Oslo's activity card: who gets it, and how much
The City of Oslo is rolling out a digital activity card at the start of the school year, and applications open on 17 August 2026. The card provides money towards membership and course fees in sports, culture and outdoor life, and both the application and the payment are handled digitally. The city promises an immediate answer to the application.
It is worth reading the rates before concluding that this doesn't apply to you. The scheme is often described as support for low-income families, but the top income threshold sits at just over 1.5 million kroner combined. That means a large majority of Oslo's families with children qualify for something, and the difference between the tiers is about how much, not whether.
This is what you get for autumn 2026
| Combined household income | Ages 6 to 12 | Ages 13 to 19 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 780,960 kr | 1,650 kr | 2,450 kr |
| Up to 1,171,440 kr | 1,350 kr | 2,050 kr |
| Up to 1,561,920 kr | 1,100 kr | 1,650 kr |
The rates apply to autumn 2026, that is, half a year. The income thresholds correspond to 6, 9 and 12 times the national insurance base amount, so they shift when that amount is adjusted each 1 May.
Who can get it
Children with a registered address in Oslo, from the year they turn 6 up to and including the year they turn 19. The age limit follows the calendar year rather than the birthday, so a child turning 6 in December can use the card from January of that same year.
For 2026 the scheme is trust-based: the family assesses its own need rather than having to document income. If you need help with the application itself, your district office should be able to guide you.
What the card covers
Membership and course fees at organisations approved by the city, within sports, culture or outdoor life in Oslo. One-off activities such as tournaments and competitions are included too. By late June 2026 around 200 activity providers had registered, and the list is still growing, so it's worth checking whether your club is on it before giving up.
The card does not cover equipment, gym memberships, language tuition or religious and political activities. Equipment is worth noting in particular, since it is often the single biggest expense: skis, skates, football boots and bicycles must be covered some other way. On the other hand, there is free equipment lending at several places around the city through BUA and Skattkammeret.
Two things to be aware of
The amounts in the table cover half a year, not a full year. Autumn 2026 is the first round, and the city has signalled that from 2027 the support will be granted for a whole year at a time. So if you compare the rates against an annual membership fee, expect the yearly figure to be different.
Whether the card can be used for holiday camps and holiday courses, the city says nothing explicit. Course fees are covered as a category, and many holiday courses are precisely that, but we have not found a sentence confirming it for holiday programmes specifically. Ask the organiser directly before counting on it.
How to apply
The application is with the City of Oslo and opens on 17 August 2026. Payment to the club or course goes through the same system, so you should not have to pay up front and claim it back afterwards.
The activity card at the City of Oslo →
Not waiting for the application to open, or after something that costs nothing at all? We have gathered the holiday programmes in Oslo that are free without any application, along with the deadlines that fall well before the holiday itself: