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Paternity and co-motherhood

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Draft, translated: translated from the Norwegian original with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is the authoritative one. See the Norwegian original →

When parenthood is established automatically, and when it must be declared yourself. How to do it, and what it means for parental responsibility.

Norwegian original last checked against official sources: 21 September 2026. Rules and figures change, so always check the official site before you act.

Who is legally regarded as a parent of a child matters for parental responsibility, primary residence, contact, child maintenance obligations and inheritance.

When is paternity established automatically?

If the parents are married when the child is born, the husband is automatically regarded as the father. No separate declaration is needed.

When must paternity be declared?

If the parents are not married to each other, paternity must be declared or established by the court. You can declare paternity digitally at nav.no from pregnancy week 22 until the child is six months old.

Co-motherhood

If the mother is married to or cohabiting with another woman, the partner can apply for co-motherhood (medmorskap) for the child. A co-mother is legally regarded as a parent of the child, in the same way as a father, with the same rights to parental benefit and the father's quota, and this matters for parental responsibility, primary residence, contact, child maintenance obligations and inheritance.

What does this mean for parental responsibility?

According to the government, all children born from 1 January 2020 automatically have parents with joint parental responsibility, regardless of whether the parents are married, cohabiting or not living together, provided they are registered at the same address. If you do not live at the same address, you can submit a cohabitation declaration to obtain joint responsibility. Read more in Parental responsibility, primary residence and contact.

Paternity or co-motherhood established abroad

If paternity or co-motherhood has been established in another country, you can apply to NAV for recognition in Norway.

Tip: If you are unsure whether your paternity is already registered, you can check by logging in at nav.no.

Sources

• NAV. Declare paternity (Norwegian)
• NAV. Register father, mother or co-mother (Norwegian)
• Government.no. Parental responsibility

Kontaktpunkt24 gives general information, not legal advice. If you need help with your own case, contact a lawyer, a legal aid service, or the relevant authority.

This page is translated from Norwegian with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is always the authoritative one.