Marriage (Ekteskap)

If you intend to marry, you may choose either a civil marriage (borgerlig vigsel) or a church marriage (kirkelig vigsel); from a legal viewpoint, the two are equal. A city recorder or district recorder (Chapter 38) can perform a civil marriage. A minister of the Church of Norway or of one of the other registered religious denominations can perform a church marriage. After the solemnisation ceremony (wedding), you will receive a marriage certificate (vigselsattest).

Before you marry, you should be able to show that you fulfil the conditions for a valid marriage (ekteskapsvilkårene), which requires that each of you:

• Be at least 18 years old. Younger persons may marry with the consent of their parent(s) or guardian(s) and the permission of the County Governor (Fylkesmann).
• Have full legal capacity (vœre myndig). A person declared without legal capacity (umyndiggjort), such as due to being retarded or addicted, can marry only by permission of his or her parent(s) or guardian(s).
• Be unmarried. Any previous marriage must have been terminated by a divorce; separated persons cannot remarry until they are fully divorced.
• Not be closely related to each other.
• Fully inform the other in case you have a venereal (sexually-transmitted) disease.
• Have a valid residence permit (Chapter 1) if you are a citizen of another country.

You may show that you fulfil these conditions on a form entitled Erklœring fra brudefolkene før prøving av ekteskapsvilkårene (“statement of the bridal couple prior to proving the conditions for a valid marriage”). Both of you must have a witness (forlover), who should be a person who knows you well. Each of them must fill out and sign a Forlovererklœring (”witness statement”). With these forms completed, you can apply to have the marriage performed. You must also choose the surnames that you will have when married. You have three options: either one of you can take the other’s surname (except for a surname taken in a previous marriage), or one of you can take the other’s surname but keep your own surname as a middle name, or both of you can retain your surnames unchanged. At the ceremony, you must have at least two witnesses, usually, but not always, the bridesmaid and the best man.

Maternity and adoption benefits (Ytelser ved fødsel eller adopsjon)

Parents who are members of the National Insurance scheme (Chapter 21), and have been in paid employment for six of 10 months before leave for maternity or adoption begins, are entitled to daily cash benefits of up to full normal earnings, limited to six times the basic amount (Chapter 2), for 42 weeks and in some cases more. Parents not qualifying for these benefits are entitled to a single payment grant. For further details, contact the local National insurance office listed under Trygdekontor in the Pink Pages.

Marriage settlement (Ektepakt)

If you and your spouse or intended spouse so wish, you may specify how property is to be divided between you in marriage. The most common form of marriage settlement is separate property (sœreie), in which property that belongs to one spouse is held outside the property held jointly (felleseie) with the other spouse. A marriage settlement is most often made before marriage but may be made thereafter. It is valid only if signed by both spouses and by two witnesses. It must be entered in the Marriage Contract Register (Ekteskapsregisteret) at the Brønnøysund Register Centre (Chapter 38) to be valid in financial matters. A lawyer can help you draw up a marriage settlement and properly register it.

Name changes (Endring av navn)

You may change your name once, by application at the nearest office of the National Register (Chapter 38) listed under Folkeregister in the Pink Pages. Two forms are available for the purpose: Melding om endring av navn (”notice of name change”) and Melding om endring av navn til barn under 18 år (”notice of name change of child younger than 18”). If you have changed your name once, you may change it again only through application for permission to the County Governor listed under Fylkesmann in the Pink Pages. The general rules for personal names apply to name changes. Some specific rules apply to changes of family name (slektsnavn). You may change to a common (vanlige) family name unless there are special grounds that prohibit it. Updated lists of common family names are available at National Register and County Governor offices. However, you can change to a protected (beskyttet) family name only by consent of the families having that name. Nonetheless, change can be granted if one of your parents or step-parents have or had the name or if you had the name before a previous marriage.

Nappies (Bleier)

Popular disposable brands available in supermarkets are Libero and Pampers, for babies from 2 kg in weight up to toddlers of 25 kg, disposable pants for toddlers from 9 kg. Popularity of washable nappies has declined in recent years, enquire in baby shops (barneutstyr) who may be stock or be able to order them.

The Night Ravens (Natteravnene)

The Night Ravens are voluntary groups of adults, usually parents of schoolchildren, who walk streets at night to provide the adult presence that helps prevent violence, drug abuse and crime among the young. The night ravens are not police and do not interfere in incidents. But they cooperate with local police departments and have procedures to use their mobile phones to call the police if needed.

The concept started in the early 1990s in Oslo, and now there are Night Ravens in nine other cities: Arendal, Bergen, Bodø, Kongsberg, Kristiansand, Lillehammer, Stavanger, Tromsø and Trondheim. Local Night Raven groups usually are organised through the parents’ associations of the local schools and often have contact persons, telephones, addresses and Internet websites and brochures for new members, supported in part by the Vesta insurance company. The general philosophy is that parents should not sit at home and worry about their kids out on the town, but should go out themselves as Night Ravens. Usually, three to five Night Ravens, 18 years old and older, walk together on Friday and Saturday evenings, from 9 or 10 in the evening to 1 or 2 in the morning, to see and be seen in risky areas. For further information on the Night Ravens, who always need more volunteers, contact the head office, Storgata 28, 0184 Oslo, Tel: 23002120, Fax: 23002121, www.natteravnene.no.

Ombudsman for children (Barneombudet)

In 1981, Norway became the first country to establish a commissioner, or ombud, legally empowered to protect children and their rights. Since then, the Ombudsman for children has worked to promote national and international legislation affecting the welfare of children. For further information, contact the head office, Hammersborg torg 1, 0018 Oslo, Tel: 22993950, Fax: 22993970, www.barneombudet.no, post@barneombudet.no.

Personal names (Personnavn)

By tradition, most Norwegians have two names: a first name (fornavn) and a surname (etternavn). Up to about 1970, few children were given middle names. Thereafter middle names became increasingly common, and by the mid-1990s, more than four children in 10 were give three names. The most common combination of three names is a first name, one parent’s surname as a middle name (mellomnavn) and the other parent’s surname. Upon marriage, a couple may choose between both retaining their names unaltered, the wife taking her husband’s surname, as is the custom in many countries, or the husband taking his wife’s surname; the person taking the other’s surname may retain his/her surname as a middle name. If you have a child in Norway, you should register its birth and name with the National Register (Chapter 38) before it is six months old, to obtain a National ID Number and an official birth certificate, as is needed to obtain a passport as well as register birth abroad at an embassy. The hospital or attending midwife will issue a birth statement (fødselsmelding), which you then use in registering the birth. Registration of a name is subject to the Name Act, which affects both surname and first name. Children born to a couple with a common surname will have that surname. Children born to a married or cohabitant couple with differing surnames may be given either or both surnames. However, only the last of the names is regarded to be the child’s family name (slektsnavn). If a surname is not chosen before a child is six months old, it will automatically be given the mother’s surname. Almost any first name may be chosen, provided that it will not be inconvenient or embarrassing for the person named and provided that it is not or has not been a family name. However, family names that are or have been first names are excepted from this rule.

Pregnancy (Svangerskap)

Pregnant women are entitled to free antenatal and childbirth care provided by the National Insurance scheme. Pregnancy test (graviditetstest) kits for home use are sold at pharmacies (apotek), or a test can be performed at the local health clinic (helsestasjon). Once pregnancy has been confirmed (usually at around 12 weeks), antenatal care and clinics are provided by a doctor (lege) or midwife (jordmor) at the health clinic. Upon first visit to a health clinic, a pregnant woman is seen by a doctor and by a midwife. The midwife is responsible for antenatal care but the doctor will see the woman a further three times during the pregnancy. Initially, visits to the clinic take place once a month and as the pregnancy progresses the visits will be fortnightly and then weekly from 34 weeks onwards. A woman is responsible for her own medical notes during her pregnancy and will have to take them with her to all visits. Ultrasound (ultralyd) scans are offered from the 17th/18th week, about 95% take up this offer. Blood is screened for HIV, Rubella and Rhesus. If the pregnant woman comes from a country where Hepatitis B is common, they will be tested for it. Other tests include:

• Amniocentesis (fostervannsprøve), the sampling of the amniotic fluid by the insertion of a hollow needle to determine the condition of an embryo, is also available free to women of age 37 or older and at a modest fee to younger women.
• Chorionic Villus Sample – CVS (Morkakeprøve), a test on the placenta (morkake) to detect any chromosomal abnormalities in the foetus is offered at major hospitals.

Almost all births are in public hospitals, which provide everything for the baby and the new mother. The mother does not need to bring her own nightgown or sanitary items, just personal items like a hairbrush, her toothpaste and brush and anything else that will make her stay in hospital more comfortable. Up to five people can accompany the pregnant woman into the delivery suite, even children are welcome. A normal confinement is two to three days in major cities and four to five days elsewhere. A new mother can leave the hospital after two hours. Fewer than one birth in a hundred is at home, and accordingly there are few midwifes available to assist home delivery. Eight weeks after delivery, a mother may return to the antenatal clinic for a postnatal checkup.

Registered partnership (Registrert partnerskap)

A registered partnership is an officially recognised relationship between same-sex persons. Each year, there are about 200 registrations, some one-third of them women and two-thirds of them men.

A registered partnership affords the same rights as marriage, except for adoption and church wedding, and involves the same procedures, including separation and divorce to terminate a relationship. Similar registered partnership rules are in effect in Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. Both partners must be at least 18 years old; at least one must be a Norwegian citizen and at least one must be resident in Norway. A foreign citizen entering a registered partnership in Norway must have a valid residence permit. A same-sex couple wishing to enter a registered partnership should contact the city recorder or district recorder (Chapter 38) in the municipality in which one or both of them lives, for an appointment for registration. Both must bring birth certificates, as issued by the National Register (Chapter 38). If one is a foreign citizen, he/she must bring an official statement of civil status to prove that he/she is not married or in an existing registered partnership. If both partners so wish, one may take the other’s surname. A Norwegian registered partnership should be regarded as valid in Norway only, as it may not be recognised in other countries not having similar legal provisions. Likewise, practical difficulties may arise when registered partners travel abroad. For instance, Norwegian family travel insurance policies, which are also valid for registered partners, may not be recognised in some countries unless they carry the names of all persons insured. For further details on all current aspects of registered partnerships, contact the Lesbian and Gay Liberation Organisation (Chapter 34).

Rights of parents of small children (Småbarnsforeldres rettigheter)

Several government agencies are involved in administering the rights of parents of small children. Together, these regulations ensure:

• Financial benefits and grants during pregnancy and birth or in adoption, including paid leave for working mothers and fathers.
• Unpaid leave of absence from work, including daily leave for breastfeeding mothers and up to two weeks for fathers.
• Leave of absence if a child or child-minder is ill.
• Reduced working hours when needed.
• Financial support, including child benefit, and pension contributions, for parents who stay at home and benefits for single parents.
• Maternity grants and postponement of Educational Loan Fund repayments, as in connection with pregnancy, birth and adoption.
• Military leave for conscripts and postponement of service for single providers.
• Health care services and work reductions for pregnant women.
• Protection against dismissal during pregnancy or leave of absence.
• Health and education services, including clinics, day care, special education, family counselling and the like.

For further information, see the overview brochure “The rights of parents of small children in Norway” (Småbarnsforeldres rettigheter), available at National Insurance Offices (Trygdekontoret in the Pink Pages).

Voluntary work (Frivillig innsats)

Norway arguably is attuned to voluntary work, of two sorts. First, as in other countries, voluntary organisations, including many non-government organisations historically were started by and still rely upon unpaid work. In many sectors, such as health, social services and environmental conservation, voluntary organisations were the predecessors of governmental agencies. Conversely, many organisations that are supported by public funds, such as the Norwegian Confederation of Sports (Norges Idrettsforbund), rely on volunteer work in their operations. Consequently, the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs supports liaison between public agencies and some 35 private organisations that rely upon voluntary work, in the Partnership Body for Volunteers (Frivillighetens samarbeidsorgan – FRISAM), Universitetsgt 2, PO Box 8054 Dep, 0031 Oslo, Tel: 24163000, Fax: 24163002, www.frivillig.no.

Second and far more commonplace is local-level collective work (dugnad), a descendent of the rural tradition of do-it-yourself (with the help of your neighbours). In Scandinavia, dugnad is particularly Norwegian; neither Danes nor Swedes have the tradition or even a word for it. Arguably this may be due to Norway never having had a feudal system or a nobility; farmers and fishermen were free, while their counterparts in other countries were more ruled by their lords. The only other instance of a similar tradition is that of barn-raising in the pioneer USA, when neighbours would get together to put up the frame of a barn. In modern Norway, dugnad is pervasive. Day-care centres and private schools rely on the dugnadstimer (”dugnad hours”) of parents to maintain facilities. Social and sports clubs depend on dugnad in their daily activities. If you are a member of any club or organisation – and the average family belongs to at least six – you can expect a call to dugnad at least once a year, usually in the spring. Blocks of cooperative flats rely on dugnad to keep stairwells clean, cut grass and tidy grounds. If you live in a cooperative block, you will be assigned your turn at dugnad. Some housing projects were even built with a helping of dugnad, a fact reflected in the names of the streets on which they are located: there is a Dugnadveien at Årvoll in Oslo as well as at Gjettum in Bærum. Each year, residents of the country contribute more than 50 million hours of dugnad. And some events depend on dugnad: the Molte International Jazz Festival relies on some 600 volunteers for 30,000 hours of work each year. Though dugnad often involves hard work, it can be enjoyable. Every major dugnad undertaking is also a social gathering, traditionally with coffee, tea, sandwiches and pastries served by relatives of the working dugnad crew (dugnadsgjeng).

Youth Information Centres (Ungdomsinformasjon)

The Youth Information Centres are a network of offices dedicated to providing young people with a broad range of information on city and town life, entertainment, schools, further education, job opportunities and the like. UngInfo is the Norwegian member of the European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (ERYICA).

There are three UngInfo offices in Oslo: city centre, Furuset and Stovner, and one each in Alta, Bodø, Husvik, Karasjok, Kautokeino, Kristiansand, Porsanger, Sarpsborg, Skien, Stavanger, Steinkjer, Tana and Tromsø. You can find their addresses and telecommunications numbers listed under UngInfo in the Pink Pages for these cities and towns, or by contacting the head office, Møllergt 3, 0179 Oslo, Tel: 22415132, Fax: 22426371, www.unginfo.oslo.no.