Get an overview of your debt

Review and sort your bills.
Find your tax return. Check the requirements that are in it.
Get an overview of the debts you have registered with debt collection agencies. Read more about debt requests (virke.no)
Get an overview of claims from the Norwegian National Collection Agency (SI): Log in to Your page or use the Unpaid Claims service at SI.

Contact the creditors

Contact all your creditors once you have an overview of your debt. Can you pay something on the claims? If so, you can write a letter proposing a payment agreement.

You should respond when your creditors contact you or send you a letter. It shows that you are interested in achieving a solution. It can also prevent you from accruing more fees on the claims.

Your creditors may agree to postponing payment, especially if your problems are temporary/transient.

Ask for help

Are you having trouble getting an overview of your debt and negotiating with your creditors on your own? NAV advises people who have problems with payments or debts. Ask for help as soon as possible. The service is free.

The criteria for obtaining a debt settlement scheme

First, as a rule, you must try to come to an agreement with the creditors yourself.
You must be permanently unable to settle the debt. The enforcement officer will determine whether you can pay off the debt. The enforcement officer will also assess how long it will take you to pay off the debt. If you will have to spend a long time, you may be what we call "permanently incapable" of paying off the debt. You do not meet the criteria for getting a debt settlement scheme if you have temporary problems paying..
Other people must not find it objectionable that you obtain a debt settlement scheme. The enforcement officer will consider this. The amount of time you have had the debt plays a role in this. If you have a lot of newly acquired debt, this can prevent you from getting a debt settlement scheme. If this is the case, then you should wait to apply until your debt is somewhat older. Do you have punitive debts or large claims for back taxes and fees? The enforcement officer will take this into account when assessing whether others will find it objectionable that you are granted a debt settlement scheme.

Do you live abroad?

You can apply for a debt settlement scheme even if you live outside Norway. If this is the case, you will need to submit a larger amount of information about your case yourself as well as obtain the documentation you will need. This is because the enforcement officer cannot collect information from registers or people located abroad.

You may only have a small debt to creditors abroad. As a rule, you may not own residential property or have large assets abroad.

1Before applying

2This is how you apply

3Processing of the application

4How to make an appeal