Haukeland University Hospital Careers, Salaries & Jobs

Haukeland University Hospital (Haukeland universitetssjukehus) is run by the hospital trust Helse Bergen, owned by the Western Norway Regional Health Authority (Helse Vest).

Its 2024 annual report describes it as the regional hospital for Western Norway, covering local, regional and selected national specialist services. Its local area is 18 municipalities with about 434,000 inhabitants, according to its own figures.

Helse Bergen says it has over 13,000 employees, including 1,700 physicians and 4,200 nurses. In 2025 it reported about 5,000 births, 73,000 inpatient stays, 750,500 outpatient contacts and 33,000 operations. In Newsweek's World's Best Hospitals 2026 it was ranked 3rd in Norway.

Its specialist roles include the national treatment service for advanced burn care and, since 2025, one of Norway's two proton therapy centres, which treats patients from Western and Central Norway.

Helse Bergen has a page for foreign employees, written in Nynorsk. It sets out a clear language rule: health personnel with patient contact must speak and write Norwegian at the level required for university entrance (studiekompetanse). It also lists the documents you need before starting, including Norwegian authorisation where required.

Founded

1912 (first patients in January 1912)

Run by

Helse Bergen HF, owned by the Western Norway Regional Health Authority (Helse Vest)

Leadership

• Marit Lieng, Administrerande direktør (chief executive)
• Clara Gjesdal, Viseadministrerende direktør (deputy chief executive)

Awards and rankings

• Newsweek World's Best Hospitals 2026: ranked 3rd in Norway (Newsweek).

Switchboard

+47 55 97 50 00

• Proton therapy

  Haukeland runs one of Norway's two proton therapy centres; patients from Helse Vest and Helse Midt-Norge are treated in Bergen. The first Norwegian patients were treated in spring 2025.

• Advanced burn care

  The national treatment service for advanced burn injury treatment, with a burns unit that has four intensive care beds.

• Regional hospital functions

  Haukeland is the regional hospital for Western Norway, providing local, regional and selected national specialist services.

• Cancer care

  The Cancer Clinic (Kreftklinikken) runs radiotherapy, including in the new proton building.

• Children and young people

  The trust's 2024 annual report describes its children's and youth hospital at Haukeland.

• Helse Bergen does not describe an international recruitment programme. Its 'Utanlandske tilsette' (foreign employees) page lists the requirements and points applicants to the Service Centre for Foreign Workers (SUA) for permits and tax.
• Its language rule depends on the job. Health personnel with patient contact must be able to speak and write Norwegian at the level required for university entrance; other health staff without patient contact must communicate adequately in Norwegian; for other posts, the requirement is assessed case by case.
• Before starting you need a valid residence and work permit, Norwegian authorisation where the job requires it, a police certificate for work with children or vulnerable people, vaccination documentation and, where relevant, security clearance.
• All vacancies are on the Webcruiter portal. Helse Bergen also runs LIS1 recruitment for doctors and trainee programmes for newly qualified nurses.

• Norwegian authorisation. Doctors, nurses, midwives and the other authorised professions need authorisation (autorisasjon) or a licence (lisens) from the Norwegian Directorate of Health (Helsedirektoratet). With an education from outside the EU/EEA, the Directorate first decides whether your education is equivalent, then you must complete the additional requirements: Norwegian at B2, a course in Norwegian health services and legislation, and for doctors, nurses, dentists and pharmacists a medicines-handling course, plus a professional test (fagprøve) for doctors, nurses and dentists. You have three years to complete them once your education is accepted.

• Norwegian. Helse Bergen requires spoken and written Norwegian at university-entrance level for health personnel with patient contact. The authorisation route requires Norwegian at B2.

• Residence permit. Non-EU/EEA citizens use UDI's skilled worker permit, which needs a concrete job offer and, where the job requires authorisation, Helsedirektoratet authorisation. If you apply from abroad, the employer first confirms the job offer to UDI and gives you a code for your application.

• Processing time. Helsedirektoratet states a processing time of 23 months for applicants educated outside the EU/EEA, and says a job offer is not grounds for priority. Plan your job search around this.

• Other documents. A police certificate where the role involves children or vulnerable people, vaccination documentation and security clearance where applicable.

1. 1

   Apply for authorisation

   Apply to Helsedirektoratet. With an education from outside the EU/EEA, expect an equivalence decision followed by the additional requirements, including the fagprøve for doctors and nurses.
2. 2

   Learn Norwegian

   Aim for B2 on all parts of the Norwegian test, which also meets the authorisation requirement. Helse Bergen expects university-entrance level for patient-facing posts.
3. 3

   Search Webcruiter

   Find Helse Bergen vacancies on Webcruiter. Nurses can also use the joint advertisement for nurses, social educators and health workers.
4. 4

   Prepare documents

   Have your authorisation, permit, police certificate and vaccination records ready before you start.
5. 5

   Permit and arrival

   Apply for UDI's skilled worker permit if you are from outside the EU/EEA, and use SUA in Bergen for permits and tax registration.