How to check a company in Norway

Where can I find official data on a Norwegian company?

The main source is BRREG (Brønnøysundregistrene), which runs Norway's central registers: the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities (Enhetsregisteret), which lists every entity, and the Register of Business Enterprises (Foretaksregisteret), which covers those that trade. You search both at brreg.no, in Norwegian. Tax matters — VAT (MVA) and the employer register — are handled separately by Skatteetaten (the Norwegian Tax Administration).

Norwegian registry data is published in several places, and private services aggregate it too. They can be convenient, but they are not the register — in case of discrepancies, the BRREG entry prevails. One key point: because Norway is not in the EU, you cannot validate a Norwegian VAT number in the EU's VIES; you confirm it through Norwegian sources instead.

Basic company data and the accounts of entities that must file them are public — but kept in Norwegian and spread across BRREG's registers, so you still have to find and read each field yourself.

What is the organisasjonsnummer and how do I read it?

The organisation number (organisasjonsnummer) is a 9-digit identifier of a Norwegian entity, assigned by BRREG on registration. Unlike in some countries, even a sole proprietorship (enkeltpersonforetak) gets its own organisation number, which makes Norwegian businesses relatively easy to look up.

The Norwegian VAT number is the organisation number followed by the letters “MVA” (for example, the 9 digits + MVA). Note that a business only has an active MVA registration once it is registered for VAT — a small entity below the VAT threshold may have an organisation number but no MVA. And because Norway is outside the EU, this number is not checked in VIES but confirmed via Norwegian tax sources.

When a counterparty gives you a number, confirm it has 9 digits and matches the name and address shown in BRREG.

How do I check a Norwegian company step by step?

1. Ask the counterparty for their organisation number — you will also find it on invoices, in contracts and usually in the website footer.

2. Look the company up at brreg.no and compare the name, legal form, registered address and status with what the counterparty told you. Check who represents it (roles such as daglig leder and styre — the general manager and board) and the rules of signature (signatur/prokura).

3. Confirm the VAT status (MVA) with Skatteetaten — remember a Norwegian number is not in VIES because Norway is outside the EU.

4. For an AS or ASA, review the latest annual accounts (årsregnskap) filed with BRREG's accounts register: revenue, result, equity, employment.

5. Check the beneficial owners (reelle rettighetshavere) in BRREG's register.

6. Verify the status: “aktiv” is an operating company; “konkurs” (bankruptcy), “under avvikling”/“tvangsavvikling” (voluntary/compulsory dissolution) or “slettet” (deleted) are signals that call for caution.

What legal forms do Norwegian companies have?

The most common capital form is the AS (aksjeselskap) — a private limited company. According to BRREG, an AS requires a minimum share capital of NOK 30,000. The larger form is the ASA (allmennaksjeselskap), a public company used by listed businesses, with a higher minimum capital (NOK 1,000,000).

Among the other forms: an enkeltpersonforetak (ENK) is a sole proprietorship where the owner is personally liable with all their assets; an ansvarlig selskap (ANS) is a general partnership where the partners are jointly and personally liable, while in a selskap med delt ansvar (DA) each partner is liable for their agreed share. A NUF (norskregistrert utenlandsk foretak) is a Norwegian-registered branch of a foreign company — the foreign parent carries the liability.

The legal form tells you who is liable and what must be filed: an AS or ASA files annual accounts with BRREG, whereas the smallest sole proprietorships generally do not.

How do I check VAT (MVA)? And why isn't it in VIES?

Norway is not a member of the EU (though it is in the EEA), so a Norwegian VAT number is not part of the EU's VIES system. Trying to validate a Norwegian MVA number in VIES will simply fail — that is expected, not a warning sign. Instead, VAT registration is handled by Skatteetaten, and the VAT register (Merverdiavgiftsregisteret) records which businesses are registered.

According to Skatteetaten, a business must register for VAT once its taxable turnover exceeds a threshold (NOK 50,000 over a 12-month period). So a very small or very young company can legitimately have an organisation number without an active MVA registration. When a company should be VAT-registered but its number carries no active MVA, that is a signal worth clarifying.

For cross-border trade, remember that the VAT treatment of goods and services with a non-EU country like Norway differs from intra-EU trade — confirm the treatment with your own tax authority or an adviser rather than assume.

Do Norwegian companies publish accounts, and what should I look at?

Yes — an AS or ASA must file annual accounts (årsregnskap) with BRREG's accounts register (Regnskapsregisteret), and the filed accounts are public. The smallest sole proprietorships are generally exempt from filing, so the absence of accounts for a tiny ENK is normal, not concealment.

What to look at: equity (egenkapital) — is it positive and not declining; the result and revenue trend over two or three years; and employment. Note the freshness of the data: accounts describe a completed financial year and may be over a year old when you read them. According to BRREG, filing late incurs a delay charge (forsinkelsesgebyr), and prolonged failure to file can ultimately lead to compulsory dissolution (tvangsavvikling) — so a missing recent set of accounts is a meaningful warning sign.

Also useful before larger deals: check who has signature rights (signatur) or a power of procuration (prokura), so you know the person signing can bind the company.

How do I check beneficial owners (reelle rettighetshavere)?

According to BRREG, most Norwegian companies must identify and register their beneficial owners (reelle rettighetshavere) in a register run by BRREG — an obligation stemming from anti-money-laundering law (hvitvaskingsloven). A beneficial owner is broadly the natural person who ultimately owns or controls the company, typically through more than 25% of shares or votes, directly or indirectly.

The register has been introduced in phases, so before relying on it, check its current scope and how to access it on brreg.no. Knowing who really stands behind a counterparty matters especially for larger contracts and when your own business is itself subject to anti-money-laundering obligations. Where the registered ownership does not match what the counterparty tells you, treat the difference as a question to resolve before you commit.

What is the Åpenhetsloven (Transparency Act) and does it affect me?

The Åpenhetsloven (Transparency Act), in force since 2022, requires larger enterprises operating in Norway to carry out due diligence on human rights and decent working conditions across their operations and supply chains, and to publish an account of it. It is enforced by the Norwegian Consumer Authority (Forbrukertilsynet).

Why this matters when you verify a Norwegian counterparty: if your partner is a larger enterprise covered by the Act, they are expected to assess their suppliers — which may include you — and they must respond to information requests from the public about their due diligence. If you are their supplier, expect questions about your own practices. It is a useful signal of a serious, compliance-minded counterparty, and a reminder that verification today spans more than just solvency. This is general information — for whether the Act applies to a specific company, check the current rules (Lovdata / Forbrukertilsynet) or a legal adviser.

How to read a Norwegian annual report (årsregnskap)?

An årsregnskap has a few standard parts: the income statement (resultatregnskap), the balance sheet (balanse) and the notes (noter); larger companies also include a directors' report (årsberetning), and companies with an auditor an audit report (revisjonsberetning).

What to look at in practice? First, equity (egenkapital): is it positive, and is it not shrinking year after year — negative equity is a serious signal. Second, the result and revenue: a single weaker year is not a verdict, but a downward trend is. Third, employment: a sudden drop in headcount can precede trouble. Fourth, the auditor's opinion if there is one — take qualifications in the revisjonsberetning seriously. You do not need to be an analyst; comparing the last two or three years and asking the counterparty about anything that stands out is enough.

How does registration in BRREG differ from VAT (MVA) registration?

These are separate registrations, and both are worth checking. Being in the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities (Enhetsregisteret) at BRREG means the entity exists and has an organisation number. Being in the Register of Business Enterprises (Foretaksregisteret) additionally confirms it is set up to trade — an AS must be there. VAT registration in the VAT register (Merverdiavgiftsregisteret), handled by Skatteetaten, is a third, separate step tied to turnover.

What this means in practice: a company can have an organisation number without being VAT-registered (below the threshold), or be registered for VAT but small. Confirm the specific facts you need — legal existence in BRREG, and VAT status with Skatteetaten — rather than assuming one implies the other.

How do I check debts in enforcement?

BRREG shows registry data and accounts, but not current payment arrears. In Norway, public claims are collected by the Norwegian Tax Administration through Skatteetaten's collection function (which took over the former Statens innkrevingssentral), while private debts run through the enforcement officer (namsmannen). A so-called betalingsanmerkning (payment remark) is issued not by the state but by private credit reference agencies, based partly on such data.

So a full picture of payment reliability only emerges from combining sources: BRREG data, the latest accounts, and — for larger trade-credit limits — a commercial credit report that assesses risk. In practice, for a new counterparty, combine the BRREG status, the health from the latest årsregnskap (equity, result) and payment security matched to the risk (prepayment, shorter terms, a smaller first order).

When and how often should you check a Norwegian counterparty?

The minimum is a check before the first contract and before any transaction involving prepayment or deferred payment terms. A company's status can change within weeks: entering konkurs or tvangsavvikling rarely announces itself far in advance.

Good practices: repeat the check when renewing a contract and when raising a trade-credit limit; monitor key suppliers and customers periodically, for example quarterly; and save dated confirmations of your checks. Because the data is in Norwegian and spread across BRREG's registers, a repeatable routine — or a report that pulls it together for you — matters more than any single manual check. Verification is a moment-in-time snapshot — for anything that matters, take a fresh snapshot rather than relying on an old one.

How long does checking a Norwegian company take and what does it cost?

Doing it yourself is not one click. You look the company up at BRREG in Norwegian, open the accounts in a separate register (Regnskapsregisteret), confirm the MVA status in yet another place (Skatteetaten, not VIES) and keep a dated confirmation — and for each counterparty that is time, plus the risk of misreading a status or a legal form. Across many partners it adds up quickly.

Commercial credit reports (risk scoring, arrears data, group structures) add a further cost and are worth considering for larger trade-credit limits. A NordScan report shortens the whole process to a single search: registry data, statuses and financials pulled together in your language. Searching is free, and you only buy full reports when you actually need them.

The key Norwegian terms at a glance

Organisasjonsnummer — the 9-digit company identifier from BRREG. MVA — Norwegian VAT; the VAT number is the organisation number + “MVA”, and it is not in VIES. Årsregnskap — the annual accounts filed with BRREG by an AS/ASA. Reelle rettighetshavere — beneficial owners (control, as a rule, over 25%). Konkurs — bankruptcy; under avvikling — voluntary winding-up; tvangsavvikling — compulsory dissolution; slettet — deleted. Signatur / prokura — the rules on who may sign for the company. NUF — a Norwegian-registered branch of a foreign company. Åpenhetsloven — the Transparency Act requiring larger firms to do human-rights due diligence.

These dozen or so terms are enough to navigate BRREG and a counterparty's documents with confidence.

What to watch out for? Warning signs

Typical warning signs when verifying a Norwegian counterparty: a very young company seeking a large contract or long payment terms; a status other than “aktiv” (konkurs, under avvikling, tvangsavvikling, slettet); a missing recent set of accounts for an AS/ASA, or accounts filed late; frequent changes of name, roles or registered address; an address at a mass-mailbox with no real presence; and discrepancies between what the company says about itself and the BRREG entry.

No single signal is decisive on its own — a young company can be an excellent partner. But several at once are a good reason to ask for explanations, secure the payment (prepayment, shorter terms, a smaller first order) or choose another supplier.

Beware of “real-company” impersonation: the register confirms that a company exists, not that the person contacting you truly represents it. Confirm bank details and contacts through an official channel (the company's website, a call-back), not from the invoice you received — especially with a sudden change of account number just before a payment.

How do I check a Norwegian company without knowing Norwegian?

BRREG is open and partly available in English, but the data, statuses and accounts are mainly in Norwegian, and the details are easy to misread — konkurs is not the same as under avvikling, an AS is not an ANS, and an MVA number is confirmed via Skatteetaten, not VIES. For a non-native reader, these small distinctions are exactly where mistakes happen.

NordScan shows Norwegian company data in 9 languages: statuses, legal forms and financial fields are translated and explained, and the report links to the sources so you can always check the original. Enter the organisation number or company name in the search and see the full report — the fastest way from “I have an offer from Norway” to “I know who I am dealing with”.

Frequently asked questions

How many digits does a Norwegian organisation number have?

Nine digits. The Norwegian VAT number is the organisation number followed by the letters “MVA”.

Is checking a company in Norway free?

The registry data and status at BRREG are public, but they are kept in Norwegian, spread across several BRREG registers (the accounts sit in Regnskapsregisteret, tax status at Skatteetaten), and left for you to read and interpret. Some documents carry a fee. Our report gathers these pieces and presents them in your language.

Why can't I find a Norwegian VAT number in VIES?

Because Norway is not an EU member, so it is not part of the EU's VIES. Confirm the MVA status via Skatteetaten instead. A “not found” in VIES for a Norwegian number is expected.

What does the status “konkurs” mean?

Bankruptcy — the company is insolvent and its estate is managed by a bankruptcy administrator (bostyrer). It is the most serious warning status. It differs from “under avvikling” (an ordinary winding-up).

What is the difference between “under avvikling” and “tvangsavvikling”?

“Under avvikling” is a voluntary winding-up decided by the company; “tvangsavvikling” is a compulsory dissolution imposed by the authorities, for example after a persistent failure to file accounts — a more serious signal.

Do Norwegian companies publish accounts?

An AS or ASA files annual accounts (årsregnskap) with BRREG and they are public. The smallest sole proprietorships are generally exempt, so a missing set of accounts for a tiny ENK is normal.

How do I check who can sign on behalf of a Norwegian company?

In BRREG: the entry shows the roles (board, general manager) and the rules of signature (signatur) and any power of procuration (prokura) — who may bind the company and in what combination.

How do I check a Norwegian company in my own language?

Enter the organisation number or company name in the NordScan search — the report shows BRREG data, statuses and financials translated into your language, with links to the official sources.

Related guides

• How to read the financial statements of Scandinavian companies
• Brønnøysundregistrene (BRREG) — the Norwegian company register explained
• How to start a company in Norway — step by step
• Sole proprietorship in Norway (enkeltpersonforetak) — taxes and costs
• AS company in Norway (aksjeselskap) — how it works and what it costs
• Running a business in Norway — obligations and formalities
• Glossary — companies in Norway, Sweden and Denmark
• Beneficial owner (UBO) in Norway, Sweden and Denmark — who stands behind a company
• Åpenhetsloven — Norway's Transparency Act and what it means for a partner
• AML and KYC — when you must verify a B2B counterparty