About the recognition

Who needs recognition?

To qualify for the professions in Norway, it is mandatory to have a kindergarten teacher's education or an equivalent qualification in kindergarten/pre-school pedagogy and kindergarten management. A Norwegian kindergarten teacher’s education qualifies for both professions and we give a joint recognition for both head of kindergarten/educational supervisor.

It is only head of supervisor and educational supervisor that are regulated professions in kindergarten, and only these professions require recognition.

There may still be a requirement for recognition if the position is to help fulfil the requirement for pedagogical staffing in kindergarten, even if the position has another name than educational supervisor. The kindergarten should at least have one educational supervisor per seven children under three years of age, and at least one educational supervisor per fourteen children above three years of age. If your position is to contribute to fulfil the requirement for pedagogical staffing, you need to have the recognition as head of supervisor/educational supervisor.

Can I work in kindergarten without recognition?

If you don’t have recognition, you can work as head of supervisor or educational supervisor in kindergarten if your municipality gives you a dispensation from the education requirement. If you apply for a job as educational supervisor in kindergarten, it is up to the employer to apply for dispensation from the municipality. In other words, you can apply for all type if positions in Norwegian kindergartens, also before you receive a recognition.

You can also work as kindergarten teacher or educational supervisor without recognition if the kindergarten has covered the minimum criteria for the number of educational supervisors and your position comes in addition to this.

If you have a kindergarten teacher’s education or similar education from abroad, it can be a good idea to apply and see if you meet the requirements.

If you wish to apply for other positions in Norway, you don’t need a recognition of your professional qualifications from abroad. It is up to the employer to assess if you have the necessary qualifications for other positions that is not regulated by Norwegian law.

What you need to obtain recognition

To get a recognition as head of supervisor and educational supervisor, you need a professional qualification from abroad that is equivalent to the education requirements for both professions, and/or foreign education that is comparable to the Norwegian kindergarten teacher’s education.

We assess if your professional qualification fulfils the requirements on level, scope, subject competency, pedagogical competency, and knowledge, skills and insight of Norwegian societal conditions and kindergarten conditions.

We require that the educational program is within kindergarten/pre-school pedagogy and management in kindergarten, and that the education contains:

• equivalent to 30 Norwegian credits in pedagogy towards children in kindergarten age (0-6)
• supervised teaching practice in kindergarten or pre-school during your education
• social studies, general religious and ethical education
• aesthetic, practical, and social training such as theatre and drama, physical training, and music.
• science subjects such as natural science/environmental studies and mathematics

The requirements on level and scope depends on if you the right to work in the profession in Norway, following EU’s Professional Qualifications Directive. Normally, this applies for people with teaching qualifications from an EEA-country or Switzerland.

In addition, there is also a requirement on knowledge of Norwegian societal conditions and kindergarten conditions.

Knowledge of Norwegian societal conditions and kindergarten conditions

There is also a requirement on knowledge, skills, and insight on Norwegian societal conditions and kindergarten conditions. You can meet this requirement by documenting one year work experience from a kindergarten in Norway.

This requirement does not apply for applicants who have Norwegian, Sami, Swedish, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish or Faeroese as their first language.

If you are a kindergarten teacher or similar from abroad, and want to work in a Norwegian kindergarten, we urge you to apply for recognition as soon as possible, at the same time as you try to find a job in a kindergarten. If your education doesn’t meet all requirements for recognition, you can work with fulfilling more requirements while you work in a Norwegian kindergarten to meet the requirements on knowledge, skills, and insight on Norwegian societal conditions and kindergartens conditions.

Requirements for Norwegian language skills

There are specific national requirements to Norwegian language skills for being employed in a Norwegian kindergarten and there are requirements on Norwegian language skills for working as head of supervisor or educational supervisor.

You don’t need to meet these requirements to get a recognition from us, but an employer will assess if your Norwegian language skills meets the requirement before employment.

What do we need from you?

We need to know what kind of education you have completed, and what qualifications this have given you abroad.

Through the case processing, we will determine what you are qualified for in your study country. We will find out if:

1. you have completed an education that qualifies you for work equivalent to head of supervisor or educational supervisor
2. documents are genuine
3. all documentations are issued to you
4. the education and qualifications meet the recognition requirements

To do this, we need copies of your documents in original language and translations that confirms:

1. who you are: your identity
2. the educations and qualifications you have obtained: your diplomas
3. the content of your educations: transcripts and diploma supplements
4. practical training in kindergarten under education: confirmation on practical training under education from teaching institution or educational authorities if there are no information in the educational documents
5. professional qualification: confirmation that you are a qualified kindergarten teacher or similar in another country
6. Work experience as head of supervisor or educational supervisor in kindergarten in Norway or abroad: work certificate from the head of supervisor or the kindergarten that describes your tasks and responsibility, the duration of your employment (period) and the extent of your employment (percentage of your position).

Read more about the requirements for documentation to be submitted with your application – head of supervisor or educational supervisor in kindergarten.