Benefits
Child benefit
Financial support when you have children under age 18.
Legislative amendment for retroactive payment of child benefit
From 1 July 2024, the rules concerning retroactive payment of child benefit were amended. Under the new rules, child benefit may be paid retroactively for up to three months.
If you apply before 1 October 2024, however, you application will be considered under the old rules. Under the old rules, child benefit could be paid retroactively for up to three years.
- Child benefit can be paid to the child’s mother or father.
- Foster parents, other caregivers or child welfare institutions can also qualify for child benefit, provided the child lives with them (beyond three months).
In order to qualify for child benefit, your child must live in Norway. If your child stays in Norway for a continuous period of at least 12 months, your child will be considered to live in Norway.
Separate rules apply to EEA citizens.
Are you a foreign worker in Norway?
As a foreign worker in Norway, you could qualify for child benefit in some situations.
When the entire family lives in Norway, and you will be living here for more than 12 months, you may qualify for child benefit. This applies to all foreign nationals who are resident in Norway, registered in the National Population Register, and have a residence permit or other legal residence.
If you are an EEA citizen or a family member of an EEA citizen* and you work in Norway, you may qualify for child benefit even if your stay in Norway will be shorter than 12 months.
* If you are an EEA citizen or a family member of an EEA citizen, you are subject to the EEA Regulation that applies for this benefit. Nordic conventions and certain social security agreements may entail that citizens of non-EEA countries who are not considered family members of an EEA citizen are also covered by the EEA Directive.
If the parent who lives in the other EEA country is working or receiving a benefit deemed equivalent to work, and this person is entitled to child benefit in the EEA country, Nav will cover the difference between the Norwegian benefit and the benefit paid by the other EEA country.
If the parent who lives in the other EEA country is not working or receiving benefits deemed equivalent to work, you will be entitled to full payment of child benefit from Norway.
EEA citizens who work on a Norwegian ship or on the Norwegian continental shelf have the same rights as foreign workers who work on the Norwegian mainland. The exception is sailors who live in Latvia, Poland and Romania who work on board ships registered in the Norwegian International Ship Register. For these, the social security arrangements in Latvia, Poland or Romania apply.
If you do not live with the rest of your family and the other parent also applies for child benefit, Nav will pay the child benefit to the parent with whom the child lives.
You may qualify for child benefit from Norway if the other parent works or receives national insurance benefits or pensions from Norway. This also applies if you and the other parent are divorced, separated or have never lived together.
You can apply in the country you live, or send an application directly to Nav.
When Nav has received your application, Nav must normally collect information from your country of residence, including information on whether you or the other parent are receiving child benefit or an equivalent benefit from this country.
In some countries there is a central institution that will respond to these types of enquiries, whereas in others they are handled at regional or local levels. That is why you must specify the municipality and region, county, state or similar where your family lives.
If you live alone with the child, the child benefit will be paid to you.
If you are a single parent, you may also qualify for extended child benefit.
New practice from 1 January 1994 under EEA rules
These changes entail, among other things, that a parent who lives with the child in another EEA country, may independently qualify for both ordinary and extended child benefit if the other parent is a member of Norwegian national insurance.
Please contact Nav if you think this may apply to you and you want us to reconsider your right to child benefit.
Read more about the new practice and how to contact us: New practices for family benefits (in Norwegian)
If your employer in another EEA country has sent you to Norway on an assignment, you do not qualify for child benefit in Norway. The reason is that you still have your employer in the EEA country, and you are still a member of social security in this country.
If you have a spouse or cohabiting partner who also moves to Norway, and who is considered a resident in Norway according to EEA regulations, they may qualify for child benefit even if they stay in Norway for less than 12 months. Nav will consider the specific circumstances in each case to determine whether you are considered resident in Norway under EEA rules. When we assess residency, we consider, among other things, the duration of your stay, your family connections, and your housing situation.
If your spouse or cohabitant partner and your child moves to Norway, and your spouse or partner takes up work here, they will become a member of Norwegian national insurance scheme. This means they may qualify for child benefit even if the stay in Norway for less than 12 months.
If your employer has sent you on an assignment to Norway, you are not entitled to child benefit in Norway. The reason for this is that you still have an employer in the other country, and you are still a member of the social insurance scheme there.
If your spouse or cohabitant partner and your child moves to Norway, and your spouse or partner takes up work here, they will become a member of Norwegian national insurance scheme. They may then qualify for child benefit.
In this chapter
Ordinary child benefit is a fixed amount per child.
From 1 September 2024 these rates apply:
| Child’s age | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Under 6 years old | NOK 1,766 |
| Over 6 years old | NOK 1,766 |
From and includning 1 January 2024 until 31 August 2024
| Child’s age | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Under 6 years old | NOK 1,766 |
| Over 6 years old | NOK 1, 510 |
From and includning 1 july 2023 until 31 December 2023
| Child’s age | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Under 6 years old | NOK 1,766 |
| Over 6 years old | NOK 1, 310 |
From and including 1 March 2023 until 30 June 2023
| Child’s age | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Under 6 years old | NOK 1,723 |
| Over 6 years old | NOK 1,083 |
From and including 1 January 2022 until 28 February 2023
| Child’s age | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Under 6 years old | NOK 1,676 |
| Over 6 years old | NOK 1,054 |
From and including 1 September 2021 until 31 December 2021
| Child’s age | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Under 6 years old | NOK 1,654 |
| Over 6 years old | NOK 1,054 |
From and including 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021
| Child’s age | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Under 6 years old | NOK 1,354 |
| Over 6 years old | NOK 1,054 |
From 1 March 2019 to 31 August 2020
| Child’s age | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Under 6 years old | NOK 1,054 |
| Over 6 years old | NOK 1,054 |
Through February 28, 2019
| Child’s age | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| All children | NOK 970 |
When the parents have a written agreement for dual residence for the child, you may share the child benefit equally between yourselves. Both parents must apply in order for the child benefit to be shared.
If you have more than one child, you decide whether you want to apply for shared child benefit for the children, or whether you want to apply for full child benefit for each of the children.
If you are a single parent, you may also qualify for extended child benefit (in Norwegian).
You can be granted child benefit from the month after the child’s birth, or from the month after you meet the conditions, if the right to child benefit arises at a later date. Child benefit is paid through the month before the child turns 18 years old.
If you stop meeting the conditions for child benefit before the child turns 18 years old, child benefit will be paid through the month you stop meeting the conditions.
Child benefit can be paid retroactively up to 3 months from the date of application. The conditions for retroactive payment must be met, and child benefit cannot have been paid for the child to another person or institution during this period. In exceptional cases, child benefit can be paid retroactively for up to three years from the date of application. This applies, for example, if you have received incorrect information from Nav.
Legislative amendment for retroactive payment of child benefit
From 1 July 2024, the rules concerning retroactive payment of child benefit were amended. Under the new rules, child benefit may be paid retroactively for up to three months.
If you apply before 1 October 2024, however, you application will be considered under the old rules. Under the old rules, child benefit could be paid retroactively for up to three years.
Other options
More information for you who (in Norwegian):
You usually do not need to apply for child benefit. If the child was born in Norway, child benefit will automatically be paid to the child’s mother.
You must submit an application in some situations. This includes when:
- you may qualify for extended child benefit
- the parents want the child benefit to be paid to the child’s father instead
- the parents have a written agreement for dual residence and want to share the benefit
- you have been appointed legal guardian for the child. In this situation, the child should be listed as the applicant
- you are the child’s foster parent
- the child’s mother is not registered as a resident in Norway
- the child was not born in Norway
- the child is older than six months when the right to child benefit activates
- the father of the child receives or has received child benefit for other children
- the rules of the EEA Agreement or other social security agreements should be applied to the child’s situation
The application will specify what kind of documentation and attachments you need to include.
Please contact Nav if you want more information and guidance, and/or if you need help filling out the applicaiton.
If you want to share the child benefit because the child has a divided residence, you must include the written agreement for divided residence.
If you or your child is a foreign national, you must include documentation of legal residence.
If you are applying for child benefit under EEA rules or the Nordic Convention, you must include the Supplementary form for claims for payment of child benefit and/or cash benefit based on export rules under the EEA Agreement.
If you are asylum seekers, you must include confirmation from the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) of your asylum seeker status.
If the child lives abroad, you must include the child’s birth certificate.
If you are a foster parent, you must include documentation of foster care status.
If the child lives in a child welfare institution, you must include documentation of the child’s placement in the child welfare institution. The institution must be the applicant.
If the child was adopted, you must include documentation of the date on which you assumed custody.
If one parent is in prison, you must include documentation of a prison sentence or order to remain in custody on remand for a period of at least 6 months.
If one parent is missing, you must include documentation confirming that the parent has been missing for at least 6 months.
If the child is not registered as resident in the Norwegian National Population Register, you must include a certificate from your home country confirming that you are the parent of the child you are applying for benefits for (birth certificate). This certificate must be issued by the population register or other competent authority in your home country.
In addition, you must include:
- ID number and address in your home country for you, the child and the other parent
- documentation of your employment (copy of employment contract)
If you are self-employed, you must include:
- copies of order confirmations and invoices for the period before VAT registration
- ledger overview for the period after VAT registration
- a certificate of registration for your enterprise from the Brønnøysund Register Centre
Supplementary form for claims under the EEA Agreement
Use this form if you work in Norway and your child lives in another EEA country. Submit the form as an attachment to your application.
Supplementary form for disbursement of benefits in another EEA country
Use this form if you work in Norway and your child lives in another EEA country. The form is attached to the application.
You will receive a written decision when Nav has processed your application.
As a rule, children born in Norway are eligible for child benefit. Payment of this begins automatically no later than two months after birth.
Processing time for applications
The processing time is the time from when we receive your application until we have made a decision. Remember that we need all the necessary documentation to process your application.
In some cases, we need documentation from EEA member states and other countries with which Norway has a social security agreement. The processing time may be longer in these cases because we have to collect documentation from foreign authorities (SED documents).
| Case concerns | Expected case processing time |
|---|---|
| Application | 4 months |
EEA application | 9 months |
Have you received a decision from us that you think is wrong? You can complain to the Nav Unit that issued the decision. They will reassess your case. If they do not agree with your complaint, they will forward it to the Nav Appeals Management Unit.
Complain about a decision
The decision will have information about how to proceed if you want to complain, where to send your complaint and the term of complaint. If you have questions about the decision, you can contact us.
Appeal a decision
If you disagree with the decision of your complaint from the the Nav Appeals Management Unit, you can, with some exceptions, appeal the decision. The deadline for appealing is stated in the decision.
You can also use a lawyer or give a power of attorney to a person who complains on your behalf.
Processing time for complaints and appeals
Have you received a decision from us that you think is wrong? You can complain to the Nav Unit that issued the decision. They will reassess your case. If they do not agree with your complaint, they will forward it to the Nav Appeals Management Unit.
| Case concerns | Expected case processing time |
|---|---|
Complaint to the Nav unit | 10 weeks |
Complaint to the Nav Appeals Management Unit | 12 weeks |
Appeals to the Nav Appeals Management Unit | 12 weeks |
Child benefit is paid monthly.
Please be aware that these dates are when Nav guarantees you will have the money in your account.
| Payment dates in 2024 |
|---|
| 31. January |
| 29. February |
| 26. March |
| 30. April |
| 31. May |
| 28. June |
| 31. July |
| 30. August |
| 30. September |
| 31. October |
| 29. November |
| 16. December |
In your payment overview, you can see upcoming payments several days before the actual payment date.
The time of day when the payment will be credited to your account will vary, as it is your bank that transfers the payment into your account. Payments can therefore arrive in your account in the afternoon or evening.
Holiday pay
There is no holiday pay on this benefit.
Tax
No tax is deducted from the money.
You must notify Nav if:
- your family situation changes
- you are planning a stay abroad
- your employment situation changes
- you no longer qualify for extended child benefit (in Norwegian)
You may have the right to keep the child benefit during stays abroad.
This right will depend on what you are doing, where you are staying, how long you are staying abroad, and the other parent’s situation.
The EEA countries:
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Greece
- Ireland
- Iceland
- Italy
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- The Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Switzerland*
- Sweden
- Czech Republic
- Germany
- Hungary
- Austria
*Switzerland is not an EEA country, but the social security rules still apply there if you are a citizen of an EFTA country (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland).
See a complete overview of areas where the EEA rules apply: rundskriv til EØS-avtalens bestemmelser om trygd kapittel 1 nr. 3 (Lovdata.no, in Norwegian)
Norway has social security agreements with the following countries:
- Australia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Canada
- Province of Quebec
- Chile
- India
- Israel
- Luxembourg
- Montenegro
- The Netherlands
- Serbia
- Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Switzerland
- South Korea
- Turkey
- USA
- Austria
Before you travel anywhere, you must look into the rules that apply to you and your situation.
When you and your child go on holiday abroad, you are considered tourists and will normally keep the child benefit, provided your holiday does not exceed 3 months.
If it is not clear whether your stay abroad will exceed 3 months, the right to child benefit will lapse from the month after the date of your departure. If it later turns out that your stay did not exceed 3 months, child benefit can be paid retroactively.
If you are staying abroad for more than 3 months, however, you may still be entitled to child benefit. You must always notify Nav, who will consider whether you can keep the child benefit.
If you are staying abroad with the child temporarily, you may keep the child benefit as long as you are still considered resident in Norway.
You will normally be considered resident in Norway unless your stay abroad exceeds 3 months, or 6 months per year for 2 or more consecutive years.
There are exceptions; please see information about stays in another EEA country and countries outside the EEA.
Foreign nationals may qualify for child benefit when the entire family lives in Norway and will remain resident here for more than 12 months. This applies to all foreign nationals living in Norway, who are registered in the National Population Register and who have a residence permit or legal residence by other means.
When Nav has received your application, Nav must normally collect information from your country of residence, including information on whether you or the other parent are receiving child benefit or an equivalent benefit from this country.
In some countries there is a central institution that will respond to these types of enquiries, whereas in others they are handled at regional or local levels. That is why you must specify the municipality and region, county, state or similar where your family lives.
The child benefit will lapse if the child moves abroad. However, you may still receive child benefit while your child stays in another EEA country if
- one of the parents works in Norway, on the Norwegian continental shelf or on a Norwegian ship
- both parents live with the child and both parents have compulsory or voluntary membership in Norwegian national insurance scheme
- one parent receives disability benefit or pension from Norway due to former employment
- one parent receives sickness benefit, work assessment allowance or another activity-based benefit from Norway
- both parents live in Norway and the child will be staying in a different EEA country
You need to specifically apply for child benefit under EEA rules.
If one parent works in another EEA country, and the child lives in this EEA country, the child benefit will be paid by the country where this parent works.
However, if this country’s child benefit is lower than the Norwegian child benefit, Nav will pay the difference between the Norwegian child benefit and the child benefit in the country where the child lives.
When Nav has received your application, Nav must normally collect information from your country of residence, including information on whether you or the other parent are receiving child benefit or an equivalent benefit from this country.
In some countries there is a central institution that will respond to these types of enquiries, whereas in others they are handled at regional or local levels. That is why you must specify the municipality and region, county, state or similar where your family lives.
If you are staying abroad with the child temporarily, you may keep the child benefit as long as you are still considered resident in Norway.
You will normally be considered resident in Norway unless your stay abroad exceeds 3 months, or 6 months per year for 2 or more consecutive years.
If you maintain a compulsory or voluntary membership in Norwegian national insurance scheme during your stay abroad, you could still keep your child benefit during extended stays abroad.
If the child lives with both parents, both parents must be members of Norwegian national insurance.
If you and your family are staying in a country with which Norway has a social security agreement, the provisions of this social security agreement will determine whether or not you can keep the child benefit during your stay.
If you are studying abroad and you are a member of Norwegian national insurance scheme, you may qualify for child benefit if you live alone with the child.
If you live with the other parent, both of you must be members of Norwegian national insurance scheme in order to qualify for child benefit.
If you are studying in another Nordic country, you will normally receive child benefit from the country where you are studying, and not from Norway.
If you work alongside your studies, your right to child benefit lapses.
If child benefit payments have been terminated due to your stay abroad, you must reapply for child benefit upon your return to Norway.
Updated 11/12/2024
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