 Vogt-Svendsen was born in Kristiania, the son of shipmaster Johan Fredrik Svendsen and Elisabeth Fredrikke Emilie Larsen.He was married to his cousin Randi Bonnevie-Svendsen from 1945 to 1965, and to Cecilie Torgersen (née Bonnevie) from 1966.Vogt-Svendsen took his examen artium in 1933, and studied theology at the University of Oslo, graduating in 1940.