Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

NORWAY EXPLAINED

EXPLAINED: What paperwork do you need to get married in Norway?

Aside from finding a fiancé, here are all the things you will need to do to get hitched in Norway.

Published: 23 July 2021 16:53 CEST
Updated: 4 October 2021 11:13 CEST
EXPLAINED: What paperwork do you need to get married in Norway?
Here's what you need to do to get married in Norway.Photo by Drew Coffman on Unsplash

Getting married is one of the happiest moments of your life, but before you get to the big day, there are several things you’ll need to do before you tie the knot in Norway. 

We assume that you have already got a fiancé or are planning on proposing, so we’ll skip that step. 

Can foreign citizens get married in Norway? 

Yes, but there are some rules. 

If one partner in the couple is a foreign citizen, they will need to be in Norway legally for the marriage to go ahead. This doesn’t mean they need a residence permit, however. Instead, they can have a permit, be visiting the country legally with or without a visa, or have residence as an EU or EEA citizen. 

If both partners are foreign citizens, then the same rule will apply.

What paper work needs to be filled out? 

Before you can get married, you’ll also need to apply for a certificate to get married from Skatteetaten, the Norwegian Tax Administration. This is to prove that you meet the conditions to get married. 

Both parties will need to fill out the various forms as part of the application. 

The application you will need to fill out is the “certificate of no impediment to marriage”. You can take a look at the application here.  

The application includes a personal declaration to be filled in separately. You can take a look at the form here. 

You will also need witnesses, one for each person, who knows the parties. They do not need to be present at the wedding but must be over 18. Click here to take a look at the form for the witness statement.

If you are divorced according to foreign law, you will need this recognised by local government. This is a separate application that you can take a look at here. 

And finally, if you wish to change your name, you will need to fill out this form. 

Documentation of names, ages and citizenships must also be provided. The documents must be original or a copy verified by a Norwegian public authority such as the police. If you are planning on using a passport as proof, then it must be a copy. 

READ ALSO: You can now get married at this famous Norwegian beauty spot

How do you submit the form? 

The quickest way to apply is online. Both partners will need to have a Norwegian national identity number or a D-number to apply online. Both must also have access to a level four security electronic ID, such as Bank ID too. 

You can read our complete guide to electronic ID in Norway here. 

If you are unable to complete the application online, then you can submit a paper form instead. Both applications will need to be done on paper if neither can be done electronically. 

The paper forms are sent to: Skatteetaten, Postboks 9200 Grønland, NO – 0134 OSLO

Is there anything else we need to know about the application? 

If applicable, a certificate from a person’s home country or most recent country of residence showing that there is no reason why you cannot be wed in Norway must also be provided.

This certificate must be no more than four months old, and be written in English, Danish or Swedish. The certificate will also need to be an original copy and legalised with an apostille. An apostille is a stamp that confirms a public official’s signature is genuine. 

The documentation required for certain countries is a lot stricter. They will need to be certified by a Norwegian embassy in the country the document has been issued from. You can take a look at the countries which have stricter requirements here. 

Apart from postage, if you are doing the application on paper, the application is completely free. 

How long will the application take? 

The process to get the application approved takes around 5-6 weeks after it is received, so make sure to leave plenty of time. 

After the application is processed, you will receive a certificate. The certification is valid for four months after it is issued. If for whatever reason, your application is rejected, you can appeal here. 

Once the paperwork is all in order, you will need to send the certificate of no impediment to the wedding official marrying you and yourr significant other. Again, you can choose whether to send the certificate digitally or by post.

Is there any other paperwork that needs to be filled out? 

In Norway, it is also possible to draw up a marriage agreement to regulate the ownership of the couple’s assets or property. If an agreement isn’t in place, then assets and property will automatically be regulated by Norwegian marriage legislation. 

You must already have a time and date for the wedding arranged before you send the certificate to your wedding official. 

What happens after this? 

As soon you’ve gotten all your affairs in order, then you are all set for the big day and the wedding itself. On the day of your wedding, you will need to show a form of identification to the wedding official. 

Once the ceremony is complete, then the wedding official will send the wedding notification to the tax authorities within three days of the event. The tax authorities will then send a wedding certificate or via post depending on whether you have a national identity number or not. 

Member comments

  1. Dear Sir,

    I just wonder if you have an article concerning herbal/tradisional medicine in Norway

    Thank you before hand for your kind attention.

    Sincerely,

    Herry Kostofani

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

NORWAY EXPLAINED

The things you won’t see in Norway that are common elsewhere

When you move to (or visit) a new country, you almost inevitably encounter a bit of culture shock - or, at the very least, some surprising social norms and experiences.

Published: 22 April 2024 15:50 CEST
The things you won't see in Norway that are common elsewhere

Moving to Norway – or just visiting it as a tourist – offers no shortage of incredible sights and experiences that you’ll struggle to find anywhere else.

However, among these features lie several elements of European urban life that are conspicuously absent from life in Norway, drawing curious glances from visitors accustomed to their presence elsewhere.

With that in mind, The Local has compiled a list of things you might find noticeably – and somewhat oddly – missing from day-to-day life in Norway.

A (mostly) cashless society

In a world where cash is king, many newcomers to Norway remain baffled by the apparent absence of cash in everyday transactions.

In most Norwegian cities, it’s not uncommon for people to see entire months pass without a single physical coin or banknote changing hands.

Instead, most people use electronic payment methods such as the widespread Vipps e-payment app, mobile payments, and contactless cards, effectively rendering cash obsolete in many scenarios.

Ordering takeout? There’s Vipps.

Going shopping? You pay via card.

Paying the mortgage rate? Online banking.

Donating at church? Vipps again.

As Håkon Fyhn, an associate professor at NTNU who researches robotisation, digitisation, and automation, told The Local in a recent interview, Norwegian society is characterised by a high level of trust in government and banks, so people don’t use cash because they trust digital money.

EXPLAINED: The pros and cons of Norway going cashless

“The short answer is that for most people in Norway, there are now digital alternatives that are more convenient to use and readily available – notably credit cards (on plastic or phone) and Vipps (a Norwegian phone-based money transfer service) for small and medium exchanges,” he said.

Homeless people in Norway

Wandering the streets of most of Norway’s cities, you’ll likely notice the absence of a demographic that tends to be, unfortunately, quite present in urban landscapes in Europe – homeless people.

Homelessness has significantly declined in Norway since 2012, with numbers halving, according to recent data.

This reduction can be attributed to a concerted strategy that emphasises the development of housing and support services, alongside the cultivation of expertise in addressing homelessness, as reported in a 2022 article by Husbanken Norway.

Efforts have been particularly targeted at vulnerable groups within the housing market, with a specific focus on families with children and people grappling with substance abuse and mental health issues.

According to a national survey on homelessness in Norway conducted in 2020, the total number of homeless people was 3,325.

Considering the country’s population of approximately 5,400,000 inhabitants, this is a rate of 0.62 homeless persons per 1,000 inhabitants, which is considered relatively low.

No piles of trash on the street (for the most part)

While bustling tourist hubs – such as the Lofoten Islands in the north of Norway or the Trolltunga rock formation in Vestland Country – can become full of trash in peak tourism season, generally speaking, Norway’s streets tend to be very clean compared to some other European countries.

With a deeply ingrained culture of personal responsibility for waste management, many Norwegians maintain their urban environments to a very high standard, making ugly piles of trash a rare sight.

READ MORE: What you need to know about rubbish and recycling in Norway

The widespread adage is to leave every place cleaner than how you found it. Therefore, don’t be surprised when you see picking up others’ litter in the woods, on hikes, or on walks through their neighbourhoods.

That being said, there is a very intense debate on the over-tourism of Norway’s top attractions – and the negative impacts of this phenomenon – going on in the country at the moment. The Local has covered this issue in more detail in this article.

Few skyscrapers

Norway’s skyline starkly contrasts the towering cityscapes synonymous with many other Western countries.

Even in Oslo, the country’s capital, strict building limits curtail the construction of skyscrapers. Instead, the cityscape is usually dominated by low to mid-rise buildings.

The situation is more or less the same in other major Norwegian cities, such as Bergen, Stavanger, and Trondheim.

Furthermore, as Norway is spread across vast stretches of land, its population is thinly scattered across the expansive terrain.

Therefore, historically, the necessity for towering skyscrapers to make use of urban real estate hasn’t been pressing, given the abundance of space available (outside major urban centres).

READ MORE: Property prices in Norway to surge over the next few years

Factors such as population pressure, limited supply, and growing demand in the real estate market in the country’s major cities are raising questions about whether this should continue.

Where are the curtains?

Another curious absence that might go unnoticed until pointed out is the absence of curtains on the windows of Norwegian homes.

Unlike in many other countries, where curtains are a common decoration for privacy, Norway’s residents often forego this conventional window dressing, preferring unrestricted views of the surrounding landscapes and prioritising more natural light during the day.

Interestingly, the prevalence of curtains varies across different districts and neighbourhoods, with areas with higher populations of international residents at times featuring a higher concentration of curtain-clad windows.

This may stem from a desire to cater to the preferences of those accustomed to the conventional use of curtains for privacy.

SHOW COMMENTS