What to Do When Someone Dies in Norway: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Obtain Medical Certification of Death

   • Electronic medical death certificate: When a person dies in Norway, a physician must examine the body and issue the official medical death certificate (legeerklæring om dødsfall), which is transmitted electronically to the National Population Register (Folkeregisteret) and the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry (Dødsårsaksregisteret) [1] [3].
   • Deaths in hospital, nursing homes, or at home: If the death occurs in a hospital or municipal nursing home (sykehjem), the attending doctor completes the declaration directly. If the death occurs at home, contact the local municipal out-of-hours medical service (legevakt at 116 117) or the family doctor (fastlege) so a physician can attend and confirm the death [1] [3].
   • Sudden or unnatural deaths requiring police notification: Under the Norwegian Criminal Procedure Act and Health Personnel Act, if a death is sudden, unexpected, accidental, or potentially unnatural, the physician must immediately notify the Norwegian Police (Politiet). The police decide whether to order a forensic autopsy (rettsmedisinsk obduksjon) before issuing clearance for burial, cremation, or international transport [3] [5].
2. 2

   Confirm Civil Registration with Skatteetaten and the District Court

   • Automatic registration in the National Population Register: In Norway, next of kin do not normally need to visit a registry office to register a death that occurred within the country. Once the physician submits the electronic medical death certificate, Skatteetaten (the Norwegian Tax Administration) records the death in the National Population Register (Folkeregisteret) and automatically notifies the local District Court (tingretten), NAV, banks, and public agencies [1].
   • Notification to the District Court (Norges domstoler): Either the funeral director (begravelsesbyrå) or the family also notifies the local District Court or the police/lensmann office where the deceased lived, triggering the court's formal guidance letter to the registered heirs on how to settle the estate [1] [5].
   • Obtaining proof of death and probate authority: Norway does not issue a standalone civil death certificate for routine domestic use; instead, Skatteetaten confirms the registration in Folkeregisteret, and the District Court under Norges domstoler issues the official Probate Certificate (skifteattest) or Certificate of Undivided Estate (uskifteattest), which serves as the legal proof of death and representation authority for banks and foreign institutions [1] [5].
3. 3

   Arrange Burial, Cremation, or International Repatriation

   • Statutory 10-working-day funeral deadline: Under the Norwegian Funeral Act (gravferdsloven), burial (gravlegging) or cremation (kremasjon) must take place no later than 10 working days after the date of death, and the person assuming responsibility for the funeral (gravferdsansvarlig) submits the formal request to the municipal cemetery authority (gravplassmyndigheten / kirkevergen), usually through a licensed funeral director [3] [4].
   • International repatriation of remains: If the deceased is to be transported out of Norway for burial abroad, the funeral director applies to the Norwegian police for a mortuary passport (likpass), obtains a public health certificate confirming no contagious hazard, and seals the body in a zinc-lined or regulations-compliant transport coffin [3].
   • Apostille and consular legalisation: When Norwegian succession or death confirmation documents (such as a skifteattest issued by the District Court or a population register printout from Skatteetaten) must be presented abroad, obtain an Apostille stamp from the County Governor (Statsforvalteren) before submitting them to foreign authorities or consulates [1] [5].
4. 4

   Notify NAV, Pension Funds, and Banks

   • Means-tested funeral grant and transport support: Apply to NAV (the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration) for the means-tested Funeral Grant (gravferdsstønad, up to the statutory maximum based on the estate's financial assets and insurance payouts) and for coverage of necessary domestic or cross-border transport of the deceased (stønad ved båretransport) when the person died more than 20 km from their place of residence in Norway [4].
   • Adjustment Allowance and Children's Pension: Surviving spouses, registered partners, or qualifying cohabitants under age 67 can apply to NAV for the Adjustment Allowance (omstillingsstønad), and surviving minor or student children can claim the Children's Pension (barnepensjon) [4].
   • Occupational pensions and bank account access: Check whether the deceased held public-sector occupational pension rights (such as with Statens pensjonskasse, SPK, or KLP) or private occupational pensions (tjenestepensjon) and employer group life insurance (gruppelivsforsikring). Norwegian banks automatically freeze the deceased's accounts and BankID upon notification from Folkeregisteret, while permitting direct payment of the funeral invoice from the deceased's account prior to the skifteattest [3] [4] [5].
5. 5

   Settle the Estate (Dødsbo) and File Final Tax Declarations

   • Inspecting assets and debts before assuming liability: Before deciding whether to take over the estate in private probate (privat skifte) - which makes the signing heirs personally liable for the deceased's debts - heirs can request a Preliminary Authorization to Inspect Finances (formuesfullmakt) from the District Court under Norges domstoler, use the digital estate overview (Digitalt dødsbo via Altinn where available), or ask the court to publish a 6-week preclusive creditor notice (proklama) [5].
   • 60-day deadline for Privat Skifte, Uskifte, or Offentlig Skifte: Within 60 days of the death, the heirs must submit either a Declaration of Private Probate (erklæring om privat skifte) or a surviving spouse/cohabitant's request for an Undivided Estate (uskifte) to the District Court to receive the skifteattest or uskifteattest. If the estate is insolvent or heirs disagree, they can leave the estate or request public probate (offentlig skifte) managed by a court-appointed administrator (bobestyrer) [5].
   • Inheritance tax rules, tax returns, and cross-border estates: Norway abolished inheritance tax (arveavgift), so heirs pay no estate duty, instead inheriting the deceased's tax cost basis under the continuity principle (kontinuitetsprinsippet) for future capital gains [2]. The estate's tax representative (skiftefullmektig) must check the deceased's tax return (skattemelding) with Skatteetaten and can request advance tax assessment (forhåndsfastsetting) before final distribution. Note that because Norway is not an EU member state, the EU Succession Regulation does not apply directly in Norway; instead, the Norwegian Inheritance Act (arveloven) governs estates of persons habitually resident in Norway at death, requiring cross-border coordination if real estate or heirs are located abroad [2] [5].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   How Deaths Are Registered in Norway (Folkeregisteret) — Skatteetaten
2. [2]
   Taking Over the Estate of the Deceased and Tax Settlement — Skatteetaten
3. [3]
   Døden og praktiske oppgaver ved dødsfall (Practical Steps Upon a Death) — Helsenorge
4. [4]
   Mistet noen i nær familie - Gravferdsstønad og etterlatteytelser (Funeral Grants and Survivor Benefits) — NAV
5. [5]
   Dødsfall, arv og skifte (Probate Certificate and Estate Settlement) — Norges domstoler