Urgent first steps

The first hours after a death occurs are about finding calm and handling a few essential tasks. Everything else can wait.

The formal medical certification of death is the first requirement.

• If the death occurs at home: Call the emergency doctor service (legevakt) at 116 117 or the deceased's GP (fastlege) so a doctor can issue the death certificate.
• If the death occurs in a hospital or care home: The staff and doctors handle this certification automatically, but you can check with them if you want to.
• Reporting: The doctor is responsible for notifying the National Population Register (Folkeregisteret). The family does not need to handle this reporting themselves.

Contact a funeral home

The funeral home is your most important practical partner in these first hours.

• They can collect the deceased and help you begin planning the ceremony at your own pace.
• While the doctor handles the death notification, the funeral home assists with other early paperwork, such as notifying cemetery authorities.
• You do not need to wait to call them; they are used to early contact and can take much of the practical burden off your shoulders.

Notify close family and friends

Focus on the immediate circle and those who need to know right away.

• Consider notifying immediate family, close friends, employers, or schools if children are involved.
• There is no formal order or "correct" way to do this—proceed at a pace that feels natural for you.

It is important to know that several formal processes begin without you having to take action.

• Official Notifications: Once the doctor notifies the National Population Register (Folkeregisteret), they automatically forward this information to banks, NAV, and the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
• The District Court: The court (tingretten) will send a letter to all registered heirs within a few weeks. You do not need to request this or contact the court yourself in these first hours.
• Peace of Mind: You do not need to spend time contacting these public institutions or banks yet; those tasks wait until later stages.