Norway’s child benefit, barnetrygd, is a monthly NAV payment for children under 18. It is not tied to the parents’ income, it is not taxed, and it does not sit inside the annual tax return in the way a deduction does. The 2026 change is easy to miss because it starts during the year: from 1 February 2026 the ordinary rate is NOK 2,012 per child per month. A family with two children therefore receives NOK 4,024 a month, or NOK 48,288 across a full 12 months at the new rate.
The main rate is only the first layer. Families in Finnmark, Svalbard and named municipalities in Northern Troms can receive a separate regional supplement. Single parents can qualify for extended child benefit. Parents with a child aged 13 to 19 months may also need to check the cash-for-care benefit if the child does not have a full-time kindergarten place. This guide puts those 2026 amounts beside the tax and childcare-cost rules that affect a household budget.
The 2026 barnetrygd rate
NAV lists the ordinary child benefit from 1 February 2026 at NOK 2,012 per month for each child aged 0 to 18. The old rate from 1 October 2025 to 31 January 2026 was NOK 1,968 per month, so the February change adds NOK 44 per child per month.
| Children | Monthly child benefit from 1 February 2026 | Annual amount at the new rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 child | NOK 2,012 | NOK 24,144 |
| 2 children | NOK 4,024 | NOK 48,288 |
| 3 children | NOK 6,036 | NOK 72,432 |
| 4 children | NOK 8,048 | NOK 96,576 |
Those annual figures use 12 months at the new February rate. A household that received child benefit in January 2026 gets that month at the older NOK 1,968 rate, then the higher figure from February onward, so its actual 2026 calendar-year total is NOK 24,100 for one child before any supplements.
The benefit normally starts from the month after birth, or from the month after the conditions are met if entitlement begins later. It stops after the month before the child turns 18. If a child is born in Norway, payment is usually automatic to the mother, based on the National Population Register. Applications matter when the child was not born in Norway, the parents want the father to receive it, the child has shared permanent residence, EEA rules apply, or another caregiver such as a foster parent claims.
Finnmark, Svalbard and Northern Troms
From 1 February 2026 the Finnmark and Svalbard supplement is NOK 512 per child per month. It is paid on top of ordinary child benefit when both the child and the recipient live in Svalbard, Finnmark, or one of these Northern Troms municipalities: Karlsøy, Kvænangen, Kåfjord, Lyngen, Nordreisa, Skjervøy or Storfjord.
The supplement is address-driven. NAV says it is granted automatically from the National Population Register, so the practical task is to keep the registered address correct. A two-child family in Tromso city does not get this supplement. A two-child family that qualifies in Finnmark receives ordinary child benefit of NOK 4,024 plus two regional supplements of NOK 512, giving NOK 5,048 a month from February 2026.
Single parents and extended child benefit
Extended child benefit is a separate monthly amount for a parent who lives alone with a child under 18 and meets NAV’s conditions. In 2026 the full extended payment is NOK 2,572 per month, on top of ordinary child benefit. If the parents share child benefit because the child has permanent residence with both parents, the extended amount is halved to NOK 1,286.
The extended amount is per claimant, not per child. A single parent living with one child can receive ordinary child benefit of NOK 2,012 plus extended child benefit of NOK 2,572, for NOK 4,584 a month from February 2026. A single parent living with two children receives two ordinary child-benefit payments plus the same one extended payment, so NOK 6,596 a month before any regional supplement.
There is also an infant supplement of NOK 712 per month for a single parent who lives alone with a child aged 0 to 3 and receives full transition benefit for single parents. NAV pays that supplement automatically when the conditions are met.
Cash-for-care for toddlers
Cash-for-care benefit, kontantstotte, is not the same as ordinary child benefit. It is for children aged 13 to 19 months, and it depends on the kindergarten place the child has been granted. Full cash-for-care is NOK 7,500 per month when the child has no kindergarten time. The amount steps down as the granted hours rise: NOK 6,000 at up to 8 hours, NOK 4,500 at 9 to 16 hours, NOK 3,000 at 17 to 24 hours, NOK 1,500 at 25 to 32 hours, and zero at 33 hours or more.
That makes the childcare decision concrete. A parent does not get cash-for-care because a child attends only a few hours in practice. NAV looks at the kindergarten time that has been granted. A child with a full-time place but low actual attendance is treated as having access to full-time kindergarten, so the cash-for-care amount can be zero.
Childcare costs and the 2026 tax deduction
Child benefit itself is tax-free, but childcare costs can still affect the tax return through Skatteetaten’s parental allowance, foreldrefradrag. For 2026, the general deduction limit falls to NOK 15,000 for one child, plus NOK 10,000 for each additional child. That means a family with two qualifying children can deduct up to NOK 25,000 of documented childcare expenses, and a family with three can deduct up to NOK 35,000.
This is a deduction from general income, so the value is tied to Norway’s 22% ordinary-income tax rate. A maximum NOK 15,000 deduction for one child is worth up to NOK 3,300 in lower tax if the family has enough taxable ordinary income. For two children, the NOK 25,000 cap is worth up to NOK 5,500. The deduction can cover day care, childminders, after-school schemes and qualifying transport. Food is not deductible.
For children aged 12 or older with special care needs, Skatteetaten says the old higher limits continue in 2026: NOK 25,000 for one child and NOK 15,000 for each additional child. Keep documentation even when the amount is pre-filled, because the tax office can ask for proof.
Payment dates and budget planning
NAV pays child benefit monthly. The 2026 payment dates are 30 January, 27 February, 31 March, 30 April, 29 May, 30 June, 31 July, 31 August, 30 September, 30 October, 30 November and 16 December. The December date is earlier than the end of the month, so families that spend around Christmas should still remember that the next ordinary payment is not until 30 January 2027.
For household planning, treat barnetrygd as a fixed monthly inflow, then separate it from pay after tax. The Norway salary calculator estimates take-home pay from work, while the Norway income tax calculator shows the tax base that a childcare deduction reduces. If you are comparing Norway against another country, the purchasing power comparison is a better tool than exchange rates alone because it adjusts for local prices.
FAQ
How much is child benefit in Norway in 2026? From 1 February 2026, ordinary child benefit is NOK 2,012 per child per month. The January 2026 payment used the previous NOK 1,968 rate.
Is Norwegian child benefit taxed? No. NAV says no tax is deducted from child benefit. It is a benefit payment, not salary.
How much does a single parent receive? A single parent who qualifies for full extended child benefit receives NOK 2,572 per month on top of the ordinary child benefit. With one child, that is NOK 4,584 a month from February 2026 before any regional supplement or infant supplement.
Who gets the Finnmark and Svalbard supplement? The supplement is NOK 512 per child per month from 1 February 2026. It applies when both the child and the recipient live on Svalbard, in Finnmark, or in Karlsøy, Kvænangen, Kåfjord, Lyngen, Nordreisa, Skjervøy or Storfjord in Northern Troms.
Does child benefit stop at age 18? It is paid through the month before the child turns 18. When the child turns 18, NAV stops the benefit automatically.
Can foreign workers receive barnetrygd? Sometimes. NAV has separate rules for families living in Norway, EEA cases and families where the child lives in another EEA country. The application can take longer when NAV needs information from another country.
Sources
- NAV, Child benefit, checked on 23 September 2026.
- NAV, Extended child benefit, checked on 23 September 2026.
- NAV, Cash-for-care benefit, checked on 23 September 2026.
- Skatteetaten, Parental allowance, checked on 23 September 2026.
- Skatteetaten, Parental allowance rates, checked on 23 September 2026.
This is general information, not tax, legal or financial advice.