Do you live in Norway? Check whether you have been registered with a religious community without your knowledge
In Norway, many people have discovered that they belong to religious communities even though they never knowingly registered with them. Such organisations may receive government subsidies for every registered member. In 2026, the rate is NOK 1,611 per person.
The issue may concern all religious communities in Norway.
Fot. Pixabay (zdjęcie poglądowe)
Hundreds of thousands of Norwegians have already checked whether they appear in the registers of religious and life-stance communities. Interest increased following reports of people being added to membership lists without their knowledge or consent. The register makes it possible to check membership in both the Church of Norway (DNK) and other registered organisations. The data are available after logging in to the government system.
How can you check your membership? Just visit the register
The VG editorial team revealed information about cases of unknowing membership. To check your situation, log in to the “Min side” service on the website of the Norwegian Register Centre in Brønnøysund (Brønnøysundregistrene). Then find the “Tros- og livssynssamfunn” tab. The information displayed there makes it possible to determine whether a person is listed as a member of a religious or life-stance community.
In the event of an incorrect registration, you can request to be removed from the organisation. To do so, contact the community directly, for example by email or through a form available on its website. You do not need to provide a reason for leaving. The organisation cannot refuse to accept the withdrawal.
In the event of an incorrect registration, you can request to be removed from the organisation. To do so, contact the community directly, for example by email or through a form available on its website. You do not need to provide a reason for leaving. The organisation cannot refuse to accept the withdrawal.
Religious communities in Norway receive funding from the state for each registered person.Photo: wikimedia.org - Concierge.2C - Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
The state pays money for members. The checks do not cover everything
In 2026, nearly 700 religious and life-stance communities applied for public funding. Organisations operating outside the DNK receive NOK 1,611 for each member who meets the conditions for receiving a subsidy. The level of support changes every year and is linked to public expenditure per DNK member. The DNK itself receives funding from the state budget and local authorities.
The state verifies membership lists submitted by organisations. Identification numbers, place of residence and possible membership in several communities at the same time are checked. However, the system does not require proof that a person voluntarily joined an organisation, nor a written membership application. This means that a community may also receive subsidies for people registered without their knowledge, provided they meet the other conditions.
The state verifies membership lists submitted by organisations. Identification numbers, place of residence and possible membership in several communities at the same time are checked. However, the system does not require proof that a person voluntarily joined an organisation, nor a written membership application. This means that a community may also receive subsidies for people registered without their knowledge, provided they meet the other conditions.
Norwegian regulations also specify who can decide on religious affiliation. Children under the age of 15 may be registered with a community by their parents or other people with parental responsibility, whereas after turning 15, they decide on membership themselves. At the same time, a person belonging to several religious communities is not included when subsidies are paid to any of them.
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