Getting married to a foreign citizen
If you’re getting married to a foreign citizen in Norway, he or she must submit documentation to the Tax Administration.
The processing time can take about 5-6 weeks, assuming everything is in order. Plan enough time in case you need to get documentation from abroad due to errors or missing information in the application.
If you’re getting married to a foreign national who
- has a permanent residence permit in Norway, or
- has refugee status and has been granted asylum in Norway
- is an EEA citizen with permanent residence pursuant to the Immigration Act
- is a Nordic citizen resident in Norway
then the procedure is the same as when two Norwegian citizens marry.
If you’re getting married to a foreign citizen who:
- does not have a permanent residence permit in Norway
- has not been granted asylum in Norway
- is an EEA citizen without permanent residence
- is a Nordic citizen who is not resident in Norway
you must present the following documentation to the Tax Administration:
- Self-declaration
- Statement by the sponsor
- A declaration concerning division – if you’ve been married before. If it has been less than 2 years since divorce was granted, you may apply for an exemption from division from the County Governor if the last shared address was not in Norway. You can download the application form at fylkesmannen.no. If it’s more than 2 years since the divorce, you can use part III of the personal declaration.
- In the case of people who are divorced in accordance with foreign law, the divorce must be recognised by the County Governor. You can download the application form at fylkesmannen.no. The requirement for recognition will not apply if the divorce was carried out in another Nordic country, provided that both spouses were resident and had citizenships in a Nordic country at the time of the divorce.
The one who is a foreign citizen must also submit:
- Documentation of name and age, for example a passport or birth certificate. The documentation must be original or a copy certified by a Norwegian public authority. If you use your passport as documentation, please submit a copy verified by a Norwegian public authority, not your original passport. Please note that the district courts in Norway will not certify that copies of foreign documents are genuine. The birth certificate must be legalised or endorsed with an apostille stamp.
- If you’re a foreign citizen, you must provide a marriage certificate or other documentation from the authorities in your home country that shows there is no reason why you cannot enter into marriage in Norway. See the exceptions above. At Bufdir, you can read more about what to do in the different countries. The certificate cannot be more than four months old. Translation may be necessary unless the certificate is written in English or a Nordic language. The certificate must be original, and it must be legalised or endorsed with an apostille.
The documentation requirements for group 2-countries are slightly stricter. In addition to legalisation of the certificate, the legalisation must be confirmed by a Norwegian foreign mission. These countries are: Africa: Burkina Faso, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Myanmar (Burma), Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Vietnam and Yemen.
The requirement for confirmation from a Norwegian foreign mission no longer applies to the group 2-countries Kosovo, India and the Philippines.
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If the certificates have been translated, you must provide both the original certificate and the translation.
- Citizens from countries outside the Nordic region must provide documentation showing that they have legal residence in Norway and provide proof of citizenship. The documentation or proof must consist of original documents or copies certified by a Norwegian public authority.
Documentation from a country outside the Nordic region must be legalised or endorsed with an apostille by the authorities in the issuing country.
Send the documentation or proof to:
The Tax Administration
Postboks 9200 Grønland
0134 Oslo
Norway
You’ll receive a confirmation in your Altinn inbox
The Tax Administration will prepare what is known as a "certificate of no impediment" if you meet the requirements to enter into marriage. The certificate of no impediment is valid without a stamp and signature.
The certificate will be sent to both of you in Altinn. If you’ve opted out of digital communication, you will receive it in the post.
The certificate is valid for 4 months.