For a will to be valid in Norway, you must follow the legal requirements in arveloven (the Inheritance Act, in force since 1 January 2021). In short: the will must be in writing, you must sign it while two witnesses are present, and the witnesses must sign it themselves. If you have children, two thirds of your estate is pliktdelsarv (forced heirship) for them – but never more than 15 ganger folketrygdens grunnbeløp (the National Insurance basic amount, "G") (15 G) per child. You can decide freely over the rest. A will that does not meet the legal requirements is invalid in its entirety, so it is worth getting it right.
How to make a valid will (the legal requirements)
To make a will, you must be at least 18 år (arveloven § 41). The will itself must be in writing, and you (called the testator) sign the document. So far, you can write it yourself, by hand or on a computer.
The most important requirement concerns the witnesses. Two witnesses must witness your signature (§ 42). Both must be present when you sign, or when you confirm that the signature is yours. The witnesses then sign the document themselves. The witnesses must be at least 18 år.
The witnesses must also be "habil" (impartial/eligible). This means a witness cannot inherit anything under the will. A provision that gives something to a witness – or to the witness's spouse, cohabiting partner, child, parent or sibling – is invalid (§ 44). So choose two neutral witnesses who are not themselves named in the will, for example neighbours or colleagues.
A short checklist:
- The will is in writing.
- You have signed it.
- Two impartial witnesses over 18 år were present at the same time when you signed.
- Both witnesses have signed.
- None of the witnesses (or their close family) inherit under the will.
It's a good idea to date the document and have the witnesses confirm that they were present when you signed. This makes the will easier to rely on later.
What can you decide yourself? Forced heirship for your children
If you have children, you cannot distribute your entire estate freely. Two thirds of what you leave behind is pliktdelsarv (forced heirship) for your livsarvinger (direct descendants), meaning your children (and grandchildren if a child has died) (§ 50). You can leave the remaining third to whomever you want.
But the forced share has a cap. It is never more than 15 G per child or per line of descendants. As of 2026, the grunnbeløp (National Insurance basic amount) is 136 549 kroner (set by NAV, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, from 1 May 2026), so 15 G equals 2 048 235 kroner per child. If you have a large estate, you can therefore freely decide over everything above 15 G per child, even if that is more than one third.
Example: You leave behind 3 million kroner and have one child. The starting point is that 2/3 (2 million) is the forced share. But the cap of 15 G (2 048 235 kroner) is higher than this, so the forced share is 2 million, and you can freely leave 1 million to whomever you choose. If, on the other hand, you have a large estate where 2/3 would be more than 2 048 235 kroner per child, the forced share stops at the cap.
If you don't have children, you are in principle free to decide who inherits from you – except for a spouse or cohabiting partner, which you can read about below.
Spouse and cohabiting partner: what are they entitled to?
A spouse has an inheritance right that takes priority over your will. If you have livsarvinger (direct descendants), the spouse inherits one quarter, but always at least 4 G – 546 196 kroner as of 2026 (§ 8). If you don't have children, the spouse inherits half, but at least 6 G, i.e. 819 294 kroner as of 2026 (§ 9). You cannot will away this minimum inheritance.
Cohabiting partners do not have equally strong protection. A cohabiting partner who has, has had, or is expecting a child with you is entitled to 4 G (546 196 kroner as of 2026), and this right takes priority over inheritance by others (§ 12). A cohabiting partner without a shared child has no inheritance right under the law. If you want such a partner to inherit from you, you must state it in your will – otherwise they get nothing.
Nødtestament (emergency will): when you cannot follow the usual rules
If serious illness or an emergency situation means you cannot follow the usual legal requirements, you can make a nødtestament (emergency will) (§ 46). In that case, you can give the will orally to two witnesses who are present at the same time. If it is impossible to get witnesses, you can write and sign a document alone.
A nødtestament is only a temporary solution. It becomes invalid once you have, for three months, no longer been prevented from following the usual rules in § 42. So once you have recovered and have time, you must make an ordinary will.
How to change or revoke your will
You can change or revoke your will at any time, unless the law says otherwise (§ 47). Life changes, and your will can change with it.
If you want to change the contents, as a main rule you must use the same legal requirements as when you made the will: in writing, with two impartial witnesses. You can also revoke the entire will by destroying or crossing it out, so it is clear that it no longer applies (§ 48). If you make a new will, it's a good idea to state that earlier wills are revoked.
Storage: where should the will be kept?
A will must be found after you die, otherwise it has no effect. You can deposit the original for storage with a tingrett (district court) (arveloven § 63). You can use any tingrett, regardless of where you live, and deliver it in person, send it by post, or have someone else deliver it for you.
Storage with the tingrett costs a one-time fee of 0,8 ganger the rettsgebyr (court fee). As of 2026, the rettsgebyr is 1 345 kroner, so storage costs 1 076 kroner. If you change your will or make a new one you want stored, you must pay a new fee. The advantage is that the court itself locates the will when you die. If you keep it at home, make sure someone you trust knows where it is.
When should you get help from a lawyer?
For a simple will, many people manage on their own, as long as the legal requirements are met. But some situations are easy to get wrong. In those cases, you should get help from a lawyer or another professional.
Consider professional help if you have særkullsbarn (children from a previous relationship), a business or farm, assets or heirs abroad, want to sit in uskiftet bo (undivided estate) with your spouse, or want to make a mutual will with your spouse or cohabiting partner. Proper help costs a bit, but an invalid or unclear will can create major conflicts in the family afterwards.
If you want to understand how the inheritance is distributed and how the actual arveoppgjør (estate settlement) works, you can read about inheritance and estate settlement in Norway. If you're thinking about who should look after your interests if you become ill while still alive, a fremtidsfullmakt (power of attorney for the future) is a separate document you should know about. The rules also depend on whether you are married or cohabiting – see the overview of marriage and cohabitation. For the practical steps around a death, see the guide on death and funerals.
