Am I allowed to give birth at home in Norway?
Yes — you have the right to choose a planned home birth with a midwife. Under the Directorate of Health guideline, home birth is an option for healthy women with an uncomplicated pregnancy, a single baby in head-down position and a birth expected at term — that is, low risk. Here is what people do not know: there is no organised public home birth service, so you arrange and pay for a private midwife yourself. You can apply for a lump-sum grant for birth outside an institution, and the midwife can claim reimbursement from Helfo. With high risk — such as twins, breech position or a previous caesarean — home birth is not an option. If complications arise you are transferred to hospital, and the transfer is a planned part of the arrangement.
📋 The rules
- You can choose a planned home birth with a midwife
- For healthy women with an uncomplicated pregnancy
- A single baby in head presentation, full-term birth
- No organised public service — you pay the midwife
- In high-risk cases home birth is not an option
🔓 Exceptions
- High-risk pregnancies such as twins, breech or a previous caesarean are not suitable
- If complications arise, transfer to hospital is part of the plan
- You can apply for a one-time grant for birth outside an institution
⚠️ Penalties & fines
There is no punishment — home birth is a lawful choice, and nobody can refuse it to you if the pregnancy is low risk. The practical consequence is the cost: there is no organised public service, so you arrange and pay for the midwife yourself, and only part of the expense is covered through reimbursement from Helfo and a lump-sum grant you have to apply for. The other limit is medical. If the pregnancy is high risk, as with twins, breech position or a previous caesarean, home birth is not an option, and if complications arise you are transferred to hospital.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
Can I give birth at home?
Yes, you can choose a planned home birth with a midwife if the pregnancy is healthy and uncomplicated. It is a lawful choice, but there is no organised public home birth service.
Who can choose a home birth?
Healthy women with an uncomplicated pregnancy, a single baby in head-down position and a birth expected at term — that is, low risk. With high risk, home birth is not an option.
Who pays for a home birth?
You arrange and pay for a private midwife yourself, but the midwife can claim reimbursement from Helfo, and you can apply for a lump-sum grant for birth outside an institution. The cost is the most common surprise.
What if complications arise?
You are transferred to hospital, and transfer is a planned part of a home birth. Being ready to move the birth is therefore a precondition, not a failure.
Can everyone give birth at home?
No. High-risk pregnancies such as twins, breech position or a previous caesarean are not suitable for home birth. The option is for healthy women with an uncomplicated pregnancy.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I give birth at home norway”
- “planned home birth midwife”
- “home birth low risk”
- “pay midwife home birth”
- “birth grant outside institution”
- “home birth complications”