Registration of marriage solemnized under foreign law

Download and fill out the form "Declaration concerning my marriage"

Both spouses must each complete their own form.

If one of the spouses has no connection to Norway, only the spouse who has a connection to Norway must submit the form. You have a connection to Norway if:

• you are a Norwegian citizen, whether you are resident in Norway or have moved from Norway
• you are a foreign citizen who is resident in Norway

The marriage certificate must be the original, with a stamp and signature. It must be submitted by post. We do not accept electronic certificates as proof.

The certificate must be in English or a Nordic language. If it is in another language, it must be translated.

• If the translation is done in Norway, it must be translated by a state-authorised translator.
• If the translation is done abroad, the translation must also have an apostille or be legalised.

You must send the original certificate and translation together.

Valid documentation from your country

There are wide variations in what is considered valid documentation when you have married abroad. This depends on which country you were married in.

For a marriage entered into in a Nordic country:

You must send us the original marriage certificate.

For a marriage entered into in one of these countries:

• 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, India, Iraq, Myanmar (Burma), Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Vietnam, and Yemen.
• Europe: Kosovo

Documents from these countries will rarely be sufficient proof to register a marriage in the National Population Register, as they have low credibility. This applies even if the certificate has an apostille or has been legalised. 

Exceptions may be made if the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) has accepted the marriage in connection with a family reunification case. 

For a marriage concluded in all other countries:

The certificates must be original and have an apostille or be legalised by the country's foreign ministry.

If the certificates are legalised, the legalisation must be confirmed by a Norwegian foreign mission in the issuing country.