Norway: digital solutions for Ukrainian refugees

Norway, like other European countries, is experiencing increased demand for services to recognise foreign qualifications and provide career support for refugees and new arrivals, particularly those from Ukraine.

In response, the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills has launched the 'A Clear Path Forward’ project (2025 –29) to develop digital solutions helping Ukrainian refugees enter the Norwegian labour market and make better use of their foreign qualifications.

The project is a response to a 40 % increase in applications for recognition of foreign education since 2022, with Ukrainians accounting for a quarter of new cases. This increase resulted in longer processing times.

At the request of the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion, the directorate is gradually introducing three new integrated services from 2025. These services aim to speed up and better coordinate recognition and career guidance processes for all target groups with foreign qualifications.

The services include turbo evaluation for employers, digital career guidance and a foreign qualifications database.

Turbo evaluation for employers

Available since 23 June 2025, the turbo evaluation service offers a quick, non-binding assessment of foreign educational documents to help employers make faster recruitment decisions. Feedback is delivered within five working days, significantly reducing hiring times and improving candidate matching.

The service provides a brief assessment of the scope and level of the foreign education and whether it is comparable to Norwegian higher vocational or higher education. While the assessment is not legally binding, it serves as a supportive statement for employers. The service only assesses completed education and does not verify document authenticity with the issuing institution. Nevertheless, potential employers will be informed if there are concerns about authenticity.

Digital career guidance tool

The second measure is a digital guidance tool, modelled after the directorate’s regular career guidance service, but tailored for refugees, initially for Ukrainians, though currently available to anyone. The resource, titled 'How to apply for jobs in Norway', has been available in Norwegian, English, and Ukrainian since 30 June 2025.

The tool simplifies job applications and helps users adapt to Norway’s labour market. It provides clear and accessible information, empowering users to control their career pathways. It also increases transparency for refugees and immigrants, offers practical job searching assistance, and directs users to helpful resources.

Foreign qualifications database

Planned for a gradual rollout from 2027, the foreign qualifications database will offer a digital overview of education systems and qualifications from other countries. Designed to support employers, credential evaluators, case managers and guidance counsellors, it will help them to understand and assess foreign education.

As a central, scalable platform, the database will collect, store, and share information about foreign education. Serving as a single data source, it will streamline updates, ensure data quality, and provide consistent answers across services.

Sharing data internally and externally will reduce the need for individual recognition statements, as reliable information will already be available to employers and institutions. In short, this database can become a cornerstone for efficiency, transparency, and collaboration.

This approach may also be relevant for other European countries seeking digital solutions for faster skills assessment and improved refugee support.

Read more:

• A clear path forward project
• Turbo assessments for employers
• How to apply for jobs in Norway

• How can we help Ukrainian refugees use the skills they already have?