Getting married in Norway - does my partner need to OWN A HOUSE?

Question

I come from outside EU/Schengen and my Norwegian boyfriend and I want to get married in Norway. I checked the application process and necessary documents. We seem to fulfil all criteria, but there is one that causes some doubts. According to UDI website, he needs to "have a house where I would live with him" and provide this:

Housing documentation the lease or the deeds (in Norwegian: 'skjøte' or 'grunnboksutskrift') for the house/apartment

Thing is, he doesn't own a house. He is renting a place, which is a case for the most of the young people here. I don't quite understand what skjøte and grunnboksutskrift are. Is it satisfactory that he is renting a house or does he actually need to own one? Can I not get married if he is not a house owner?

Answer 1

If he is renting, he probably has a lease, the written agreement with the owner granting him tenancy.

In other situations, where there is no lease, you could substitute other documents, like utility bills or tax returns, but here it is important to show not only that your fiancé lives at that address but that you can live there too.

If your boyfriend does not have a lease, have him talk to his landlord and make one, backdated to the start of tenancy but with the correct dates on the signatures, and ideally have it notarized. And of course, the lease should include a clause allowing you to live there as well.

Answer 2

Skjøte and grunnboksutskrift are the Norwegian words for lease and the deeds. Your partner needs to present either one to prove that they can provide a place for you both to live.

So to answer the question: no, your partner doesn't need to OWN the house.

This information can be found in English on the UDI website

Housing documentation

the lease or the deeds (in Norwegian: 'skjøte' or 'grunnboksutskrift') for the house/apartment