The National Archives Building

The Reception

Our Reception registers all visitors and gives you an entrance card. All bags and cameras must be left at the Reception. Coats must be left in the cloakroom by the reception, where lockers are provided. Only necessary papers and writing material are allowed in the search room. When you leave, please call at the reception again. The security guard is allowed to check what you bring out of the reading room.

Please note that smoking is prohibited in the National Archives Building.

The Inventory Room

Take the stairs or elevator to the 3rd floor, and you enter the inventory room. The staff will answer your questions and help you find the material you need in the catalogues. They will also help you fill in your requisition. You will receive a specific place in the reading room.

The Reading Rooms

Documents you have requested to see will be delivered to your place in the reading room. It usually takes 15-30 minutes to bring you the material you have requested. You will be brought a limited amount of documents or protocols at a time.

The archive material is irreplacable and must be handled with great care. You must therefore

• only open one box or packet at a time
• not change the order of the documents
• never take away any of the contents
• not use the documents as support for writing
• not eat or drink in the reading room

For privacy reasons you must not pass on any information you might come across which might injure, offend or hurt others.

Due to the other visitors, please observe that silence is requested. You may use a portable PC if it does not make any noise.

When you have finished with the documents, please deliver them to the reading room inspector. You may reserve the material for the next day.

The inspector is responsible that the reading room regulations are being followed.

• Microfilm

  The archive material which is most frequently used, particularly church records and censuses, have been filmed. Some microfilmed material belonging to the regional state archives outside Oslo is also available. The microfilms and -fiches, along with reading equipment and copy machines are available in the small reading room. Information and help to use this equipment will be given by the staff in the inventory room.

• PC

  PC's with Internet connection are available in the small reading room. Her you can search the Digital Archives and other Internet resources.

• Copies

  Due to the fragile originals we do not allow visitors to make their own copies. At the moment the price is NOK 4,- per copy. We deliver up to five copies immediately. Ordinary requests for copies will be charged a fee of NOK 25,- per order.

The Library

Our well stocked library contains literature on the subjects of archives, history, local history, and genealogical history. It is on loan to the search room only. Books about local history are placed in the search room together with the reference literature. To see other books or periodicals you must fill in a requisition.

Practical information

The carpark is situated by Sognsvann metro station.
Mobile phones must be switched off in the inventory room and the reading rooms.
The cafeteria is open Monday to Friday 11.00 - 13.00. 
Toilets are located in the cloakroom by the reception and in the cafeteria.
Postcards are on sale at the reception desk.
Timetables for the metro running to Sognsvann station are available at the reception desk and on the Internet.
The building is equipped for the disabled.

Addresses and phone numbers