Declare paternity

Paternity status grants rights to both the child and the father. In addition, paternity status also entails some duties for you as the father.

Who can declare paternity?

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.

Changing paternity

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.

Release of paternity

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.

If the mother named you as the father, but you have doubts

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 the mother is not sure who the father is

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.

If the mother does not want to say who the 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

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.

Declare paternity digitally on nav.no

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:

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.

Declare paternity in a public sector office

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

Changing paternity

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.

Has paternity already been declared?

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.

When paternity is established abroad

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.

Establish paternity for child born abroad

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.

Write to us

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 lives in Norway

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:

Access to joint case

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.

Confidentiality

You must keep all the information you receive in connection with the paternity case confidential.

Who can declare?

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.

• 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.

When can paternity be declared digitally?

Paternity can be declared when

• the pregnancy has proceeded to at least gestational week 22
• the child is less than 6 months old

How to complete the process: