Am I allowed to have an abortion in Norway?
Yes — you decide yourself on an abortion up to and including pregnancy week 18. The new Abortion Act took effect on 1 June 2025 and extended self-determination from week 12 to week 18. This is exactly where people go wrong: the week 12 limit is out of date, and if an article or a leaflet still says week 12, the text predates June 2025. From week 18 to week 22 a board must assess the request, and abortion is not allowed once the foetus is viable (after week 21+6). The abortion is free in the public health service. You need no referral and can contact the hospital directly. The decision is yours alone — neither a partner nor a relative has to approve it.
📋 The rules
- Self-determination up to and including week 18
- New Abortion Act in force 1 June 2025 (extended from week 12)
- From week 18 to 22: a board assesses the request
- Not allowed after the foetus is viable (after 21+6)
- The abortion is free in the public health service
🔓 Exceptions
- From week 18 a board decision is required
- You need no referral and can contact the hospital directly
- The decision is yours alone — no partner or relative need approve
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The pregnant person is never punished — that is a load-bearing principle of the law, and you cannot be reported for having had an abortion. Criminal liability falls on whoever performs the procedure outside the law's framework: an unqualified person, or an abortion carried out past the limits the law sets. The practical consequence for you is therefore not a fine, but time. Wait past week 18 and self-determination is gone and a board decides the case, and once the viability limit after week 21+6 is passed, the procedure cannot be carried out at all. The abortion is free, so it is the deadlines, not the money, that decide.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
Up to which week do I decide myself?
Up to and including pregnancy week 18. The limit was extended from week 12 when the new Abortion Act took effect on 1 June 2025, so older sources giving week 12 are out of date — within week 18 the decision is yours alone.
What changed in 2025?
Self-determination was extended from week 12 to week 18 when the new Abortion Act took effect on 1 June 2025. The board was pushed back accordingly: it now only assesses requests from week 18 to week 22, not from week 12 as it did before.
What happens after week 18?
A board must assess your request, and you no longer decide yourself. The board can handle cases up to week 22, but abortion is not allowed once the foetus is viable, meaning after week 21+6.
What does an abortion cost?
Nothing. The abortion is free in the public health service, and you need no referral to get started either. It is the deadlines in the law, not the cost, that decide what you can choose.
Do I need a referral?
No. You can contact the hospital directly, without having to get a referral from a doctor first. The decision is yours alone, and neither a partner nor a relative has to approve it.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “am I allowed an abortion norway”
- “abortion week 18 self-determined”
- “new abortion act 2025 norway”
- “abortion board week 18”
- “abortion free norway”
- “abortion referral norway”