How to
Apply for recognition on paternity or co-maternity established abroad
Paternity or co-maternity established abroad may be recognised in Norway.
If the paternity or co-maternity is recognised in Norway, the father or co-mother will have the same rights and obligations as if the parenthood was established in Norway.
These rights and obligations will apply in all contexts where paternity or co-maternity matters.
If paternity or co-maternity for your child has been established outside of the Nordic countries, you may apply for the same recognition in Norway.
You may also apply for the recognition of foreign decisions about changes in paternity or release of paternity.
You do not have to apply for recognition if
- you were married to the other parent when your child was born. Paternity or co-maternity follows directly from the law in most countries- This is called the “pater est”-rule. The paternity or co-maternity is then considered to follow directly from foreign law. The parents must contact the Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten) if the marriage was entered into abroad, and has not been registered in Norway.
- paternity or co-maternity has been established by court order or declaration in one of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden). If so, you need to contact the Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten) to have the paternity or co-maternity registered in Norway as well.
Current information (in norwegian)
More information for you who
How to apply
Fill out the form and send it to NAV (information in Norwegian).
Apply for the recognition of paternity or co-maternity (PDF)
- Your child’s birth certificate. If you can, submit an international or extended version, which shows how the paternity or co-maternity was established.
- If the birth certificate does not contain information on how the paternity or co-maternity was established, you need to submit extra documentation explaining this, such as a declaration, a court order or an administrative decision.
The documents must be in their original form. If you do not want to send your original documents, you may send documents that has been confirmed as copies by the Norwegian Foreign Service or by foreign authorities.
The birth certificate or the documentation on the establishment of the paternity or co-maternity need to have an affixed apostille stamp or to be legalised by the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Documents in other languages must be translated to Norwegian or English by a state authorised translator.
When your application has been processed
If the paternity or co-maternity is recognised, NAV will submit the decision to the Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten) for registration.
Oppdatert 30.05.2024