Who pays the estate agent when I buy a home in Norway?

The seller. The Estate Agency Act says it cannot be agreed that anyone other than the client pays the agent's fee and expenses. If the seller's agent sends you a bill for something, ask what it is for before you pay.

Can I delay or split the stamp duty invoice?

No. Kartverket sends one invoice for stamp duty and the registration fee on the day the document is registered, with a payment period of 14 days. It says it cannot change the due date, split the invoice or grant a delay, and unpaid invoices go on to the State Collection Agency.

Do I need a Norwegian ID number to register my purchase?

Kartverket can obtain a D number for foreign nationals who need one in connection with registration in the Land Registry. You fill in an application form and enclose it with the registration documents. Kartverket sends the application on to the Tax Administration, so expect longer processing than the usual two working days.

What is the concession requirement?

Whoever buys or receives a property must either apply for a concession, submit a self-declaration of exemption from the concession requirement, or show that it is not needed. This must be clarified with the municipality and registered before the deed is sent to Kartverket. Housing cooperative units normally do not need a concession, except in municipalities with a reduced limit where a self-declaration may be needed.

Who can witness the deed when I buy a home?

The seller signs the deed by hand and the signature is certified by two witnesses. They must be adults who live permanently in Norway and cannot be close family of the person who receives the property, which rules out your spouse, parents, children and siblings. If the buyer or seller cannot attend, a power of attorney can be used in some cases.

Do I pay the housing cooperative's transfer fee?

Not under the Housing Cooperatives Act. The cooperative may charge up to four times the court fee, currently NOK 5,380, for handling the change of owner, but only the person who sells the share can be made to pay it, and no one else can be agreed to pay it. If it appears on your settlement statement, ask why.

How long do I have to complain about a defect after taking over?

You must tell the seller within a reasonable time after you found the defect or should have found it. In any case the latest is five years after you took over the property, unless the seller has given a guarantee for a longer time. This is set by the Sale of Real Property Act.

Costs of buying a home in Norway beyond the price

By Kalkulatorbanken · Last updated 3 October 2026

Figures and rules are for 2026 and checked against the sources at the bottom of the page. Norwegian version of this guide.

The purchase price is only part of the bill. When you buy a home in Norway the state charges stamp duty (dokumentavgift) of 2.5% of the market value and a registration fee of NOK 545 per document. When you borrow the maximum, these costs come on top of your deposit, because the loan is capped as a share of the value. This guide separates what is fixed by law from what varies, and explains the points that surprise foreign buyers.

Prefer to run your own numbers? Open the Cost of Buying a Home in Norway.

In short

Freehold (selveier): 2.5% stamp duty on the market value, plus NOK 545 for the deed and NOK 545 for each mortgage deed registered (2026).
A share in a housing cooperative (borettslag): no stamp duty, but NOK 545 to register the transfer.
The bank can lend at most 90% of the value, so you need at least 10% deposit plus these costs from your own money.
The seller, not you, pays the estate agent.

Fixed, variable and running costs

It helps to keep three groups apart when you make a budget.

Fixed by law: stamp duty and the registration fees. The rates are the same for everyone and you can work them out in advance.
Variable: your own survey of the property, insurance, removals and any fees in a housing cooperative. There is no price list, so ask for quotes.
Running: interest, repayments, insurance, municipal charges and monthly common costs. These belong in your monthly budget. The cost of buying a home calculator uses 1% of the price a year as a rough allowance, which is an estimate and not a rate.

The fixed costs come out of your own savings. Under the Lending Regulations a bank may lend at most 90% of a prudently assessed value, so the costs come on top of your 10% deposit. The mortgage rules guide explains how the bank decides.

If you are not a Norwegian citizen

The Land Registry (Kartverket) can obtain a D number for foreign nationals who need one in connection with registering a purchase. You attach the application form to the registration documents.
The buyer must either apply for a concession, submit a self-declaration of exemption from the concession requirement, or show that neither is needed. This must be settled with the municipality before the deed is sent for registration. For housing cooperative units a concession is not required, but in municipalities with a reduced concession limit you may need the self-declaration.
The deed must be signed by hand by the seller, and the signature witnessed by two adults who live permanently in Norway and are not close family of the buyer.

Stamp duty and registration fees

Stamp duty is triggered when the deed is registered. It is 2.5% of the property's market value at that time, and the registration fee is NOK 545 per document in 2026. A mortgage deed is a separate document, so two loans secured on the home mean two fees. On a home costing NOK 4,200,000, registration costs NOK 1,090 with one loan and NOK 1,635 with two.

Fixed public costs in 2026 with one mortgage

Price	Stamp duty	Registration	Total freehold	Total co-op share
NOK 2,800,000	NOK 70,000	NOK 1,090	NOK 71,090	NOK 1,090
NOK 4,200,000	NOK 105,000	NOK 1,090	NOK 106,090	NOK 1,090
NOK 6,000,000	NOK 150,000	NOK 1,090	NOK 151,090	NOK 1,090

The basis is the market value, which is the price the seller could get on the open market from an unrelated buyer. If you pay less in cash because you take over debt, or you receive the property as a gift, you still pay duty on the full market value. For a home worth NOK 3,000,000 where the price on the deed is NOK 2,400,000, the duty is NOK 75,000, not NOK 60,000. The stamp duty calculator also covers the exemptions.

Kartverket sends one invoice for duty and fees on the day the deed is registered. The payment deadline is 14 days, and it cannot move the due date, split the invoice or grant a payment delay.

Housing cooperatives: no duty, but shared debt

A unit in a housing cooperative is exempt from stamp duty. You only pay the NOK 545 registration fee, and NOK 545 for each mortgage deed. On a home costing NOK 4,200,000 that saves NOK 105,000.

The saving can disappear because asking prices for shares are often quoted without the share of common debt. That debt counts towards the loan-to-value ratio, and you pay interest and repayments on it through the monthly common costs. Compare total price and monthly cost, not just the asking price.

Transfer fees

The Housing Cooperatives Act lets the cooperative charge up to four times the court fee for handling a change of owner and approval. With a court fee of NOK 1,345 the ceiling is NOK 5,380, and the Act says it is paid by the person who sells the share and cannot be agreed to be paid by anyone else.

Survey, agent and claims

Under the Sale of Real Property Act you are treated as knowing what is clear from a condition report or other sales documents you had the chance to read. A survey of your own costs money and the price varies with the home, so ask for a written quote.

The Estate Agency Act says it cannot be agreed that anyone other than the client pays the agent's fee and expenses. The agent's fee is therefore the seller's cost. If an invoice from the agent or the settlement office is addressed to you, ask for an itemised explanation before you sign.

If you find a defect, you must notify the seller within a reasonable time after you found it, and in any case within five years of taking over the property. Removals, furniture and small repairs after takeover are costs you control yourself, so give them their own line in the budget.

Freehold or housing cooperative at the same total price

Worked example: two homes, one total price

You can choose between a freehold flat at NOK 3,650,000 and a cooperative flat at NOK 2,900,000 with NOK 750,000 of common debt. The total price is the same, you have NOK 480,000 and borrow the rest, and each has one mortgage deed.

Same total price, different bill

	Freehold	Co-op share
Price	NOK 3,650,000	NOK 2,900,000
Common debt	–	NOK 750,000
Stamp duty	NOK 91,250	NOK 0
Registration	NOK 1,090	NOK 1,090
Total costs	NOK 92,340	NOK 1,090
Minimum deposit	NOK 457,340	NOK 366,090
Loan after deposit	NOK 3,262,340	NOK 2,421,090
Loan-to-value incl. common debt	89.4%	86.9%

The freehold flat costs NOK 91,250 more in costs, which is exactly the stamp duty, and needs a NOK 91,250 larger minimum deposit. The cooperative flat has the smaller loan, but the common debt is still yours to service. Use the borrowing calculator and the mortgage calculator to test your own numbers.

Saving for the costs

If you are under 34 and do not already own a home, BSU (young people's housing savings) lets you put aside up to NOK 27,500 a year, to a maximum of NOK 300,000, with a tax deduction. The Tax Administration says the money can pay stamp duty, registration fees and other costs of the purchase, as well as the purchase price. See the BSU calculator.

Calculate with your own numbers

Cost of Buying a Home in Norway uses the 2026 rates and shows the working step by step. It takes under a minute. You do not need to log in or have BankID, and what you type stays in your browser.

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