Registering separation and divorce from abroad

If you were divorced abroad, you can have your divorce registered in the National Population Register. This will change your marital status. For us to be able to register the divorce, you must be registered in the National Population Register with a national identity number.

You can have a foreign divorce registered in the National Population Register by either:

  • sending supporting documents directly to us
  • applying for approval of a foreign divorce with the County Governor

What you must provide supporting documents of

You must send us original documents with a cover sheet. We do not accept electronic certificates/documents.

The documents must show:

  • who you have divorced,
  • the date of the divorce,
  • where the divorce was granted, and
  • whether the decision is legally enforceable, in the case of a judicial decision

In the cover sheet, you need to tell us:

  • who you are,
  • what the case is about, and
  • where the divorce was granted, and
  • state the return address for the original documents

Send the cover letter and supporting documents by post

You must send the documents to us by post:

Skatteetaten
Postboks 9200 Grønland
0134 Oslo

We will return original documents to you by registered mail after checking them.

 

The supporting documents must be in English or a Nordic language. If they're in another language, they must be translated.

You must send the original document and translation together.

The conditions for divorce mentioned above also apply to separations. However, we may only register a formal separation granted by a court or another public authority.

You must be able to prove that the separation entitles you to a divorce after a specified period and does not automatically lapse without further action from the parties.

Valid supporting documents from different countries

Please note that the types of supporting documents accepted for divorces granted outside Norway vary considerably from country to country.

Divorces granted in Nordic countries

You must submit a legally enforceable divorce judgement or divorce order.

Divorces granted in the following 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 divorce in the National Population Register, as they are regarded as having low credibility. This applies even if the certificate has an apostille or been legalised.   

We may still register the divorce if the County Governor approves it.    

We may also register the divorce if the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) has approved it in connection with the family reunification with a new spouse.

Divorces granted in other countries

Supporting documents regarding divorce must be original and endorsed with an apostille or be legalised by the country's foreign ministry.

Approval of a foreign divorce from the County Governor

The County Governor may decide whether a foreign divorce is valid in Norway. We can register foreign divorces that are approved by the County Governor in the National Population Register.

If you divorced abroad and want to re-marry, your foreign divorce must be approved by the County Governor before we can approve an application to enter into marriage.

You can find information on how to apply for approval of a foreign divorce on the County Governor's website.