Sick Leave Benefits in Norway — What Employees Need to Know

Norway has one of the most comprehensive sick leave systems in the world, designed to protect employees who are unable to work due to illness or injury. Under the National Insurance Act (Folketrygdloven) and the Working Environment Act, most employees are entitled to full wage compensation for up to one year. Understanding how the system works helps you protect your income and avoid losing benefits you are entitled to.

⚖️ Your Key Rights

• ✓You are entitled to sick pay (sykepenger) equal to 100% of your normal salary for up to 52 weeks if you have been employed for at least four weeks before falling ill.
• ✓Your employer must pay your full salary for the first 16 calendar days of sick leave (the employer period). After that, NAV (the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration) takes over the payments.
• ✓NAV sick pay is calculated based on your average income over the past four weeks, up to a maximum of 6 times the National Insurance basic amount (6G) per year.
• ✓You have the right to self-certify your illness (egenmelding) for up to three calendar days at a time, up to four times within a 12-month period, without providing a doctor's note.
• ✓Your employer cannot dismiss you solely because of sickness during the first 12 months of sick leave — you are protected from dismissal during this period.
• ✓If you are partially able to work, you are entitled to graded sick leave (gradert sykmelding), which allows you to work reduced hours while still receiving partial sick pay benefits.
• ✓Self-employed workers and freelancers are also covered by the National Insurance scheme, though the compensation rate and waiting period may differ from those for regular employees.

🚀 What To Do

1. 1Notify your employer as early as possible on your first day of absence — ideally before your shift starts — to activate your right to sick pay.
2. 2For absences up to three calendar days, register your self-certification (egenmelding) with your employer directly; no doctor's note is required for this period.
3. 3If you are still ill after three days, contact your GP (fastlege) to obtain an official sick note (sykmelding); the doctor will submit it electronically to NAV and you will receive a copy through Helsenorge or Altinn.
4. 4Log in to NAV's portal (nav.no) or the NAV app to confirm your sick note details, respond to any follow-up requests, and track your case status.
5. 5Cooperate with your employer and NAV throughout the sick leave period — you are required to participate in an activity plan (oppfølgingsplan) and attend follow-up meetings at set intervals (typically at 4 weeks, 7 weeks, and 6 months).
6. 6If your sickness lasts beyond 52 weeks and you are still unable to work, contact NAV promptly to explore other benefits such as work assessment allowance (arbeidsavklaringspenger, AAP) before your sick pay period ends.

🔗 Official Resources