Gravferdsstønad – for costs incurred in connection with a funeral
The funeral grant is intended to help cover the actual, necessary expenses associated with the funeral of a person who worked or lived permanently in Norway.
This benefit is paid on the basis of documented invoices. You can receive a grant to cover the costs of the ceremony itself, a burial plot, flowers, administrative fees, a memorial, and cremation. It is not possible to recover expenses for the funeral reception or for transporting the body from Norway to Poland. The authorities only reimburse transport costs to the place of burial nearest to the place of residence; unfortunately, in the case of a cemetery in Poland, NAV will usually refuse the grant.
The person who covers the funeral costs should apply for the benefit.
1. Who is entitled to gravferdsstønad?
To be entitled to the funeral grant, the deceased must have been a member of the social insurance scheme at the time of death.
The person who covers the funeral costs applies for the benefit – this may also be EEA citizens.
2. Amount of the benefit
- If the deceased was under 18, the funeral grant is not income-dependent. This means that the funeral will be covered by documented costs up to NOK 28 677.
- When the deceased was over 18, the funeral grant is reduced on the basis of the deceased’s income before death and any benefits paid in connection with this up to that point. The authorities make a more precise calculation based on the information received; in total, we can receive up to NOK 28 677.
3. Required documents
To apply for the benefit, we will need:
- Invoices for the costs incurred
- Death certificate (EU form or translated into Norwegian/English)
- Marriage/birth certificate, depending on the family situation (EU form or translated into Norwegian/English)
- Skattemelding (tax return of the deceased)
If the deceased was married or had children, the tax return of the surviving spouse is also important.
4. What does the service include?
The service includes:
- A telephone call regarding the service and documents
- Logging in to the authority’s website
- Sending the application to NAV together with the required documentation (in the case of postal submission, we are not responsible for the sending)
NOTE: The decision on whether the benefit is granted is made by NAV in Norway. The service only includes mediation between you and the authority.
5. When will I receive the benefit?
The standard processing time for an application by NAV is around 12 weeks. During this period, we should be informed of a positive decision and the granting of the benefit.
This period may be extended if we do not provide all the required documents straight away.