The child does not have to live in Norway
This is one of the most important pieces of information for Polish families.
Poland and Norway are covered by the coordination rules of the EEA social security systems. If one of the parents works in Norway and the child lives in Poland, Norwegian family benefits may still be payable. nav.no
However, this does not automatically mean that Norway will always pay the full amount.
NAV checks, among other things:
where each parent works,
where the child lives,
whether the parent in Poland is working,
whether the family is entitled to a similar benefit in Poland.
1. Barnetrygd – the basic child benefit
Barnetrygd is paid for children up to 18 years of age.
From 1 February 2026 the ordinary barnetrygd is NOK 2012 per month for each child. nav.no
Barnetrygd – official information from NAV
If you work in Norway and the child and the other parent live in Poland, two basic situations are possible.
The other parent does not work in Poland
If the parent living with the child in Poland does not work and does not receive a benefit treated as professional activity, Norway can be the state responsible for the full barnetrygd. nav.no
The other parent works in Poland
If the parent living in Poland works and there is a right to the corresponding family benefit there, Poland may be the state of priority.
In that case NAV may pay the difference between the Norwegian benefit and the benefit due in Poland. nav.no
This is an important correction to the old article.
It is not true that barnetrygd from Norway is payable only when the mother in Poland is unemployed.
The work of the other parent changes the coordination rules and the payment amount, but does not automatically mean the loss of all rights in Norway.
STEP 1. Establish the situation of both parents
Before you submit an application, prepare answers to four questions:
Where do you work?
Where does the other parent work?
Where does the child live?
Is a family benefit being received in Poland?
It is on this basis that NAV determines which state is responsible for payment as the first instance.
STEP 2. Submit an application for barnetrygd
In the case of a family living in two countries, the benefit is not granted automatically as in the typical situation of a child born and registered in Norway.
You must submit an application according to EEA rules.
Submit an application for barnetrygd
NAV also provides an additional EEA form when the child lives in another EEA country. nav.no
STEP 3. Prepare documents
For a foreign worker, NAV primarily exchanges the following:
the child’s birth certificate,
the child’s identification number and address,
the other parent’s details and address,
your details and address,
a copy of the employment contract in Norway.
If you run your own business, NAV may require documentation proving actual business activity instead of a contract. nav.no
NAV may also contact Polish institutions itself and exchange information via the EEA system.
STEP 4. Prepare for a longer wait
Cross-border cases take longer.
NAV currently provides approximate times:
a standard application for barnetrygd – about 3 months,
an EEA application – about 9 months. nav.no
The reason is the need to obtain information from institutions in the other country.
Therefore you should not delay submitting a complete application.
Barnetrygd can normally be paid retroactively for a maximum of 3 months before the month of application, if the conditions were met. nav.no
2. Kontantstøtte – for a small child living in Poland
The second benefit that may be relevant for Poland–Norway families is kontantstøtte.
This benefit is for children aged 13 to 19 months who do not have a full place in a publicly funded kindergarten. It can be received for a maximum of 7 months. nav.no
The full rate is currently:
7500 NOK per month. nav.no
If the child uses a partial place in kindergarten, lower rates are possible: 20, 40, 60 or 80% of the benefit.
Kontantstøtte – current NAV rules
A child in Poland can also entitle you to kontantstøtte
If you work in Norway and the family lives in Poland, EEA rules may also allow the payment of kontantstøtte.
Similar to barnetrygd:
if the other parent works in Poland and there is a corresponding benefit there, Norway can pay the difference,
and if the other parent does not work and does not receive a benefit treated as professional activity, Norway can be responsible for the full payment. nav.no
There is an additional 5-year requirement for kontantstøtte
Here is an important difference compared with barnetrygd.
For kontantstøtte, it is basically required to have at least 5 years of membership in the Norwegian social security system or in the systems of other EEA countries.
Periods from Poland and Norway can be combined.
If a child lives with both parents, the five-year requirement generally applies to both. nav.no
So someone who has worked in Norway for only one year should not immediately assume they do not meet the requirement – earlier periods of insurance in Poland may be relevant.
What documents are required for the cash-for-care benefit?
For an EEA application, NAV lists, among others:
an employment contract,
a copy of the passport page,
the child’s birth certificate,
additional form NAV 34-00.15,
and confirmation of the required periods of insurance in the EEA country, if they have not been accumulated in Norway. nav.no
NAV currently gives an indicative processing time for EEA cases concerning the cash-for-care benefit of about 8 months. nav.no
3. And what about the “paternity benefit”?
The old article presented it as a third simple “child benefit”.
We should no longer describe it that way.
It concerns foreldrepenger, that is a benefit replacing income during leave after the birth or adoption of a child.
It’s a completely different system than child benefit and the cash-for-care benefit.
To be entitled to parental benefits, you generally need to have income for at least 6 of the last 10 months and reach a minimum of 0.5 G of annual income. nav.no
Parental benefits – current NAV rules
If one parent works in Norway and the other stays with the child in Poland, EEA rules may apply. NAV also takes into account periods of work in another EEA country, and the Norwegian benefit period may be coordinated with a similar benefit received by the other parent in Poland. nav.no
So there is no single rule:
“the mother must return to work in the seventh week.”
The requirements regarding the mother’s activity depend on which part of the parental benefits the father or co-parent uses and what rights each parent has.
This topic should have a separate guide because it is much more complex than the child benefit.
Raising a child alone in Poland?
The extended child benefit may also be relevant.
NAV confirms that, if EEA rules are met, a person living with a child in another EEA country may have an independent right to both the ordinary and the extended child benefit if the other parent is subject to the Norwegian system. nav.no
From 1 February 2026 the extended child benefit amounts to 2572 NOK per month. nav.no
However, this benefit requires meeting conditions regarding the actual single parenting of the child.
Do all Polish documents need to be translated?
I would no longer include the old sentence in the article:
"all documents must always be translated into Norwegian".
NAV specifies exactly which documents should be attached to a given application. In EEA cases some information is additionally exchanged directly between institutions. nav.no
If NAV needs additional documentation or a translation, it can request them.
Therefore it is best not to pay in advance for translating an entire file of documents that NAV may not need at all.
The simplest example
The father works legally in Norway.
The mother lives with the child in Poland.
If the mother does not work and does not receive a benefit treated under EEA rules as gainful activity, Norway may be the country responsible for the full child benefit.
If the mother works in Poland and there is a right to an equivalent family benefit in Poland, NAV will determine precedence between the countries and may pay the difference.
So it is not necessary to move the child to Norway solely to check eligibility for child benefit.
What to do step by step?
First check the employment situation of both parents and any benefits claimed in Poland. Then submit an application to NAV for child benefit under EEA rules and attach the child's and employment documentation. If the child is 13–19 months old, check the cash-for-care benefit separately. If the case concerns leave after the birth of the child, check parental benefits – do not mix them up with the family allowance.
And above all:
do not assume that just because the child lives in Poland, Norway will pay nothing.
EEA rules are precisely intended to coordinate situations of families who live and work in different countries.
Information checked: 26 September 2026.
