Child benefit allowance

Families with children under the age of 18 receive child benefit allowance from the state. Child benefit allowance is paid at the end of each month, and we do not pay tax on this money. Everyone is paid the same amount of child benefit allowance per child regardless of the family’s income.

It is important to understand that child benefit allowance is the parents’ money and not the child’s. Child benefit allowance is supposed to cover some of the expenses the family incurs due to having a child, such as higher living expenses, clothing, shoes, sports equipment and the like.

The general rule concerning entitlement to child benefit allowance is that the children one is receiving benefit for are resident in Norway. If the child or children live outside Norway for more than 12 months, the family, as a rule, loses the right to child benefit allowance. Child benefit allowance can also be paid for children who live in an EEA country other than Norway if, for example, one of the parents works in Norway.

The rates listed below applied from 1^st January 2007 and show how much a family receives for each child per month:

• The normal rate is NOK 970.
• In the case of children living in Finnmark and in some local authorities in Nord-Troms the rate is higher. The additional amount received is NOK 320.
• People who have sole responsibility for supporting a child may receive expanded child benefit allowance. This means that they receive child benefit allowance for one more child than they have. People who have sole responsibilty for supporting a child may also receive an additional small child allowance for children between the ages of 0 and 3 years old (the additional amount is NOK 660 per month).

You can read more about child benefit allowance on NAV’s website.

NAV