Child abduction from or to Norway

The assistance provided by the Norwegian authorities will depend on whether your child has been abducted to a signatory country to one of the international conventions on child abduction.

The information on these pages has therefore been divided into two main categories: Contracting States and Non-Contracting States.

Find out whether your child has been abducted to a Contracting State under List of countries.

Norway is a Party to two conventions on child abduction; the Hague Convention and the Council of Europe Convention. If the child has been abducted to a Contracting State, both to the Hague Convention and the Council of Europe Convention, you will be directed to the Hague Convention website. From experience, this Convention is the most effective as regards securing the return of abducted children.

Assistance regarding child abduction with countries that have signed a Convention is provided through the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. If the country is a Non-Contracting State, assistance is provided through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Child abduction from Norway

If you do not know which country your child has been abducted to, an international search notice for the child will have to be issued. You should contact the police immediately. For more information about this go to Emergency situations.

Child abduction to Norway

If you do not know where in Norway your child is staying, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security will ask the police to help find the child. If you do not know if the child is in Norway, it may be expeditius to file a missing-child report with the police in the child's country of habitual residence.