Guidance

Norway: Knowledge Base profile

Published 1 May 2024

About: Norway

This document contains useful information about Norway which will assist HM Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email HM Passport Office’s Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 2.0
• published for Home Office staff on 26 April 2024

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with minor formatting changes.

Norway: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Norway.

Names in Norway consist of:

• a personal forename
• middle name (if the person has 2 surnames)
• one surname

Where a Norway citizen has 2 surnames the first one becomes a middle name and the other one the surname. If the person wants to have both names as a surname, they must hyphenate them.

The Norwegian alphabet contains 3 extra letters that are not in the English alphabet:

• å (aa or a)
• æ (ae)
• ø (oe)

Change of name

Name changes are allowed in Norway.

Name changes are done through the Norwegian Tax Administration to update the Norwegian National Registry.

A person over 16 is not permitted to take, change or delete a personal forename or surname more than once every ten years. Exceptions to this rule are when the person:

• takes the surname of a spouse or partner who:
  • they have lived with for at least two years, or;
  • they have children with
• reverts to their previous:
  • forename
  • surname
• takes, changes or omits a first name or surname if special reasons apply
• takes the surname of a stepparent, foster parent or adoptive parent

Name alignment

The Norway passport can be updated in the new name in embassies and consulates overseas if the new name is recorded in the Norwegian National Registry.

Norway: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Norway.

Dual nationality is allowed in Norway since 1 January 2020.

Before 1 January 2020, Norway nationality was automatically lost if a citizen had another nationality. If a person lost Norwegian nationality automatically, they are able to regain it.

Norway: legitimacy and parental responsibility

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy and parental responsibility in Norway.

Legitimacy

Norway recognises a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births.

A child will be considered:

• legitimate if born to:
  • married parents
  • unmarried parents at the time of birth, who later marry and the paternity is established
• illegitimate if parents never marry

Paternity of the child is established:

• automatically for a child born to married parents
• by acknowledgement of the child from the father
• by a court

Parental responsibility

Parental responsibility will be held by:

• both parents if:
  • they are married; or,
  • the child was born on or after 1 January 2020 and the father acknowledges paternity; or,
  • the child was born on or after 1 January 2006 and the parents were co-habiting and the father acknowledges paternity
• the mother (sole responsibility) if:
  • she is not married to the father and the child was born before 1 January 2006; or,
  • she is not married to the father, and he does not register his paternity, if the child was born on or after 1 January 2020; or,
  • she is formally separated from the father, and he has not acknowledged paternity; or,
  • she was not co-habiting with the father if the child was born on or after 1 January 2006 and before 1 January 2020

For children born after 1 January 2020 either parent can request parental responsibility is removed from the father if they apply to the National Population Register within 1 year of paternity being established. Fathers can contest the decision to remove their parental responsibility through the courts.

Norway: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Norway.

Adoption is legal in Norway.

Norway: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Norway.

Surrogacy is not legally recognised in Norway.

Parents may be granted parental rights under Norway law for children born in a surrogacy arrangement outside of Norway. The Norway authorities will do this if either of the following apply:

• one of the parents live in Norway; or
• if Norway recognises how the country where the child was born established paternity

Norway: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in Norway.

Transgender citizens are recognised in Norway.

Norway: civil partnerships and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships in Norway.

Same sex marriages are legal in Norway.

There are religious and civil marriages in Norway.

Norway: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents in Norway.

Birth certificates

Births have to be registered within 1 month. Parents receive notification that the record has been made. They must request a birth certificate if they need one.

If an error on a birth certificate is identified, the record will be updated, and a new birth certificate will be issued.

Norway issues 3 types of birth certificate:

• a short version that does not contain details of parents (not acceptable for HM Passport Office purposes)
• a full version containing parents’ details, written in Norwegian (acceptable for HM Passport Office purposes)
• a multilingual birth certificate that contains details of the parents (acceptable for HM Passport Office purposes)

Hospital notification records exist.

Marriage certificates

Since 1 October 2004 marriages in Norway are registered centrally with the Norwegian Tax Authority, and Norwegian nationals receive electronic notification. The National Population Register issue marriage certificates on request to Norwegian citizens and automatically to foreign nationals.

Late registration is allowed for marriages that took place before 1 October 2004. The marriage certificate will have been issued by the person who was authorised by the Ministry of Children and Family Affairs to perform weddings.

Death certificates

A doctor or hospital authority issues death certificates.

Identity documents

Norway issues an identity card. It is not mandatory to hold one.