Digital estate available to heirs
Approximately 40,000 people die annually in Norway. Each of them often leaves behind several heirs who are in mourning, and who have to deal with a number of complicated tasks related to the deceased's assets. In the midst of grief, easing the bureaucratic burden for the heirs has long been one of the most important tasks users have wanted help with.
Image: Minister of Digitalisation and Public Administration Karianne Tung and Bredo Swanberg, Digdir, launched "Digital estate" at the Digitalisation Conference 2025. Photo: Inia James
"Digitalisation is first and foremost about making our lives easier and better. That is why the Government has prioritised putting in place the "Digital Estate" service. Because we know that the bereaved are left with a sense of chaos and grief when they encounter a paper mill and a wall that they have to deal with after a death," said Minister of Digitalisation and Public Administration Karianne Tung when she launched the solution at the Digitalisation Conference.
Wealth, debt, properties and cars are some of the things you get an overview of
"Digital estate" gives you as an heir easy access to account overviews, which properties the deceased had, including agricultural property, and how many cars are registered to the deceased. The guidance text in the solution explains how to proceed to choose the form of probate, and you can choose a person to represent you in the estate.
This is a digital estate - video:
Two district courts are up and running, more will be added after the summer
It is the district courts that create the digital estate and notify the heirs that they have been given access to the solution. So far, it is the district courts in Søndre Østfold and Buskerud that have used the solution. By the end of the year, all district courts will have access, which means that all heirs throughout Norway will soon be able to use Digital Estate. However, only rightful heirs are given access and the opportunity to choose the form of probate.
"This has been a project that has been inspiring to be a part of. The solution is long-awaited, also for the courts, which through the launch of Digital Estates are one step closer to digitizing the probate processes. We are looking forward to the continued collaboration," says Ingrid Olsen, Department Director for Innovation and Court Development in the Norwegian Court Administration.
Useful and effective collaboration between the public and private sectors
Many agencies and private companies have collaborated to realize "Digital Estate", with great effort and joint commitment. Several companies submit data into the solution: The Court Administration/District Courts, the Tax Administration, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, the Norwegian Agricultural Directorate, Banks (Nordea, DNB, Sparebank 1), Bits, Insurance companies (Gjensidige Liv, DNB Liv, Storebrand), Norsk Pensjon, the Norwegian Agricultural Directorate, the Brønnøysund Register Centre and the Norwegian Mapping Authority. All mentioned, none forgotten.
Digital Estates of Deceased Persons is part of a public-private collaboration with the financial industry, Digital Collaboration Public-Private (DSOP) actors: The Norwegian Tax Administration, Finance Norway, Bits, the Police, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV), the Brønnøysund Register Centre, the Norwegian Mapping Authority.
"With all that entails in terms of legislative changes, cooperation agreements and technical challenges, the collaboration in this project has been at a standstill. Expertise and commitment, with the societal benefit in mind, have helped and driven us forward to the solution we have today, and which we are proud to have contributed to," says Bredo Swanberg, Project Manager Digital Estate and Head of Life Event Death and Inheritance, Digdir.