Information to doctors abroad about Norwegian medical certificates
The County Governor of Rogaland will no longer provide approvals to doctors abroad to issue medical certificates under the old rules. New approvals are now only given to petroleum doctors.
According to the regulations regarding health requirements for people working in the offshore petroleum industry it is required that the doctor has approval as petroleum doctor to issue Norwegian medical certificates.
Approval as a petroleum doctor
To be approved petroleum doctor you must complete mandatory training and pass an exam. The Norwegian Centre for Maritime Medicine is currently the only provider of such training and exams. Link to the center is to the right of this article.
After completing the course and passing the exam, you may apply for approval from the County of Rogaland. Approval as petroleum doctor is for 3 years at a time. There will be a register of approved doctors in the County of Rogaland his website.
An approval as petroleum doctor does not include the right to issue health certificates for divers. Diving doctors are required to take special courses in addition to being approved as petroleum doctor.
Alternatives to issuing the Norwegian medical certificate
The County Governor of Rogaland has decided that the Dutch and British offshore health certificates from December 2012 can be used to travel offshore in Norway. The doctor must have approval from NOGEPA or Oil and Gas UK to issue such health certificates. More information on this can be found in the link to the right of this article.