NAV closed its CV service: what now? CV alternatives in Norway

NAV closed the CV builder, and that creates a vacuum

NAV (the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration) closed the stand-alone CV service on Arbeidsplassen.no on 1 October 2025. It was a lesser-known change that passed without much media coverage, but if you are not being followed up by NAV, you now have to make your CV somewhere else. NAV itself writes on arbeidsplassen.no that "the CV service was closed on 1 October 2025", and refers to Europass instead.

Concretely this means that:

• You can no longer create a new CV at arbeidsplassen.nav.no/cv.
• NAV now recommends Europass (the European Commission's CV system) as a free alternative.
• If you are being followed up by NAV, your CV is still available at nav.no/min-cv.

If you are one of those searching for "alternative to Arbeidsplassen CV" or "replacement for the NAV CV service", this guide helps you.

What the NAV service actually was

For the record, so it's clear where you stand:

Min CV (nav.no/min-cv)

Still exists, but only for people being followed up by NAV. You fill in a standard profile with education, experience and skills. According to the privacy statement for Min CV, it is the NAV adviser who searches the CVs for people who fit a vacancy. Your CV is sent to an employer only if you say yes to that, and the employer can then see it for up to six months.

You can preview and download the CV from Min CV. If you are not being followed up by NAV, you don't have access to it.

Arbeidsplassen CV (closed 2025-10-01)

This was the stand-alone CV builder. It let you fill in data and download a standardised PDF CV. It was the product most people were thinking of when they said "NAV CV". It is gone.

Europass (NAV's official recommendation)

Europass is the European Commission's system, available at europa.eu/europass. It works, and it is free. But it is built for the whole EU and has a very generic template that many Norwegian recruiters see as dated.

What the alternatives actually are

Since the NAV service is gone, you need to choose a replacement. Here are the real alternatives, honestly assessed:

Europass (free, generic)

Available at europa.eu/europass. A Norwegian-language version exists. The templates are limited to one layout that is conservative and looks like an EU template from 2018. ATS-friendly because it is simple.

Recommended if: you want free, and work in the public sector or in industries where a conservative style is expected.

Finn CV (free, integrated)

Available if you have a Finn account (Finn.no is Norway's biggest classifieds and jobs site). Lets you create a profile and use 'Enkel søknad' (Easy application) for Finn vacancies.

Recommended if: you mainly apply for jobs via Finn and just need a basic CV file.

CVapp.no (a localisation of Resume.io)

A Norwegian-localised international player. Many professional templates. Priced from 79 kroner a week, rolling over to roughly 299 kroner a month. Trustpilot reviews warn about unexpected charges.

Recommended if: you want nice templates and are willing to set a cancellation reminder.

Søknadsbasen (Norwegian, integrated)

A Norwegian-built platform with 10 templates, AI cover letters, a pipeline for tracking, and insights. The price is 79 kroner a month, or 299 kroner one-off for 6 months.

Recommended if: you want Norwegian ownership, an integrated cover letter and pipeline, and predictable pricing.

A Word template or Google Docs

Completely free. Takes 1 to 2 hours to set up the first time, works for most roles. ATS-friendly if you keep it simple.

Recommended if: you already have Word or a Google account and just need one CV.

Practical migration: what to do today

If you used the Arbeidsplassen CV before it was closed, there's a good chance you still have an old PDF export somewhere. Here's what to do:

Step 1: Find your existing data

• Check whether you have a CV PDF saved in your email (did you ever send it with an application?).
• Check whether you have a locally saved copy in your Downloads folder.
• Log in to nav.no/min-cv if you are being followed up by NAV. Your CV is still there, and you can download it.

Step 2: Choose a new platform

Choose from the alternatives above based on your needs. If you only need one CV now, consider Europass or a Word template. If you plan to apply for several positions, consider a paid solution.

Step 3: Rebuild the CV

Take the data from the existing PDF (or from your head) and fill in the new platform. Use the opportunity to update the content, many CVs from 2020 to 2024 have old formatting and should be adjusted anyway.

Step 4: Test the PDF

Export to PDF and run the text-copy test: open the file, select all text with Ctrl+A, copy with Ctrl+C, and paste into an empty document. If you see names, titles and bullets in readable form, you are ready.

Why the NAV CV was problematic anyway

Even though many miss the Arbeidsplassen service, it was not without problems. Here is why a switch can be positive:

• A standardised template that looked dated. It looked like a CV from 2010, and recruiters in modern industries (tech, marketing, design) noticed.
• Limited customisation. You couldn't change fonts, colours or layout.
• No integration with cover letters. You had to build the cover letter separately in Word.
• No tracking or pipeline. You had to remember yourself what you had sent and when.

Many users found that a modern platform actually worked better, even though it cost a few kroner a month.

Special cases

You are on unemployment benefit (dagpenger) or work assessment allowance (AAP)

If you are being followed up by NAV, your CV is still on Min CV (nav.no/min-cv), and it pays to keep it up to date. NAV advisers can find it when a vacancy fits, and according to the privacy statement for Min CV, the information can also be used when NAV assesses what help you need and whether you are entitled to unemployment benefit.

For applications, use a separate platform (Søknadsbasen, a Word template, etc.) to make the CV PDF you upload to job portals.

You are a young person under 25

In Oslo, if you are between 13 and 27 you can get free help with your CV and application at UngInfo. At arbeidsplassen.nav.no/ung NAV has gathered vacancies with no experience requirement and articles about applying for jobs. You can make the CV itself in a Word template or in Søknadsbasen.

You are an immigrant with foreign education

The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) approves foreign education and took over the task from NOKUT on 1 January 2023. Most occupations in Norway are not regulated, so often you need no approval. If you do need it, you can find out at HK-dir. For the CV you can use any of the alternatives above, but if you have had your education approved, it should be clearly stated in the education section.

What you choose now

If you are being followed up by NAV, you can download your CV from Min CV. Otherwise the choice is between Europass, Finn CV, paid platforms such as CVapp.no and Søknadsbasen, or a Word template.

If you want a CV builder that tells you when the CV becomes hard for recruitment systems to read, you can create a free account on Søknadsbasen. Søknadsbasen covers the CV, cover letter and tracking on the same platform, so you don't have to juggle three tools in parallel.

Practical: from the NAV CV to Søknadsbasen, step by step

1. If you still have an exported PDF from Arbeidsplassen, open it.
2. Log in to nav.no/min-cv if you are being followed up by NAV, and download the CV or copy out the data.
3. Sign up for free at Søknadsbasen.
4. Build the CV in the CV builder. The free builder uses the default template. With Pro you choose the template yourself, and "ATS Clean" or "Modern Minimal" are closest to the NAV style, if you want to keep continuity.
5. Paste in the data manually, or upload the old PDF for automatic field recognition.
6. Export to PDF and test the text layer.
7. Save copies in several places so you never lose your CV again.

The NAV service is gone. It isn't a catastrophe, but it does require you to make one active decision about where to build your CV now. Choose what fits best for your industry and application volume, and move on.