Child benefit in Norway
Everyone who lives in Norway and has children under 10 is entitled to child benefit. Under certain condition child benefit is also paid for children living in another EEA country. It is the the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) that pays child benefit in Norway.
What is child benefit in Norway?
Child benefit is to contribute to the costs of having children. Child benefit is paid monthly. You can receive child benefit from the month after the child is born, or from the month after the conditions are fulfilled if entitlement to child benefit arises at a later time. Child benefit is paid up to and including the month of the child’s 18th birthday. Child benefit is a fixed amount per child, and is not taxed.
Are you entitled to child benefit?
If you are responsible for the care of children under 18 who live in Norway, you can receive child benefit. Foster parents or other carers can receive child benefit if the child lives with them on a permanent basis for more than three months. This applies for everyone living in Norway, regardless of whether they are working, not working, self-employed, or students.
If you as parents do not live together, but have made an agreement on dual domicile for the child, the child benefit can be divided equally between you. If you are a single mother or father, you can receive extended child benefit if you are living alone with the child.
Citizens of other countries may be entitled to child benefit when the whole family lives in Norway and will be living there for at least 12 months. This applies to all foreign citizens who are living in Norway, who are registered in the Norwegian Population Register, and who have a residence permit or legal residence on some other grounds.
If you are a citizen in an EU/EEA country and work in Norway, you may be entitled to child benefit even if you are living in Norway for less than 12 months.
If you are a citizen in an EEA country and work in Norway, but your family lives in another EEA country, you may be entitled to full or partial child benefit from Norway. If the other parent starts or ends a job in the other country, you must notify NAV. You must also notify NAV if payment of child benefit in the other country or your work conditions change.
Are you entitled to Norwegian child benefit if you live in or move to another country?
In general, you can only receive child benefit for children living in Norway, but under certain conditions child benefit may be paid for children living in another EEA country.
If you are planning to live in another country and are receiving child benefit from NAV, check whether you can take the child benefit with you. This depends, for example, on what you will be doing and how long you will be there. Check with NAV what applies in your case.
How do you apply for child benefit?
Generally, you do not need to apply for child benefit. If the child is born in Norway, the mother automatically starts to receive child benefit approximately two months after the birth. However, in certain cases, you must apply for child benefit. These situations are described on the NAV website.
Who should you contact if you have questions?
Contact NAV if you have questions about child benefit.
Please fill in our contact form if you have any questions or if you have encountered an obstacle in another Nordic country.
NB! If you have questions regarding the processing of a specific case or application, or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority directly.
