Pregnancy check-up

When you are pregnant, as part of routine prenatal care in Norway, you will be given appointments for regular pregnancy health checkups, called ”svangerskapskontroll”. You decide whether you want to see a midwife, doctor or go to the public health clinic. You can find more information in the brochure Are you pregnant? Are you expecting a child? (pdf)

Fatherhood and motherhood

If a couple are married when their child is born, the man is automatically considered the father to the child. If a couple are separated or not married, the man may declare himself as the father at a pregnancy check-up or in connection with the birth of the child. You can read more about parenthood and parental responsibility on the Ministry of Children and Equality's website. 

Birth certificate, identification number and naming a baby

When a child is born, the hospital reports the birth to the Norwegian Tax Administration. The Norwegian Tax Administration assigns the child a Norwegian identification number and sends a request to the mother to choose a name for the child. After the child’s name has been registered, the Norwegian Tax Administration sends a birth certificate to the child’s parents in the mail. 

Children born abroad

If you are Norwegian parents who have had children abroad, you must report to a tax office together with the child when you return to Norway. This is required for the child to be registered as being resident in Norway.

A child is a Norwegian citizen by birth if one of the parents is a Norwegian citizen at the time of the birth.

Parental responsibility

Married parents automatically share formal parental responsibility for their children. Cohabitants also have automatic joint responsibility for children born after 1 January 2006. When parents are not married and do not have the same registered residential address, the mother of the child is automatically given sole responsibility for the child.

Parental benefit 

Parental benefit is financial assistance intended to ensure parents an income in connection with the birth or adoption of a child. You are entitled to parental benefit if you have been employed and have received a pensionable income for at least six of the ten months prior to the start of the benefit period. 

If you are employed, the parental benefit basis is normally calculated on the basis of your income at the start of the leave period. You can use Nav’s benefit calculator (in Norwegian only) to calculate how much you will receive in parental benefit payments.

The total benefit period for parental benefit in connection with a birth is 49 weeks at 100 percent coverage, and 59 weeks at 80 percent coverage. The quota for paternity leave and maternity leave is 15 weeks each.

When the benefit period starts in 2019 and you have chosen 80 percent coverage, the quota for each of the parents is 19 weeks. The total benefit period is still 59 weeks when you chose 80 percent coverage.

Apply for parental benefit or lump-sum payment digitally (in Norwegian only).

Lump-sum payment for a birth or adoption

If you are expecting a baby and you have had no income teh last year, you can receive a lump-sum payment. Use this wizard to find out if you are have the right to parental benefit or a lump-sum payment (in Norwegian only).

Kindergarten care

The entitlement to a place in a kindergarten applies to children who turn one year old no later than the end of November in the year that they apply for a place. Children born after November will be entitled to a place in the following year. 

You can find information and application form on the municipal authority’s website (municipalityname.kommune.no).

Child benefit and cash benefit for parents of infants

Most people do not need to apply for child benefit. If the child was born in Norway, the mother is automatically granted entitlement to child benefit from NAV roughly two months after the child is born. You can find information about child benefit and cash benefit for parents of infants on Nav’s web site.