Registering a sole proprietorship
Last updated: 18 March 2024.
A sole proprietorship must be registered in the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities to receive an organisation number.
You are obliged to register in the Register of Business Enterprises if you operate resale of purchased goods, have more than five employees, are pledging your inventory or operate as an state authorised accountant or auditor.
You have to pay a fee for the registration in the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities and in the Register of Business Enterprises.
The fee for registration in the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities will be reduced when the initial registration is done at the same time as the registration in the Register of Business Enterprises.
In general you have to be of age (18 years) in order to start a sole proprietorship. You do not have to be a resident of Norway, but your business must have an address in Norway.
When registering a sole proprietorship, you normally do not have to attach documents.
The name of the sole proprietorship must include the owner’s surname. It is the surname from the National Population Register that has to be used.
You can read more about the choice of name and what considerations you need to take on the page How do I choose a name for my company?
You must in general be 18 years of age in order to run a business and register a sole proprietorship. If you are not yet 18 years old, you can still run a business if
- you have turned 15 years of age and
- your guardian gives you permission, and
- the County Governor approves the permit to run business activity
Attachment requirements upon registration:
- Copy of approval from the County Governor
- Permit from the guardian
Inheritance of a self-employed business
If a business is transferred by inheritance to a minor, the guardian can with the consent from the State Administrator run the business on behalf of the minor.
Required attachments
- copy of consent from the State Administrator
If you are to be registered with a role, such as owner or general manager and do not previously have a national ID number or a d-number, you may apply for this at the same time as you submit the Coordinated register notification.
You must submit the Application for a d-number, BR1015E, by post with a certified copy of the credential and the Simplified form for sole proprietorships
A guide telling you how to fill in the form is included in the application form.
Change in requirements from 10 June 2020
Persons with d-numbers who are to be registered as owner of a sole proprietorship must meet at the Tax Office for ID verification before registration.
This applies both to persons with prior d-numbers and persons applying for d-numbers in connection with the registration.
You must provide as accurately as possible a description of the activity of the business. It is not sufficient to state a general description. Therefore, you must state what may be produced/ sold or what services/activities will be carried out.
Here are some examples of how detailed the description must be:
- Agriculture: Growing of cereals. Raising of dairy cattle
- Transport: Freight transport by road. Taxi operation.
- Trade: Retail trade with groceries. Online shop with sports equipment.
- Industry: Production of musical instruments. Manufacture of furniture. Manufacture of gold and silverware.
- Building and construction: Groundwork, Plumbing. Painting.
- Consultancy activities: Business consultancy. Technical advisory service in the oil sector. Advisory service in engineering and construction. Architectural activities within construction.
If you operate activities in multiple branches, you must specify each of them according to the size of the turnover or employment.
The business description forms the basis for the enterprise’s industrial code. Here you can read more about industrial codes.
In the form Coordinated register notification, you must confirm that the information provided about the activity, meets the requirements for business operations.