Nornly — estate checklist
Estate Checklist
Here is a complete overview of all tasks that may be relevant after a death in Norway. The list shows what needs to be done, in what order, and by what deadlines.
Note: This is a complete reference checklist. Your personalised checklist (generated from the questions you answer) will show only the tasks relevant to your specific situation.
Urgent first steps
The immediate steps right after the death.
Call the GP or emergency doctor to confirm the death
Contact a funeral home
Inform close family and friends
Funeral & notifications
Practical tasks in the days after the death.
Plan the funeral or cremation ceremony
Be aware that bank accounts will be frozen
Once banks receive notification of the death from the National Registry, the deceased's accounts will be frozen — usually within a few weeks. Accounts remain frozen until the district court has issued a probate certificate (often 1–2 months). Bills related to the estate (such as funeral costs and rent) can usually be paid from a frozen account by contacting the bank directly.
Gather important documents (passport, marriage certificate, insurance policies)
Consider publishing a death notice
Notify insurance companies
This can be started immediately — no probate certificate is required. Policies with named beneficiaries (e.g., spouse, children) are paid out directly and are not part of the estate. For policies where the estate is the beneficiary, you must wait for the probate certificate, and follow-up happens in the settlement phase.
Begin cancelling subscriptions and streaming services
The settlement decision
Important decisions and deadlines to handle within 60 days of the death.
The settlement decision
Wait for and read the letter from the district court
Get a rough overview of assets and debts — enough to choose settlement type
This is an important decision. If you choose private settlement, the heirs take on personal liability for the deceased's debts. Make sure the assets exceed the debts before choosing this option. Exception: if the estate's total assets are worth less than 3G (three times the national insurance basic amount), liability is capped at the value of those assets.
Choose settlement type and submit the declaration to the district court within 60 days
The three options are: *Private settlement* — the heirs take responsibility and carry out the settlement themselves (most common). *Public settlement* — the district court takes over the process (used in cases of conflict, unknown debts, or when no one wants to take responsibility). *Undivided estate* — the surviving spouse or cohabiting partner (with shared children) takes over the estate without distributing the inheritance now. The form is sent to the district court in the jurisdiction where the deceased lived.
Contact NAV about survivor benefits
Consider publishing a creditor notice BEFORE choosing settlement type
A creditor notice (proklama) is a formal announcement giving creditors 6 weeks to file claims. Claims not filed within this period are extinguished (with exceptions for tax and secured debt). This gives heirs certainty before choosing private settlement.
Publish creditor notice in Norsk Lysingsblad
WARNING: Consider public settlement — do not take personal liability for debts
Be careful. If the deceased had more debts than assets, do not choose private settlement — you would be left personally liable for those debts. Seek advice from the district court or a lawyer.
Consider whether heirs wish to disclaim the inheritance
Inheritance and rights
Consider whether the surviving spouse wants undivided estate
Undivided estate means the surviving spouse takes over the joint marital property and the estate settlement is postponed. This is most common when the couple has shared children. If the deceased had children from a previous relationship, they must consent.
Understand spousal inheritance rights (1/4 of estate, minimum 4G)
Calculate the surviving spouse's boslodd (marital half-share) before calculating inheritance
The surviving spouse typically owns half of everything the couple owned jointly. This is called boslodd and is excluded from the estate entirely. Only the other half (the deceased's share) is distributed as inheritance. The calculation is complex if some assets are separate property — consider a lawyer.
Confirm that the prenuptial agreement (ektepakt) establishing særeie is valid and registered
Obtain consent from children from previous relationships if considering uskifte
Children from a previous relationship are entitled to their inheritance immediately. The surviving partner can only remain in undivided possession if these children give written consent.
Clarify cohabitant's inheritance rights — depends on whether you have shared children
Cohabitants' rights are weaker than spouses': - With shared children: The cohabitant may inherit up to 4G before assets are distributed. - Without shared children: The cohabitant has no automatic inheritance right unless specified in a will.
Consider whether the surviving cohabitant wants undivided estate for shared home
Cohabitants with shared children may keep the shared home, car, jointly used holiday property, and household goods as undivided estate. This does not apply to bank deposits or securities owned solely by the deceased.
Contact the county governor (statsforvalteren) regarding guardianship for minor heirs
Children under 18 cannot manage an inheritance themselves. The county governor must approve a guardian (often the other parent) to protect the child's interests in the estate settlement.
Be aware that minor heirs cannot sign estate documents themselves — a guardian must act
Minor heirs cannot sign anything on their own behalf. A guardian approved by the county governor must act on their behalf.
Submit the will to the district court for verification
Check that the will does not infringe on children's forced share
Children are entitled to a forced share — at least 2/3 of the estate, capped at 15G per child. A will that infringes this right is invalid for the infringing portion.
Pensions and benefits
Check eligibility for adjustment allowance (omstillingsstønad) from NAV
Check eligibility for omstillingsstønad (cohabiting partners with shared children may qualify)
Check if children under 20 are entitled to child pension (barnepensjon) from NAV
Contact Statens pensjonskasse to confirm that survivor's pension has been set up correctly
Survivor's pension is paid out automatically by SPK via NAV — there is no application to submit. SPK receives automatic notification from the National Registry. Nevertheless, it is recommended to contact SPK promptly to confirm that the payout has been set up correctly and to avoid overpayments that may be reclaimed.
Check whether the surviving spouse or cohabitant is entitled to a lump-sum payout from the group life scheme
The group life scheme provides a tax-free lump-sum payment in the event of death. The rates are tied to the G-amount (adjusted annually): the surviving spouse or cohabitant receives 14G, and children under 25 receive 5G each. Current amounts are available at spk.no.
Confirm that NAV has stopped pension payments
Apply for omstillingsstønad from NAV if you qualify
Identify all private and occupational pension agreements
Contact each pension provider about payouts to named beneficiaries
Check norskpensjon.no for an overview of all pension agreements
Housing
Check for mortgage or loans secured against the property
There are four reasons why this is important to check early: 1. **Settlement choice:** The size of the loan affects whether private settlement is safe to choose. An heir who takes over a property with more debt than value will be left with net debt. 2. **Mortgage life insurance:** Some mortgages have an attached life insurance policy that pays off the remaining balance on death. Check with the bank — this can be a significant amount that might otherwise go unclaimed. 3. **Loan transfer:** If an heir wants to keep the property, the bank must approve transferring the loan to them. This process takes time and should be started early. 4. **Other encumbrances:** In addition to the mortgage, there may be other registered encumbrances (e.g., liens to other creditors or usage rights) that are not visible without checking Kartverket.
Notify the landlord of the death
Terminate the rental agreement with proper notice period
Collect the deceased's belongings from the rental property before the deadline
Business
Be aware that an ENK is not a separate legal entity — the business is part of the estate
The owner of an ENK is personally liable for its debts. This means business debts become part of the estate. In a private settlement, heirs take on responsibility for these debts too.
Notify customers and suppliers of the death
Review and terminate or transfer ongoing contracts
The limited company is a separate legal entity and continues to exist after death
Shares in the company are inherited as an asset of the estate
Check if the board needs to appoint a new board member immediately
Review the shareholder agreement for buy-sell clauses
If there are multiple owners, the shareholder agreement or articles of association may give other owners the right to buy the deceased's shares. Check this quickly as short deadlines may apply.
Engage a lawyer for handling inherited shares
Inheriting shares in a limited company is complex and can have significant tax implications. We recommend contacting a lawyer with corporate law experience.
Settlement & administration
Tasks to complete after the district court has issued the probate certificate.
Create a complete inventory of all assets with exact values for the estate settlement
Create a complete inventory of all debts with exact amounts for the estate settlement
Present the probate certificate to the banks and close accounts
Cancel subscriptions and services
Handle digital accounts (email, social media, cloud storage)
Cancel mobile phone contract
Handle joint bank accounts
Complete the declaration of title (hjemmelserklæring) for property transfer
Submit the declaration of title to Kartverket for land registration
Decide whether to keep or sell the property
Check if the property has concession conditions
Obtain the uskiftesetel (certificate of undivided possession) from the district court
Report the closure of the ENK to Brønnøysundregistrene (BRREG)
File the business tax return (næringsoppgave) for the final operating year
The business tax return (næringsoppgave) has different deadlines from the standard tax return. Check the deadline with the Tax Administration.
Handle outstanding invoices and claims
Consider engaging a lawyer for business wind-down
Wait for creditor claims (6-week deadline from publication date)
The deadline for creditors to file claims is 6 weeks from the publication date. Wait until this has passed before settling the estate.
Tax return & closure
Final tasks and tax matters.
File the tax return for the deceased
The deceased's final tax return is due in the spring of the year after the death. The estate is responsible for any outstanding tax, and heirs should wait until the tax settlement is complete before distributing the full inheritance. Note: if the estate is not fully wound up by 31 December of the year of death, a second tax return must also be filed for the following year.
Calculate the inheritance distribution among heirs
Sign the estate settlement document
Formally close the estate
Calculate the forced share for each child (minimum 2/3 of estate, capped at 15G per child)
Small estate
If the total gross assets are below 3G (approx. NOK 372,000), a simplified process applies. The tasks below replace the standard settlement and administration tasks.
Contact the district court and request a fullmakt (letter of authority) to administer the estate
Present the fullmakt to the bank and close accounts
Sign the letter of authority and distribute assets among heirs
File the tax return for the deceased
The deceased's final tax return is due in the spring of the year after the death. The estate is responsible for any outstanding tax. If the estate is not fully wound up by 31 December of the year of death, a second tax return must also be filed for the following year.
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