How to
Declare paternity
Declare paternity.
In this chapter
The mother and father of the child can declare paternity. First, the mother must specify who the father is, and then the father can declare paternity.
If the father is under 18 years old, one of his parents must co-sign the declaration.
If the parents are married at the time of the child’s birth, the husband will automatically be registered as the father of the child. In this case, no declaration is needed.
If the parents are not married, paternity must be established either by declaration or judgment.
Paternity status grants rights to both the child and the father. In addition, paternity status also entails some duties for you as the father.
The term parental responsibility encompasses the rights and duties parents have to make decisions for and about the child in matters that concern them. The parents shall exercise parental responsibility based on the child’s needs and interests. The persons who have parental responsibility are also the child’s guardians.
For children born after 1 January 2020, the mother and father will have joint parental responsibility. This applies to children whose parents
- are married
- live together
- do not live together
If the mother is requesting sole parental responsibility, she must notify the National Population Register within one year of the date on which paternity was established. If the father is opposed to this, and wants parental responsibility, he must initiate legal action.
If the father does not want parental responsibility, he must notify the National Population Register within one year of the date on which paternity was established.
Parents who have parental responsibility may select the child’s name. The name registration must be sent to the National Population Register.
If the parents do not register a last name within 6 months after the child’s birth, the child will automatically be registered with the mother’s last name.
Once paternity has been established, the child is granted inheritance rights as an heir or their father.
The child has a right to contact with both parents even when the parents do not live together. The parents have mutual responsibility for making sure the child’s right to visiting arrangements is upheld.
If the parents cannot agree, they may bring the matter before a court.
The child has a right to be supported by both parents, even when the parents do not live together. This right lapses at the end of the calendar month the child turns 18 years old. After the child turns 18 years old, the child may be entitled to support through upper secondary education.
- If the parents do not live together, the non-custodial parent must help support the child by paying child support.
- Child support is normally a private matter, and it is up to the parents to decide on the amount and other provisions in their agreement. If the parents cannot agree, they may request that NAV fix the child support amount.
- In cases where the parents do not live together at the time of the child’s birth, and no agreement concerning child support has been established, NAV will set a child support amount on its own initiative.
Child support
Benefits
See what applies in your situation:
Paternity established abroad may be recognised and registered in Norway. Approval will be based on a case-by-case assessment.
If the paternity is approved in Norway, the father will have the same rights and duties as when paternity is established in Norway.
If your child was born abroad, and you want to establish paternity in Norway, please contact NAV for guidance and information. This only applies if paternity has not already been established abroad.
Contact us through the “Write to us” function, or call 55 55 33 33. You must specify the name, date of birth and country of residence for both the child and the child’s mother.
The mother must name you as the father
Before you can declare paternity, the mother of the child must name you as the father of the child.
If the mother and child live and reside abroad, the mother must go in person to a Norwegian foreign diplomatic station. Once there, she must name you, in writing, as the father of the child.
The mother must book an appointment in advance with the foreign diplomatic station. You can also apply for a passport and national identity number for the child at the same appointment. The foreign diplomatic station will provide more information when the mother contacts them to make an appointment.
Documentation the mother must bring to the appointment:
- Valid identification for the mother, either passport or national ID card.
- Original birth certificate for the child. The certificate must be legalised and translated into English or Norwegian.
- Original documentation of the mother’s marital status at the time of the child’s birth. This must also be translated into either English or Norwegian.
Once we have received copies of this documentation, as well as the document where the mother names you as the father, we will assess your case. You will receive notification about how to proceed. You will either be asked to provide a DNA sample, or be allowed to declare paternity.
When the child was born abroad, but the mother and the child live in Norway, the mother may go in person to the NAV office to specify who the father of the child is. The mother must present
- A copy of the child’s birth certificate. The certificate must be legalised and translated into English or Norwegian.
- documentation of her marital status at the time of the child’s birth.
After the meeting, the mother will receive notification about how to proceed. We will also contact the father if and when he is able to declare paternity.
As surrogacy agreements are not permitted under Norwegian law, such agreements cannot be used as documentation of paternity or co-maternity in Norway.
Under Norwegian law, the person who gave birth to the child, i.e. the surrogate mother, is considered the child’s mother.
Maternity can only be transferred by adoption. However, paternity can be established under Norwegian regulations if the person who has been named as the father lives in Norway. How to proceed from there will depend on whether or not the surrogate mother is married.
How to complete the process:
If the surrogate mother is unmarried, you can declare paternity at a Norwegian foreign diplomatic station. The surrogate mother must then accept the declaration.
In-person appointment
Both the declaration of paternity and acceptance of the declaration requires that the parties go in person to the appointment. The Norwegian foreign diplomatic station can assist in the process of filling out the forms. Please contact the foreign diplomatic station in good time before the child’s birth to book an appointment with the station.
The foreign diplomatic station will forward the completed forms, either to NAV or the Tax Administration, which will assess the case.
If the child and the father live in Norway
If the child has already arrived in Norway and the father of the child lives here, a declaration of paternity and DNA sample can be provided in Norway. Please contact NAV for more information. Even so, the surrogate mother must go in person to a Norwegian foreign diplomatic station to accept the declaration. NAV will forward the declaration of paternity to the foreign diplomatic station for signing.
If the child’s surrogate mother is married, her spouse will be considered the child’s father under Norwegian law. In these cases, the paternity will
as the father. You must live in Norway and declare paternity of the child. The surrogate mother and her spouse must then accept the declaration. In addition, you and the child must provide samples for DNA analysis.
In-person appointment
The declaration of paternity, acceptance of the declaration and provision of DNA samples all require personal attendance. The Norwegian foreign diplomatic station can assist in the process of filling out the forms and collecting DNA samples. Please contact the foreign diplomatic station in good time before the child’s birth to book an appointment with the station.
The foreign diplomatic station will forward the completed form to NAV. Oslo University Hospital will send the results from the DNA analysis to us. NAV will then assess the case and may change paternity by administrative decision.
If the child and the father live in Norway
If the child and the father have arrived in Norway, the declaration of paternity and DNA samples can be provided in Norway. Please contact NAV for more information. Even so, the surrogate mother and her spouse must go in person to a Norwegian foreign diplomatic station to sign the declaration of paternity. NAV will forward the declaration of paternity to the foreign diplomatic station for signing.
If doubt arises about a child’s paternity, the child, mother, father or a third party who believes he is the father of the child may initiate legal action to change the paternity. If paternity was established by judgment without DNA analysis, a petition to reopen the case may be filed.
Paternity can also be changed by NAV if a man declares himself to be the father of the child, and the child’s mother and the original father accepts this declaration. If the child is over 18 years old, the child must also consent to the change. In this case, DNA analysis identifying the other man as the child’s father is required.
If you have paid child support for a child and later have been released from paternity of the child, you may claim reimbursement for the child support you have paid from national insurance. You cannot claim reimbursement from the child, the mother of the child or the child’s biological father.
The amount will be indexed in accordance with the Statistics Norway consumer price index, from the time the child support was paid until it is reimbursed.
In addition, past tax deductions, contact deductions and any child supplement payments received in connection with other benefits may affect the amount you receive in reimbursement.
The reimbursement may be reduced or set to NOK 0.00 if you had no reasonable grounds to declare paternity. Or if you ought to have initiated legal action to have the paternity changed sooner. As an example, if you knew you were not the child’s father, but chose to declare paternity anyway, you did not have reasonable grounds to declare paternity.
There is no dedicated form to apply for reimbursement of child support. Apply by either sending us a message via the “Write to us” function, or send a letter to:
NAV Family Benefits and Pensions Bergen
PO Box 6244 bedriftssenter
5893 Bergen.
Before you apply, you must be released from paternity by judgment, or by a decision of paternity change from NAV
Your application must specify:
- Which child(ren) the application concerns
- When you were released from paternity, or when paternity was changed
- The time period for which you are claiming reimbursement
- Whether the child support was paid by way of private agreement, or through public arrangement
- When you began to suspect you were not the child’s father, and what made you develop such suspicions
You must include:
- Copy of judgment or decision where you are released from paternity
- Documentation of child support payment, e.g. in the form of bank statements.
If you paid child support through a public arrangement, we can help you procure the documentation you need.
Write to us
If you have doubts that you are the father of the child, you should not declare paternity. In these cases, you can book an appointment with your local NAV office, and we will guide you through the process. You will have the opportunity to give a statement and request a DNA sample.
If you do not want to cooperate in establishing paternity, we will be forced to take action. We can do this if the mother has named you as the father, or we have received information from a third party that you potentially could be the father of the child.
First, we summon you to a meeting, so you can give a statement. It could be necessary to establish paternity with the help of DNA analysis.
If you choose to not attend meetings when you have been summoned by NAV, or not provide a DNA sample, NAV may bring the matter before the court. The court has the authority to force a DNA analysis and render a judgment based on the results.
Payment of child support may be ordered back to the date of the child’s birth.
If you as the mother are not sure who the father of your child is, we can help you. First, we meet with you, so you can tell us who the potential fathers are. Then we contact them and ask them to provide a DNA sample. This way, we can work together to find out who the child’s biological father is.
As the child’s mother, you have a duty to give a statement and provide information in a paternity case. This is regulated by Section 11 of the Children Act.
There are many good reasons to specify who the father is
The child has a right to know who their parents are. This is primarily about the child’s emotional interests. The child also has a right to be supported by both of their parents. This includes child support. Sometimes there is also the issue of genetic diseases, which makes it important for the child to know who their parents are. In addition, the child may be entitled to children’s pension if one parent passes away.
If you are the father of a child and find yourself in this situation, please contact NAV for help and advice. We will contact the mother for a statement, before we will summon you to a meeting for a discussion.
The child’s right to know who their biological father is
When you turn 18, you have the right to know who your biological father is, without changing paternity legally. This right does not apply if you were adopted.
If you have information that a man may be your biological father, you can request that NAV demand a DNA analysis. NAV will then collect a statement from both you and the man, before demanding a DNA analysis.
You will both be informed about the results of the DNA analysis
How to contact us
Contact us through the Write to us function, or call 55 55 33 33.
Write to us
Relevant information
More information for you who
In this chapter
If the parents are married at the time of the child’s birth, the husband will automatically be registered as the father of the child. In this case, no declaration is needed
When the parents are not married, paternity must be declared in writing. Normally, the mother will first specify who the father is. Then, the father declares paternity
- digitally on nav.no. You can do this from gestational week 22 and until the child is 6 months old.
- to a midwife or physician in connection with a pregnancy check-up or birth.
- in a public sector office, such as a NAV office or tax office. There is no time limit, before or after birth, if paternity is declared in this manner.
If you declare paternity and the mother has not yet named you as the father, the mother must approve the declaration before it can be used to establish paternity.
The public sector is responsible if paternity is not declared and established when the child is born. This responsibility rests with NAV and the courts. In these cases, the potential parties may be summoned to give a statement and to provide DNA samples for analysis.
Special rules apply for establishing paternity for a child born abroad.
Before the father can declare paternity digitally, you, as the mother, must specify who the father is in the digital declaration. You can specify who the father is from gestational week 22. You can also wait until after the child is born. The digital solution is available until the child is 6 months old.
This means that you, as the mother, must begin filling out the declaration, by specifying who the father of the child is. If the father logs in before you have specified that he is the father, he will not be able to declare paternity.
In order to declare paternity digitally, the following conditions apply:
- The child must be born, or be expected to be born, in Norway
- The mother must be unmarried and living in Norway
- You must both have a Norwegian national identity number
- You must both be over 18 years old.
- The pregnancy must have proceeded to at least gestational week 22
- The child must be less than 6 months old
How to do complete the process:
1. The mother names the father:
- The mother logs on to the paternity declaration page
- The mother specifies the due date
- The mother specifies the father’s name and national identity number (11 digits)
- The mother confirms that the person named is the father of the child
2. The father declares paternity:
- The father receives a message from the mother or NAV, with a link to the paternity page
- The father logs on and verifies that the information is correct
- The father declares that he is aware of the legal effects of declaring paternity
- The father signs the declaration
3. The declaration is sent to the National Population Register for registration and archiving.
1. The mother names the father
- The mother logs on to the paternity declaration page
- The mother selects the child whose father she wants to name
- The mother specifies the father’s name and national identity number (11 digits)
- The mother confirms that the person named is the child’s father
2. The father declares paternity
- The father receives a message from the mother or NAV, with a link to the paternity page
- The father logs on and verifies that the information is correct
- The father declares that he is aware of the legal effects of declaring paternity
- The father signs the declaration
3. The declaration is sent to the National Population Register for registration and archiving.
Paternity can be declared digitally by both parents identifying themselves electronically in a secure manner and signing a digital declaration.
How to declare paternity for twins or multiples in the same pregnancy
If you are declaring paternity for twins or multiples, you can do this collectively in one declaration before birth.
If you wait until after the children are born, you will need a separate declaration for each child.
As the father, you must go in person to a public sector office and present identification, if you are unable or unwilling to declare paternity digitally. In any case, the mother must name you as the father, but you can declare paternity first. The child’s mother must then approve your declaration. You and the child’s mother may go together in person to the public sector office to declare paternity. Alternatively, the mother may go alone to the NAV office to specify who the father is.
The following public sector offices will accept declarations of paternity:
- Physicians or midwifes in connection with pregnancy check-up
- NAV offices
- Tax offices
- District court judges
- Norwegian foreign diplomatic stations or foreign diplomatic officers, if the father is abroad
If doubt arises about a child’s paternity, the child, mother, father or a third party who believes he is the father of the child may initiate legal action to change the paternity. If paternity was established by judgment without DNA analysis, a petition to reopen the case may be filed.
Paternity can also be changed by NAV if a man declares himself to be the father of the child, and the child’s mother and the original father accepts this declaration. If the child is over 18 years old, the child must also consent to the change. A DNA analysis identifying the other man as the child’s father is also required.
If the child has been born, and both the mother and the father have already signed the declaration of paternity, you may contact the National Population Register (skatteetaten.no) to find out if paternity has been registered.
In this chapter
The mother and the man specified as the father both have access to their joint case. If you have been named as a father, you have the right to know the names of the mother and child, as well as the child’s date of birth. You also have the right to know if multiple potential fathers were named, but you do not have the right to know the names of the other potential fathers.
The child may request access to information in their own case after they turn 18 years old.
You must keep all the information you receive in connection with the paternity case confidential.
Oppdatert 22.05.2024