Thousands of Norwegians prepare for property requisitions in wartime

Thousands of Norwegians were to receive letters on Monday from the military informing them that their homes, vehicles, boats and machinery may be requisitioned in the event of war. 

"The requisitions are intended to ensure that, in a wartime situation, the armed forces have access to the resources necessary for the defense of the country," the military said in a statement.

Around 13,500 preparatory requisitions will be issued for 2026.

The letters have no practical impact in peacetime, the armed forces said, other than to let owners know that the military may take over their goods in the event of a conflict.

The request is valid for one year, and roughly two-thirds of the letters sent in 2026 were renewals from previous years.

"The importance of being prepared for crisis and war has increased dramatically in recent years," the head of the military's logistics organization, Anders Jernberg, said in the statement.

"Norway is in the most serious security policy situation since World War II. Our society must be prepared for security policy crises and, in the worst case, war," he said.

"We are undertaking a major build-up of military and civil preparedness."

Norway, a NATO member considered the alliance's eyes and ears in the Arctic, has, like the rest of Europe, beefed up its defense in recent years.

The Scandinavian country shares a maritime border and 198-kilometer land border with Russia in the Far North.