In Norway, it is Skatteetaten (the tax administration, which also runs the National Population Register) that changes your name, and you report it digitally by logging in. The name change itself is free. You can change your first name, middle name and surname, but some surnames are protected and require consent. Once the new name is registered, you must order a new passport and ID card yourself with the correct name.

Who handles a name change, and what does it cost?

It is Skatteetaten that handles name changes, through the Folkeregisteret (the National Population Register, the public register of everyone living in Norway). You apply digitally by logging in with an electronic ID, for example BankID, at skatteetaten.no. The name change itself costs nothing.

You only pay if you later need a new passport or national ID card. You order that from the police, and it costs a fee. See how to apply for a passport and ID card in Norway.

Private websites offer to arrange a name change for a fee. You do not need that. The official route through Skatteetaten is free.

The three types of names

Your name consists of up to three parts, and the rules differ slightly for each:

  • First name (fornavn) is the name that comes first, the one you are usually called.
  • Surname (etternavn), or family name, is the name that comes last, often the family name.
  • Middle name (mellomnavn) sits between the first name and the surname. A middle name is not a first name. It is often a name that would otherwise be used as a surname, but that you carry as a middle name.

You can change one or more of these in the same application.

Which surnames can you take?

You can freely take a surname that more than 200 people in Norway already have. Such common surnames are not protected.

A surname that 200 people or fewer in Norway have, however, counts as a protected surname. In that case, everyone who already has the name must consent before you can take it. This is set out in the navneloven (the Personal Names Act of 2002). The threshold was lowered from 500 to 200 people in 2020.

There are important exceptions. You can take a protected surname without everyone who bears it agreeing, if you have a connection to the name, for example:

  • the name is or has been the surname of a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent;
  • it is a name you have had yourself before;
  • it is your spouse's surname.

If you are taking your spouse's surname in connection with a wedding, see the guide on getting married in Norway.

Rules for first names

You cannot choose just any first name. A first name cannot be a name that is registered in the Folkeregisteret as a surname or middle name. Nor can you choose a name that would cause significant inconvenience to yourself or others. The vast majority of common first names are fine to take.

How to apply – step by step

  1. Log in at skatteetaten.no with an electronic ID (for example BankID) and find the "Endre navn" (Change name) service.
  2. Choose whether you want to change your first name, middle name, surname, or several of these.
  3. Enter the new name you want.
  4. Attach consent or documentation if the name requires it, for example for a protected surname.
  5. Submit the application.

You do not need to send anything by post when you use the digital service.

Names for children under 18

For children, there are separate rules about who reports the name change. For a child under 16 år, it is the person or people who have parental responsibility who must report the change. If both parents have parental responsibility, both must agree.

If the application concerns a child over 12 år, the child must also consent to the new name themselves. Youths between 16 and 18 år can report a name change on their own.

Processing time and what happens afterwards

If your case is approved automatically, the name is registered immediately. If the case goes to manual processing, it can take a few weeks, and you will be notified in Altinn (your public inbox).

Once the new name is registered in the Folkeregisteret, you receive a confirmation. The name is then shared with public authorities that use the Folkeregisteret, which you can read more about here.

But not everything updates itself. After the name change, you should:

  • order a new passport and national ID card from the police, since the old passport has the wrong name;
  • notify your bank, employer, GP, school and others who have your name registered;
  • update your driving licence at the next renewal.

How often can you change your name?

You cannot change your name as often as you like. If you are over 16 år, as a general rule you cannot take, change or drop your first name or surname more than once every ten years.

There are exceptions. For example, you can take your spouse's surname, go back to a name you have had before, or change your name when there are special grounds, even if it is less than ten years since the last change.