When your child moves, you usually need to cancel the old SFO place yourself and apply for a new one. Changing schools does not necessarily end the payment agreement. Check the cancellation period in the old municipality and arrange the new start date before choosing the last day.
What happens to the SFO place when you move?
An SFO place is a separate agreement with the after-school programme. Reporting a move or telling the class teacher does not automatically cancel it. Municipalities have local rules on how to submit notice, when it takes effect and how long you must pay. Oslo calls its programme Aktivitetsskolen (AKS); other municipalities use SFO.
Start with two separate questions: “When is my child's last day at the old school?” and “When does the obligation to pay for SFO end?” The dates can differ. SamfunnPrep's overview of SFO and AKS covers places, free hours and reduced fees. This guide focuses on cancellation when moving.
| Task | Old municipality | New municipality |
|---|---|---|
| School place | Tell the school the last attendance day | Confirm the school and first day |
| SFO/AKS | Submit formal notice through the correct portal | Apply for a new place and choose a start date |
| Payment | Ask for the end date and last invoice month | Ask when billing begins |
| Practical transition | Confirm the last day your child may attend | Confirm the first day your child may attend |
When must you cancel, and how long must you pay?
The cancellation period follows the rules where your child currently has a place. Do not use another municipality's deadline as a universal rule. Also check whether the period runs from the day you submit notice or from the first day of the following month.
Oslo Municipality states as of 2 October 2026 that the notice period for AKS starts on the first day of the month after notice is submitted. If you cancel on 5 May, your child remains enrolled through May and June. Notice is submitted in the Foreldreportalen (Vigilo). Oslo also says you cannot apply for leave from AKS merely because you do not need the place for a period; you must cancel and, if necessary, reapply later.
Bergen Municipality states on the same date that SFO has one month's notice from the first day of the month after submission. Its example is notice submitted on 20 October: the family pays for October and November. Bergen also says that notice submitted after 1 April results in payment through June. This is a specific local rule that may matter for a spring move. Always check the current municipal page before deciding the date.
Example: moving from Bergen to Oslo in November
The family moves on 15 November. Their child has SFO in Bergen and will start school in Oslo after the move. If they send cancellation to Bergen on 20 October, Bergen's rule means they must pay for October and November, even though the child leaves in mid-November. The family applies for AKS in Oslo with a desired start after the move and asks when the new payment begins.
There may therefore be two payments during a transition month. That does not necessarily mean someone billed incorrectly; first check both agreements and their invoice periods. Use this as a planning example, not a calculation for every municipality. If the move date changes, ask both old and new programmes whether dates can be adjusted.
How do you cancel the place correctly?
Telling the school verbally is useful, but use the formal channel described by the municipality. Keep the confirmation. Bergen asks parents to choose “Søknader → Ny søknad → Oppsigelse SFO” in Vigilo. Oslo directs parents to Foreldreportalen for AKS. Other municipalities may use different portals or forms.
Follow this short sequence:
- Find the municipality's page on SFO/AKS cancellation and read the terms for your child's particular type of place.
- Choose the desired last day of use. Calculate the notice period under the local rule.
- Submit the cancellation in the portal and save the date, confirmation and case number.
- Ask in writing which will be the last month you must pay for if the confirmation does not say.
- Compare the last invoice with the answer. Ask the municipality about any specific item you do not understand.
If only one parent can see the child in the portal, or a technical problem prevents cancellation, contact SFO or municipal resident services immediately. Bergen says missing access can be related to registered parental responsibility or the child not being registered at the school. Do not wait until the deadline has passed before reporting the problem.
Must you apply again for SFO in the new municipality?
Yes, plan a separate application or confirmation with the new municipality. A school place and an SFO place are not handled as one case. Bergen, for example, says a new pupil must be registered in a class before parents can apply for SFO in Vigilo. Applications can be sent during the school year, and Bergen says everyone gets a place there. This is Bergen's system, not a national guarantee of a particular start date in every municipality.
Contact the new school if the application portal does not show your child. Ask about opening hours, type of place, meal charges, any free hours and the earliest possible start. If your child needs special adjustments, ask how the new SFO will meet those needs. SamfunnPrep's guide to children's right to school explains the basis for a school place; clarify SFO separately with the municipality.
SamfunnPrep also has a checklist for your first days. Add the two actual dates given by the municipalities: the end of old payments and the start at the new SFO. This makes it easier to see whether the family needs other childcare between those dates.
A short message when dates are unclear
A written question gives you a date you can compare with later invoices. Use the municipality's secure channel if the message contains the child's personal information.
We are moving from [municipality] to [municipality] on [date]. Our child has a [SFO/AKS type of place] at [school]. We submitted cancellation on [date] and want the last day of use to be [date]. Could you confirm the date the place ends, the last month for which we must pay and whether we need to do anything else in the portal?
If you still receive an invoice after the confirmed end date, reply with the confirmation and ask for an itemised explanation. Before requesting a correction, check whether the invoice covers an earlier month, meals or another agreed cost. Keep the cancellation confirmation, invoice and reply together.
SamfunnPrep helps explain terms such as notice period, type of place and parental fee. The municipality must say what applies to your actual place. Use its answer when making your moving budget.
Sources checked on 2 October 2026: Oslo Municipality on AKS cancellation; Bergen Municipality on SFO applications, cancellation and fees; Udir on SFO rules.
