Norway opens its register of beneficial owners, with registration due by 31 July 2025
Norway's register of beneficial owners (register over reelle rettighetshavere) opened at the Brønnøysund Register Centre on 1 October 2024. Most companies and other legal entities had until 31 July 2025 to register who ultimately owns or controls them. After that, Brønnøysund began issuing daily coercive fines to those that had not registered.
The register of beneficial owners (register over reelle rettighetshavere) opened at the Brønnøysund Register Centre (Brønnøysundregistrene) on 1 October 2024, under the Norwegian Beneficial Ownership Act. Norway applies EU anti-money laundering rules through the EEA Agreement.
What changed
- Companies and other legal entities registered or doing business in Norway must register their beneficial owners, the individuals who ultimately own or control them, or confirm that they have none.
- Registration is made through Altinn.
- Existing entities had a transition period ending on 31 July 2025, the same day as the deadline for filing 2024 annual accounts.
- After that, changes must be registered within 14 days.
Who is affected
Norwegian limited companies (AS and ASA), foreign businesses registered in Norway (NUF), foundations and many other entities. Some, such as listed companies and public bodies, have lighter or no duties.
Later developments
From 2 June 2026 Brønnøysund began sending notices of daily coercive fines (tvangsmulkt) to entities that had not registered. Each entity gets three weeks to register after a notice, and the fine then increases until registration is approved or the entity is deleted from the Register of Business Enterprises.