Norwegian Translation

Norwegian does not have a single written language. Bokmål and Nynorsk are two separate official norms, and a document may be issued in either. The same information can look two different ways.

4 min readLast updated 2 September 2026

Short answer

Norwegian has two official written standards of equal status. Whichever your document uses is what the translation works from. Because Norway is a party to the Convention, the apostille chain is valid.

Written standards: Two: Bokmål and Nynorsk
Alphabet: 29 letters; æ ø å come last
Identity number: Fødselsnummer, 11 digits
Apostille: Norway and Türkiye are both parties

Bokmål and Nynorsk: two official written norms

Norwegian has two written norms, both official. Bokmål developed from the Danish writing tradition and is used by the large majority today. Nynorsk was compiled from Norwegian dialects in the nineteenth century and is used particularly in the west. Both are taught in schools and official documents may be issued in either.

The same expression in both norms
Meaning	Bokmål	Nynorsk
I	jeg	eg
Not	ikke	ikkje
Now	nå	no
Book	bok	bok
School	skole	skule
Municipality	kommune	kommune

The same expression in both norms

Municipalities choose which norm to use, so two documents from the same country may come in different norms. That is not an inconsistency but the system itself.

Fødselsnummer: eleven digits

The Norwegian identity number has eleven digits: the first six give the date of birth in day-month-year order, the remaining five serve registration and verification. The number is asked for in almost every official procedure.

People not registered as residents in Norway are given a temporary number (D-nummer). It does not substitute for a fødselsnummer and is not sufficient for every procedure. Whichever appears on your document is carried across as it stands, with its type stated.

æ, ø, å and alphabetical order

The Norwegian alphabet has 29 letters, with æ, ø and å following z in that order. The difference from Swedish shows here: Swedish orders them å, ä, ö while Norwegian orders them æ, ø, å. Lists of names from the two countries therefore sort differently.

The final letters of three Scandinavian alphabets
Country	Final three letters	Position
Norway	æ, ø, å	After z
Denmark	æ, ø, å	After z
Sweden	å, ä, ö	After z

The final letters of three Scandinavian alphabets

Norway and Denmark use the same three letters in the same order; Sweden uses different letters in a different order. If you see ø on a document the text is Norwegian or Danish; if you see ö it is Swedish. That is the quickest way to tell them apart.

Bokmål and Nynorsk, both official: 2 normsBokmål and Nynorsk, both official
letters in the alphabet: 29letters in the alphabet
in a fødselsnummer: 11 digitsin a fødselsnummer

Norwegian documents and how we render them

Frequently seen documents
Document	What it is	Our approach
Fødselsattest	Birth certificate	Its scope differs from a Turkish civil registry extract
Bostedsattest	Certificate of residence	Issued from the population register
Politiattest	Police certificate	Its scope varies with the purpose; not a full criminal record
Vitnemål	Diploma and transcript	The scale may be A–F or 1–6; it is stated
Oppholdstillatelse	Residence permit	Its type and duration are always stated

Frequently seen documents

Frequently asked questions

How do I know whether my document is in Bokmål or Nynorsk?

You do not need to. Send one page and we will identify it. For translation there is no practical difference between the norms, and we work with translators who read both. The difference matters when translating into Norwegian: then you need to tell us which norm the receiving institution uses.

Is an apostille enough for a document going to Norway?

Yes. Norway is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so sworn translation, notarisation and an apostille are valid. Because Norway has its own arrangements for authorised translators, we suggest asking the receiving institution whether a translation issued in Türkiye is accepted.

How will the ø in my name be written in Turkish records?

The latinised passport spelling governs; ø usually appears as o or oe, and which depends on the passport. The translation also shows the original spelling, and we note that this letter carries the same sound as Swedish ö while being a different character.

My transcript uses A–F grades. How will they be assessed in Türkiye?

Norwegian higher education uses an A–F scale and upper secondary a 1–6 scale where 6 is highest. We do not convert grades in translation; the source value is carried across and the scale stated. Conversion is done by the assessing institution.