Moving to Norway with children is an exciting opportunity, but it also raises many questions.
Will my child attend school in English? Which school should we choose? Will they make friends? What happens after school? How different is family life compared with home?
After supporting hundreds of families relocating to Norway for the past 30 years, we have found that many parents arrive with expectations based on their home country’s education system. Some assumptions are correct, while others often come as a surprise.
None of these differences are reasons not to move to Norway. In fact, many families tell us these become some of the things they value most. However, understanding them before you arrive can make the transition much smoother.
Kindergarten/Preschool (Barnehage)
Children in Norway typically attend kindergarten/preschool (barnehage) from around the age of one until they start school at six.
Families should be aware that kindergarten places are allocated through a coordinated admission process, with the main application deadline usually falling in February or March depending on the munipality one lives in. Families arriving after the main intake may still be offered a place, but availability varies between municipalities and demand can be particularly high for children under three years of age.
Kindergarten is heavily subsidised but not free. Parents pay a monthly fee (1500 NOK as of 2026), and most kindergartens also charge for meals and/or diapers.
Families with a household income below certain national thresholds can apply for:
- Reduced parental fees (pay less than the standard monthly fee).
- Free core hours, meaning a set number of hours each week are free for eligible children, typically from the age of two.
The exact income thresholds are set nationally and adjusted periodically.
Public education is free – but there are still some costs
Public primary (barneskole) and lower secondary education (ungdomsskole) in Norway is free of charge. Children who are expected to stay in the country for more than three months are entitled to, and required to attend, school regardless of their immigration status. However, families should still budget for expenses such as:
- School bags and supplies
- Clothing suitable for outdoor activities throughout the year
- Packed lunches
- School excursions
- After-school care (SFO/AKS)
- Extracurricular activities
Compared with many countries, these costs are relatively modest, but they are worth planning for before you relocate.
While public schools in Norway are free, international schools charge school fees. Annual fees typically range from around NOK 30,000 to more than NOK 280,000 per child, depending on the school and year level.
Most public schools teach in Norwegian
One of the most common questions we receive is:
“Can my child attend school in English?”
Unless your child is enrolled in an international school, the answer is generally no.
Public schools teach primarily in Norwegian. English is taught as a subject from an early age, but it is not the language of instruction.
Children who do not yet speak Norwegian are normally offered language support, and younger children, in particular, often learn the language remarkably quickly. It is not unusual for children to become conversational far sooner than their parents expect.
Children whose first language is not Norwegian or Sámi may be entitled to special Norwegian language instruction. If needed, schools may also provide mother-tongue instruction, bilingual subject teaching, or a combination of both to support the child’s learning.
For families planning a long-term future in Norway, the public school system is often the preferred choice because it supports language development, integration and friendships within the local community.
Your home address usually determines your child’s primary and lower secondary school
Many families worry about finding “the best school” before relocating to Norway.
Then they discover something unexpected.
For public primary (barneskole) and lower secondary schools (ungdomsskole), children are generally assigned to the school serving the catchment area where they live.
Although it is sometimes possible to apply for another school, acceptance depends on available capacity and municipal regulations.
Upper secondary school is different.
Students apply for admission rather than automatically attending the school closest to their home. Depending on the county, admission is usually based on previous academic results, the student’s preferred study programme and available places.
Students can choose between academic programmes, which prepare them for university, and vocational programmes, which combine classroom learning with practical training and apprenticeships.
Every child has the right to a safe school environment
All pupils in Norway have the right to a safe and supportive school environment that promotes health, inclusion, well-being and learning.
If a pupil feels unsafe or experiences bullying, harassment, discrimination, violence or social exclusion, the school has a legal duty to investigate the situation, take appropriate action and follow up until the pupil has a safe and positive school environment again. This duty applies regardless of whether the bullying takes place in person or through digital channels if it affects the pupil’s school environment.
Parents who believe the school is not doing enough can raise the matter with the school’s principal. If the school fails to fulfil its legal obligations, the case can be referred to the County Governor (Statsforvalteren) for review.
For many international families, it is reassuring to know that schools are legally required to take concerns about bullying and exclusion seriously rather than treating them as issues children simply have to resolve on their own.
Support for children with additional educational needs
Norwegian schools aim to provide an inclusive education, with most children attending their local school alongside their peers. Teaching should be adapted to each pupil’s abilities and needs wherever possible.
If a child is unable to benefit sufficiently from ordinary adapted teaching, they may be entitled to individually adapted educational support. Before such support is provided, the municipality’s Educational and Psychological Counselling Service (PPT) normally carries out an assessment and recommends the measures the child requires. Depending on the child’s needs, support may include adapted teaching methods, assistive technology, specialist support, classroom assistance or other educational accommodations.
If your child has an existing diagnosis or has previously received educational support, it is advisable to bring relevant medical, psychological or educational reports when moving to Norway. This can help the municipality and school understand your child’s needs and plan appropriate support.
There are no official school rankings
This surprises many international families.
In some countries, families deliberately move to particular neighbourhoods so their children can attend a highly ranked school. Property prices are often influenced by school performance, and choosing a home starts with choosing a school.
Norway takes a different approach. There are no official school rankings. Norway does not publish official league tables ranking primary or lower secondary schools. While some information may be available through parent surveys, student surveys, national tests, or municipal reports, these are intended as quality indicators and tools for improvement — not as official rankings of the “best” schools.
The philosophy is that every child should have access to a high-quality education regardless of where they attend school.
As a result, most Norwegian families choose where to live based on commuting distance, neighbourhood, outdoor areas, lifestyle and proximity to work—not because one public school is considered academically superior to another.
For many families, this can remove a significant source of stress when relocating.
Don’t expect hot school lunches
Unlike many countries, Norwegian schools generally do not provide a hot lunch.
Most children bring a packed lunch from home every day. This often consists of sandwiches, fruit, vegetables and yoghurt, accompanied by milk or water.
Some lower secondary schools may have a canteen where students can purchase food. However, families should not expect this in primary schools.
Preparing lunch boxes quickly becomes part of everyday family life in Norway.
Outdoor life is part of childhood
One of the first things many international parents notice is that Norwegian children spend a great deal of time outdoors.
Rain, wind, snow and cold weather rarely stop outdoor play or learning.
Instead, children simply wear appropriate clothing.
As Norwegians often say:
“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.”
Good waterproof clothing, warm layers and suitable footwear are among the best investments you can make before your move.
After-school care doesn’t last throughout primary school
School days in Norway are often shorter than many international families expect, particularly for younger children. This is one of the reasons after-school care (SFO/AKS) plays an important role for working parents.
After-school care (SFO/AKS) is a paid service and is generally available for children in Grades 1–4 (approximately ages 6–10).
In some municipalities, parents may also find other organised after-school options offered by local clubs or organisations, such as football, handball, ice hockey, dance, drama, music or kulturskole. Some families choose these as an alternative to SFO/AKS, depending on the child’s age, interests, schedule and the availability of programmes in their area.
From Grade 5 onwards, most children simply go home when school finishes.
It is common—and socially accepted—for children to spend a couple of hours at home independently until their parents return from work.
For families arriving from countries where children are supervised until much older, this can feel surprising.
However, it reflects a broader Norwegian philosophy of gradually encouraging independence, responsibility and trust from an early age.
Extracurricular activities usually happen outside school
In many countries, schools organise sports teams, music programmes, drama clubs and other extracurricular activities.
In Norway, this is generally not the case.
While some international schools offer extracurricular programmes on campus, most public schools do not. Instead, sports, music, dance, scouting and other leisure activities are organised by local clubs and associations after school.
Parents register their children directly with these organisations and are responsible for transport to and from activities. Participation usually involves membership fees, training fees and, depending on the activity, equipment costs.
These activities are about much more than sport or hobbies.
For international children, they are often where friendships are formed, Norwegian language skills develop naturally and a sense of belonging begins.
Many families tell us their children’s sports club or extracurricular group became one of their first connections to the local community.
Parents are expected to be involved
Many international families are surprised by how involved parents are expected to be.
Schools and extracurricular organisations encourage parents to actively participate in their children’s education and social environment.
This may include attending parent-teacher conferences, class meetings, volunteering at school/class events, serving as a class representative (foreldrekontakt), or participating in dugnad—voluntary community work organised to support schools, sports clubs and local organisations.
Although participation is generally voluntary, it is an important part of Norwegian community life.
For international families, these activities often become one of the easiest ways to meet other parents, build friendships and develop a local support network.
In Norway, integration is not only something that happens in the classroom—it often happens on the football field, at the school event or while painting a clubhouse during a dugnad.
Moving with a teenager? Start planning early
Families relocating with children aged around 16 or older should begin planning as early as possible.
Unlike younger children, older teenagers who do not speak Norwegian may not be able to enter a regular Norwegian high school programme (videregåendeskole) immediately. In many cases, students first need to complete an introductory Norwegian language programme before progressing to high school education.
Depending on the student’s background and future plans, some families also consider one of Norway’s public or private schools offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, where teaching is conducted in English. However, these programmes typically have limited capacity, and competition for places can be high.
Because admission requirements, available programmes and deadlines vary greatly depending on where in Norway you are, early planning is essential.
Applications are usually through vigo.no, and the normal deadline is 1 March.
Children often adapt faster than their parents
One concern we hear from almost every parent is:
“Will my child settle in?”
In our experience, younger children are often the quickest members of the family to adapt.
They make friends through school and extracurricular activities, learn Norwegian surprisingly quickly and often become the family’s first cultural experts.
Parents, on the other hand, are navigating a new workplace, unfamiliar systems, practical responsibilities and building a social network from scratch.
Understanding that this adjustment takes time—and that every family member experiences relocation differently—can make the transition much easier.
Before moving to Norway with children
Here are a few practical tips to help your family prepare:
✔ Research neighbourhoods rather than searching for “the best” public school.
✔ Budget for SFO/AKS, extracurricular activities and outdoor clothing.
✔ If possible, encourage your children to join a local sports club, music group or other activity soon after arriving.
✔ If you have teenagers approaching upper secondary school, start planning well before your move.
✔ Don’t worry if your child doesn’t speak Norwegian yet—most children adapt far more quickly than parents expect.
✔ Remember that settling into a new country takes time. Be patient with yourself and your family.
A smoother start for the whole family
Relocating to Norway is about much more than securing a residence permit or finding a home.
For families, it is about helping children feel safe, confident and connected in a completely new environment.
Understanding how Norwegian schools, childcare and community life work before you arrive helps reduce uncertainty and allows you to focus on enjoying the experience.
At Relocation AS, we have been supporting international employees and their families for over 30 years. From immigration and homefinding to school guidance and settling in, we help families navigate every stage of the relocation journey—so they can start feeling at home in Norway sooner.