See informasjonabout special deductions for single parents in connection with the tax return.
The purpose of child benefit is to help cover the costs of raising a child.
Who is entitled to child benefit?
- The child’s mother or father can receive child benefit. If the child’s parents have a dual residence for the child, the child benefit may be shared equally between them.
- Foster parents, another carer or a child care institution can receive the child benefit if the child lives there permanently (for more than 3 months).
To receive child benefit, your child must live in Norway. A child is generally regarded as living in Norway if he or she has been in Norway for at least 12 consecutive months. There are separate rules for EEA nationals, see under the heading When you move abroad.
Who can receive extended child benefit?
If you are a single mother or father you can receive extended benefit if you are living alone with the child and
- are separated, divorced or widowed
- are unmarried and not living together with the other parent of the child. A mediation certificate must be produced in the event of cohabiting partners with joint children under the age of 16 years splitting up
- have been separated for at least 6 months without a separation order or court ruling
- your spouse or cohabiting partner is in prison on an unconditional sentence or has been held in custody for at least six months
- your spouse / cohabiting partner has been missing for at least 6 months
How much child benefit will you receive?
- Ordinary child benefit is a fixed amount per child.
- Extended child benefit is child benefit for one child more than you are actually living with.
- Infant supplement is an extra child benefit for single parents who have a child between the ages of 0 - 3 years and who are receiving extended child benefit and full transitional benefit
See rates.
How long can you receive child benefit?
You are entitled to receive child benefit from the month after the child is born or from the month after you qualify, if entitlement to child benefit arises at a later date. Child is paid out until the month before the child turns 18.
If the conditions for ordinary or extended child benefit are no longer met before the child turns 18, you will receive child benefit up to and including the month the conditions have no longer been met.
Child benefit can be paid for up to 3 years from the date of application if the conditions are satisfied and the child benefit is not paid out to the child’s other parent and he or she is entitled recipient.
When there is an agreement on dual residence, both parents will be regarded as eligible recipients. Therefore, it is important to apply for share child benefit when such an agreement is entered into in accordance with Section 36 of the Children Act.
How to apply for child benefit
You do not usually need to apply for child benefit. If the child is born in Norway, the mother will automatically receive child benefit around 2 months after the child is born.
However, you must apply for child benefit if
- the mother is not registered as living in Norway
- the child is older than six months when entitlement to child benefit starts
- the child is not born in Norway
- you may be entitled to extended child benefit
- the father is or has receive child benefit for other children
- the parents have signed a written dual residence agreement for the child and want to share the child benefit
- the child benefit is to be assessed according to the rule of the EEA agreement or other national insurance agreements
- the mother wants the father to receive the child benefit In such cases the father must apply.
- you are in charge of the child. In cases like this, the child will be the applicant. You must also submit documentation that declares that you are the guardian of the child.
- You are the child’s foster parent. Please enclose documentation confirming that the child is in your care.
Application for child benefit
You usually receive the child benefit automatically if the child is born in Norway. If you do not receive child benefit, you must apply for this.
Apply for child benefitForward documentation
Supplementary form for disbursem*nt of benefits in another EEA country
Use this form if you work in Norway and your child lives in another EEA country. The form is attached to the application.
Submit formForward documentation
Application for extended child benefits
Use this form to apply for a supplement to ordinary child benefits when you live alone with children under the age of 18.
Apply for extended child benefitsForward documentation
When you have chosen the correct form, you will see what documentation and attachments you need to submit with your application.
When you move abroad
You may be entitled to continue receiving child benefit during your stay. Read more about child benefit
- while living abroad(text in Norwegian)
When you move to Norway
When you move to Norway you may be eligible for child benefit when the whole family is residing in Norway and will be living here for at least 12 months. This applies to all foreign nationals who are resident in Norway, registered on the Norwegian population register and who have a residence permit or have legal residence on other grounds.
If you are a national of an EEA country and are working in Norway, you may be entitled to child benefit even if you will be residing in Norway for less than 12 months. Read more about child benefit and cash-for-care benefit to foreign employees in Norway.
Report changes
You must notify NAV if your are receiving child benefit and are no longer entitled to this. This applies if you
- get married
- have children with a cohabiting partner
- have been a cohabiting partner with someone you do not have a child with for 12 months
If there are changes in your family situation or you are planning to stay abroad, this may affect the amount you receive from NAV. In such cases, you must notify NAV immediately.
Payments
Read about Payment dates, holiday pay and tax withholding.
You can also check your payments on the Utbetalingsoversikt service.
Child benefit is not liable to tax.
Right to appeal
Have you received a decision from us that you think is wrong? You can complain to the NAV Unit that issued the decision. They will reassess your case. If they do not agree with your complaint, they will forward it to the NAV Appeals Management Unit.
Complain about a decision
The decision will have information about how to proceed if you want to complain, where to send your complaint and the term of complaint.If you have questions about the decision, you can contact us.
Appeal a decision
If you disagree with the decision of your complaint from the the NAV Appeals Management Unit, you can, with some exceptions, appeal the decision. The deadline for appealing is stated in the decision.
Read more aboutright to appeal.
