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What paperwork do you need to buy a house in Norway?

Frazer Norwell
Frazer Norwell - [email protected]
What paperwork do you need to buy a house in Norway?
These are the documents you will need to have in order to buy home in Norway. Pictured is Aurlandsfjord. Photo by Sander Dechering on Unsplash.

Before putting in an offer on your dream home, you'll have to make sure all your paperwork is in order. So, what documentation do you need to buy property in Norway? 

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Buying a house comes with plenty of things to think about, endless viewings, hours spent going through listings, the bidding process and getting a mortgage in place. 

With all this to worry about, it can make it easy to overlook the paperwork you'll need to make it all come together and get the keys to your own place or take another step up on the property ladder.

Let's face it, none of us like bundles of red tape and sifting through the documents, so it's better to be prepared rather than stress later down the line. 

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The first step to buying a home in place for many will be getting a mortgage or loan in place. 

READ MORE: How easy is it to get a mortgage in Norway as a foreign resident?

The documents you need will vary, but generally, you'll need your financial records, such as payslips, as proof of your income. In addition, the bank may ask for your tax records too. You will also need a Norwegian Identification Number, such as a D-number or Personummer. You will not be able to secure a mortgage or buy any property without the ID number. 

Another hurdle could be a lack of credit history in Norway if you have been in the country for less than a year, sometimes longer. The lack of credit history, which doesn't carry over from the country you came from, could hold up the process or prevent you from getting a mortgage entirely. 

There are no hard and fast rules to what banks will ask for, though, so you may also need proof of residence and an employment contract handy.  

Once your mortgage is approved, you'll receive the all-important official mortgage approval document; you'll be ready to begin looking at homes. This document can take between one and two weeks to arrive. 

During the viewing process, two documents have essential information with crucial information about the property, and even though you won't need them to purchase the place, they'll inform your decision. 

Firstly there'll be a prospectus where you can learn about the structure of the home and the surrounding area. 

Secondly, there is the boligsalgsrapport (property report) which will be an overview of the state of the house and include technical aspects of the house such as the drainage, foundation, roof and other areas of the home.

You're ready to bid on houses or put in offers with all this in place. 

These documents will cover which parts of the house may need costly renovation or whether it's part of a property association, which could mean costly fees.

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When you place a bid, the estate agent will ensure you have financing in place by checking with the bank, so if you haven't secured your mortgage approval document, your offer will be rebuffed, and you'll likely be left disappointed.

Making offers or placing a bid will typically take place digitally. 

READ MORE: Norway’s house bidding process explained

When placing a bid, you will need to use bankID to confirm your identity. BankID is a form of digital identification issued by financial institutions. As with the mortgage process, you will need a Norwegian identification number (D-number/Personnummer) to hand. 

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