Can I get a start-up loan and grant?

If you can get a mortgage, you cannot get a start-up loan. You cannot get a start-up loan either if you are a young first-time buyer, or in a situation that allows you to save. Families with children who urgently need a stable home are exempted from the rule on saving.

You can apply for a start-up from your local municipality/borough if you are in one or more of the following situations:

• You are in a family with children and need a stable and safe home. 
• You cannot get a mortgage from a normal bank and cannot save up for a deposit. 
• You are receiving benefits.
• You are at risk of losing your home as a result of repossession due to mortgage arrears.
• You have special social or health-related challenges.
• You have a disability and need to adapt your home. 

You don’t need a deposit in order to get a start-up loan. However, you must have sufficient income to cover the mortgage payments, as well as other necessary expenses. In some cases your municipality may provide a grant.

Your income and expenses determine how much you can borrow. The price of a modest, suitable home in the area in question is also very important. 

Start-up loans can be used to buy a home, refinance a loan with a mortgage on your own home, buy out a spouse or adapt/upgrade a home.

Some municipalities combine the start-up loan with municipal grants for adapting homes or targeted grants for first-time buyers. Ask your local municipality whether they offer any grants. If they do, you can apply for them on this page.

Your income and expenses determine how much you can borrow. The price of a modest, suitable home in the area in question is also very important.

You can submit an application to any municipality, but many municipalities only grant loans to people who live in the municipality.

You must have your own electronic ID to apply.

How to get BankID (bankid.no)

How to get Buypass (buypass.no)

How to get Commfides (commfides.com)

If you don’t have BankID, you can get an assistant or guardian to apply on your behalf. How to apply with a guardian or an assistant

In your application, you must document all of your income and expenses. Many pieces of information are obtained automatically. If you have any paper documents you can take a photo of them and upload them to your application.

If you have any questions about the application, contact your local municipality/NAV.

It is the municipality/NAV that receives and processes your application. How applications for start-up loans are processed varies from municipality to municipality.

• You are not considered to be financially disadvantaged.
• Your income is too unreliable/low to repay a loan. 
• There is a high risk that you wouldn’t be able to make your mortgage payments for the whole term of the loan. 
• The municipality doesn’t have any more funds for start-up loans this year. You can reapply next year.

You will receive a response from the municipality/NAV once your application has been processed. Your municipality/NAV will tell you if they need any more information. You can communicate electronically with the person handling your case during the application process. The processing time varies from municipality to municipality.