Am I allowed to scatter a deceased person's ashes in nature in Norway?
Yes — you can scatter ashes in nature, but you must have permission from the County Governor in advance. Under Burial Act §20 the county governor can grant permission for ash scattering, and the application is free. Ashes can be scattered over open sea, and in mountains, lakes and rivers of a desolate character, but not near beaches, cabins, settlements or areas of heavy recreation. You must be 15 to apply for scattering your own ashes, and parents can apply for a child under 18. Here is where people go wrong: the permission must be in place before the scattering, not afterwards, and relatives can only apply if the deceased's wish is documented. No gravestone with a name is set, and the ashes cannot be divided.
📋 The rules
- Requires permission from the County Governor in advance
- Allowed over open sea and in desolate nature
- Not near beaches, cabins or settlements
- You must be 15 to apply for yourself
- No named gravestone, and the ashes cannot be divided
🔓 Exceptions
- Relatives can scatter the ashes if the deceased's wish is documented
- Parents can apply for a child under 18
- A private burial site is granted only in special cases of public interest
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Scattering ashes without permission breaches the Burial Act, and permission from the County Governor is a condition — not a formality you can sort out afterwards. The practical problem is that a scattering cannot be undone: once the ashes have been scattered somewhere that is not permitted, for example near a beach, cabins or settlements, there is no way back. The same goes for the wish for a memorial place: with ash scattering no named gravestone is set and the ashes cannot be divided, so an urn for the family as well is not an option.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
Can I scatter a deceased person's ashes in nature?
Yes, with permission from the County Governor, and it must be in place before the scattering. For someone else's ashes, relatives can only be granted permission if the deceased's own wish is documented.
Where can the ashes be scattered?
Over open sea, and in mountains, lakes and rivers of a desolate character. Ashes cannot be scattered near beaches, cabins, settlements or areas of heavy recreation, so the place must genuinely be remote.
How old must I be to apply?
You must be 15 to apply for scattering your own ashes. Parents can apply for a child under 18, and for anyone else the deceased's own wish must be documented. The application goes to the County Governor and is free.
Does it cost anything to apply?
No, no fee is charged for the ash-scattering application to the County Governor. The cost lies in the planning, not the application — the permission must be granted before the ashes are scattered.
Can I set up a gravestone?
No. With ash scattering no named gravestone is set, and the ashes cannot be divided, so an urn for the family as well is not an option. A private burial place is granted only in special cases of public interest.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I scatter ashes nature norway”
- “ash scattering county governor”
- “scatter ashes open sea”
- “ash scattering age 15”
- “ashes not near cabins”
- “burial act ash scattering”