EPIC Reports and, unless otherwise instructed by the Directorate, you should not send EPIC Reports until all of the required credentials have been verified.

If I have questions or problems regarding EPIC, should I contact EPIC or the Directorate?

If you have questions regarding EPIC’s services—such as creating an EPIC Account, uploading your credentials (qualifications), managing your portfolio, the verification process, sending verification reports, or fees—please contact EPIC at info@ecfmgepic.org or +1 (215) 966-3900. Telephone assistance is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time in the United States.

If you have questions regarding applying to the Directorate—such as necessary documentation, required qualifications, or registration categories—please contact the Directorate.