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Norway

Kingdom of Norway

Civil law (Nordic)Constitutional monarchyReviewed· 2026-08-02
Capital
Oslo
Population
5,500,000
Languages
Norwegian
Currency
NOK

Norway · Family

Family in Norway

What the atlas records on family in Norway, checked against the primary sources cited below.

Family

Gender-neutral marriage since 2009 and separation-based divorce

Reviewed· 2026-08-02

The Marriage Act has been gender-neutral since 2009. Divorce normally follows a period of separation, with the County Governor handling the administrative steps.

Key rules

  • Same-sex marriage has been available since 2009.
  • Divorce usually follows one year of separation or two years of living apart.
  • Spouses divide jointly acquired property on divorce, subject to agreement.

Governing law

  • Marriage Act (Ekteskapsloven)

In practice

The County Governor (Statsforvalteren) issues the separation and divorce licences, so most divorces never reach a court.

Sources

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