If you have professional qualifications from another EEA-state or Switzerland and would like to practice your regulated profession as an authorized rock blaster or authorized rock blasting adviser in Norway, you must submit an application for recognition of your professional qualifications to the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) before you can practice your profession in Norway. The same applies to technical blasting advisers, certified pyrotechnicians and certified stage pyrotechnicians who wish to practice their profession in Norway.
From 2021, you can also apply for recognition of your professional qualifications if you have professional qualifications from countries outside the EEA and Switzerland. This only applies to establishment. (Read more about establishment/ temporary and occasional provision of services below.)
You can apply for recognition of your professional qualifications for the following professions:
- Authorized rock blaster
- Authorized rock blasting adviser
- Technical blasting adviser
- Certified pyrotechnician
- Certified stage pyrotechnician
Go to Altinn.no to apply (all applications)
Rules for assessment of your professional qualifications
DSB will assess your professional qualifications in accordance with Act 16 June 2017 no. 69 on the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulations 22 December 2017 no. 2384 on the recognition of professional qualifications. The legislation implements Directive 2013/55/EU.
Additionally, DSB will assess your professional qualifications based on the current requirements for acquiring the profession in Norway. Thus, rock blasters, rock blasting- and technical advisers must meet the requirements in Regulations 15 June 2017 no. 844 on the civilian handling of explosive substances (the Explosives regulations). Certified pyrotechnicians and certified stage pyrotechnicians must meet the requirements in Regulations 26 June 2002 no. 922 on the handling of explosive substances. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the relevant regulations.
Requirements for applicants
Recognition of professional qualifications applies to regulated professions, cf. Act 16 June 2017 no. 69 on the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulations 22 December 2017 no. 2384 on the recognition of professional qualifications. This means that you must already have the professional qualifications that you wish to have recognized. For example, if you apply for recognition of your professional qualifications as an authorized rock blaster, you are required to already be a rock blaster in another country at the time of your application in Norway.
Rock blasting can only be carried out by companies that have employed a sufficient number of authorized rock blasting advisers and rock blasters with a valid certificate. As a minimum, the company shall have one rock blasting adviser who is employed full-time in the company, cf. the Explosives regulations section 79 paragraph two. Everyone working within a regulated blasting profession in Norway is required to have knowledge of, and comply with, the rules that apply to the profession.
Establishment or temporary and occasional provision of services
You must state whether you plan to establish yourself in Norway permanently or if your stay is of a rather temporary nature / you wish to provide temporary services in Norway.
Temporary and occasional provision of services
If you only want to work in Norway temporarily/on a specific project, there are different rules depending on your profession.
- Authorized rock blaster: You can work temporarily in this profession if you are already legally established in an EEA-state or Switzerland and can practice the same profession in this country. To work temporarily as a rock blaster in Norway, you must send an application to DSB. In the application, you must attach the documents listed below. The practice of this profession can cause serious damage to the health or safety of the service recipient, and because of this DSB may check that you are qualified to practice the profession before you start working in Norway. DSB will therefore assess your professional qualifications against the requirements for the regulated profession of authorized rock blaster in Norway.
- Authorized rock blasting adviser and technical blasting adviser: You can work temporarily as a rock blasting adviser or technical blasting adviser if you are already legally established in an EEA-state or Switzerland and can practice the same profession in this country. To practice one of these professions temporarily in Norway, you must send an advance declaration to DSB. In the declaration, you must attach all the documents listed below. DSB will not perform a prior check of your professional qualifications, but we will check that you have submitted all documents and meet the formal requirements. You will then receive confirmation that we have received the declaration and that you can start working temporarily in Norway.
- Certified pyrotechnician and certified stage pyrotechnician: You do not need to apply for approval to work temporarily in Norway as one of these professions, such as at a single event or in a temporary position.
Establishment
If you're not planning to work temporarily in Norway, you must apply for recognition of your professional qualifications for establishment before you can practice your profession in Norway. This applies whether you are going to work permanently in Norway or for a longer period. It applies to all regulated blasting professions. In your application, you must attach all the documents listed below.
Applicants from countries outside the EEA and Switzerland can only get their professional qualifications recognized for the purpose of establishment.
Required documentation and information
- Copy of passport or other proof of identity and nationality.
- Copy of a valid certificate showing that you are a legally established professional in another EEA-state or Switzerland.
- Confirmation from the authority that issued your certificate that the certificate is valid at the time of application and has not expired or been withdrawn. The confirmation must be dated.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV).
- Police certificate of conduct, not older than 3 months, from the country you have practiced your profession. If you have lived in Norway for more than 6 months, you must also send a Norwegian police certificate. Police certificates are only a requirement for applications as authorized rock blaster and authorized rock blasting adviser.
- Information about the course of education for the regulated profession in the country in which you acquired your professional qualifications (name and contact information of school, name of program/studies, period of study, curriculum, practice period duration etc.)
- Information on the type of work you may carry out under the certificate issued for the regulated profession (name and contact information of the issuing authority, requirements for the certificate, what the certificate gives permission to work with etc.)
- Information about the duration and type of work you plan to carry out in Norway, as well as the name of the employer, project title, etc.
- Copy of an original diploma from a relevant education, if certificates are not issued in your country of origin.
You must send these documents when applying for both establishment and temporary and occasional provision of services. However, if you are going to work temporarily in Norway as a professional pyrotechnician or stage pyrotechnician, you do not need to submit documentation to DSB.
DSB only accepts documentation and information that has been translated into Norwegian or English by an approved translator, with the exception of documentation or information in Swedish and Danish.
Power of attorney
If someone other than the applicant sends in the application, a power of attorney must also be attached. An example of this is companies that apply on behalf of their employees.
The power of attorney should include the following:
- Which case the power of attorney applies to
- Contact information (name, address, e-mail and phone number) of the person giving the power of attorney
- Contact information (name, address, e-mail and phone number) of the proxy
- How long the power of attorney is valid for
- Signature from the person giving the power of attorney
- Date and place
Case processing time
Please note that the case processing time only starts after all necessary documentation and information has been received by DSB. It is important that you take into account that the case processing time will vary depending on the type and complexity of the application. The case processing time may increase if you are required to complete certain measures in order to compensate for the significant difference between your competence and what is considered necessary to practice the profession in Norway.