Dear Parent! Apply for Benefits from Norway

It’s well known how difficult it is for new parents to find their way in a new reality, when absolutely everything changes. The good news is that Norway offers a wide range of social benefits, both for its citizens and for those working in Norway. If you are employed, you already meet one of the conditions to apply for financial support for your child!

What benefits can I apply for?

For greater clarity, we present them below in a list. Remember, each has its own rules and eligibility criteria – but don’t worry, we’ll explain everything to you!

1. Child Benefit – barnetrygd

What is child benefit (barnetrygd)?

This is the Norwegian equivalent of the Polish 500+ (and from 2024 – 800+), paid in Norwegian kroner. It is granted for each child from birth until they turn 18 and currently amounts to 1,968 NOK per month.
In theory, you cannot receive the same benefit from two different countries at the same time, but in practice, we know this is not always the case. However, Norway strictly follows international rules, so before applying to NAV, you must make sure that Norway has the primary right to pay the benefit.

When can we apply for child benefit from Norway?

Simply put, child benefit from Norway is available when one parent works in Norway and the other parent does not work in Poland. In this situation, Norway has the priority to pay the benefit.

If the other parent is professionally active in Poland, meaning they work or receive taxable benefits (e.g., maternity benefit, unemployment benefit), then Norway does not have the priority and will not pay the benefit.

What conditions must be met to receive the benefit?

To be eligible to apply, you must:

• work or receive taxable benefits from NAV such as parental, sickness, rehabilitation, care, unemployment benefits, etc.,
• have the same registered address as your children.

What must you attach to the application?

You must attach the following to your application for child benefit:

• the child’s birth certificate (on an EU form or translated into Norwegian or English),
• marriage certificate (only if the parents are married),
• employment contract or decision granting a benefit from NAV,
• registration of residence in Norway,
• identity document – ID card or passport.

Important! You can apply for child benefit retroactively for up to 3 months only.

2. Child Care Benefit – kontantstøtte

What is child care benefit (kontantstøtte)?

This is a Norwegian benefit for children who have not been granted a place in a kindergarten. It is the equivalent of the Polish Family Care Capital, and currently the Active Parent benefit. This benefit is available for slightly older children, from 13 months to 19 months of age, and currently amounts to 7,500 NOK per month. If parents are entitled to a similar benefit in Poland, the Norwegian benefit will be reduced by the amount granted in Poland.

When can we apply for child care benefit from Norway?

You can apply for child care benefit when the child does not attend a public kindergarten or nursery, meaning they stay at home with a parent or attend a completely private institution (without state subsidies).

What conditions must be met to receive the benefit?

To be eligible to apply, you must:

• work or receive taxable benefits from NAV such as parental, sickness, rehabilitation, care, unemployment benefits, etc.,
• have the same registered address as your children,
• have been a member of the social security system for at least 5 years – this requirement applies to both parents. Membership means legal residence or work in Norway or periods of work in Poland. Periods of membership from different EEA countries are added together.

What must you attach to the application?

You must attach the following to your application for child care benefit:

• the child’s birth certificate (on an EU form or translated into Norwegian or English),
• marriage certificate (only if the parents are married),
• employment contract or decision granting a benefit from NAV,
• registration of residence in Norway,
• identity document – ID card or passport.

Important! You can apply for child care benefit retroactively for up to 3 months only.

3. Parental Benefit – maternity and paternity leave (foreldrepenger)

What is parental benefit?

This is a benefit designed to replace your income while you stay at home with your child. The length of the benefit depends on several factors:

• the chosen percentage rate of the benefit,
• whether the other parent is entitled to parental benefit in Norway or another EEA country, such as Poland,
• the period of entitlement for the other parent,
• the child’s date of birth.

Contact us and we will help you determine your situation and how many weeks of parental benefit you are entitled to.

What must you attach to the application?

You must attach the following to your application for parental benefit:

• pregnancy card or the child’s birth certificate,
• confirmation of the mother’s return to work, if required in your specific situation.

If the mother receives maternity benefit in Poland, it is also worth attaching the decision granting it – this will significantly speed up the processing of the application for paternity benefit in NAV.

What conditions must be met to receive the benefit?

To be able to apply for parental benefit in Norway, you must:

• have earned income for at least 6 of the last 10 months before starting the benefit,
• be a member of the Norwegian social security system on the day of the child’s birth, i.e., legally reside in Norway or be employed,
• have an annual income of at least 0.5 G rate.

4. One-Time Grant – childbirth allowance (engangsstønad)

What is the one-time grant – childbirth allowance?

As the name suggests, this is a one-time financial aid for the mother who has not earned the right to maternity benefit. It is paid after the birth or adoption of a child, and you can apply for it no earlier than after the 22nd week of pregnancy, but no later than 6 months after the birth or adoption. The amount of the one-time grant is currently 92,648 NOK.

What conditions must be met to receive the benefit?

To apply for the one-time grant, you must be a member of folketrygden, i.e., the Norwegian social security system, for at least 12 months at the time of the child’s birth or adoption. This means you must be employed under a contract at the time of delivery or legally reside in Norway, i.e., have a residence registration issued no later than 12 months before the due date.

Note!

• You are not entitled to this benefit if you adopt your partner’s child.
• You cannot apply for the childbirth allowance if you have chosen parental benefit.

What must you attach to the application?

You must attach the following to your application:

• registration of residence in Norway,
• pregnancy card or the child’s birth certificate.

5. Insurance for You or Your Child

When your child is born, it’s worth mentioning the S1 document, which extends health insurance from Norway to your country of permanent residence, e.g., Poland. If your child was born and lives in Poland, it is most likely that your center of life is there, which gives you the opportunity to extend your own Norwegian insurance to Poland as well.

You also have the option to cover only your newborn child in Poland with your Norwegian insurance if you do not need to extend the insurance for yourself or are not eligible to do so.

All you need to do is submit an application for an S1 document!

We have great news for you!

You no longer have to search for information on your own. We will help you obtain all the benefits you are entitled to from Norway. We are here for you.