Sick leave by country / Norway
Sick leave and sick pay in Norway
Who pays when someone is ill, how much, for how long, and what the certificate rules are — in plain English, whether you run a team in Norway or work on one.
In Norway the employer pays sick pay for the first 16 calendar days of an absence, after four weeks of employment. From day 17 NAV pays sykepenger at 100% of the sickness benefit basis, capped at six times the national insurance basic amount (6G), for up to 52 weeks in three years. Employees may self-certify for up to three calendar days at a time, four times a year, and need a doctor’s certificate from the fourth day.
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How it works
Chapter 8 of the National Insurance Act gives employees who have worked for four weeks the right to sykepenger from the first day of incapacity. The employer pays during the 16-day arbeidsgiverperiode, calculated on the employee’s normal earnings — the statutory minimum is capped at 6G, though most employers pay full salary; a new employer period only starts once the employee has worked 16 days after the previous one. From day 17 NAV pays 100% of the sykepengegrunnlag up to 6G for a maximum of 248 working days (52 weeks), after which the employee must work 26 weeks to re-qualify. Self-certification (egenmelding) covers up to three calendar days per absence, four times in twelve months — eight days and 24 in total for employers in the inclusive-workplace (IA) scheme — and only during the employer period; otherwise a doctor’s sykmelding is required, and NAV may accept a digital note from the fourth day.
Worth knowing: The 6G cap means anyone earning more than about six times the basic amount receives less than 100% from NAV; collective agreements and many contracts oblige the employer to cover the difference.
If you run a team in Norway
Pay the 16-day employer period yourself, then send the income report (inntektsmelding) to NAV so sykepenger can start on day 17 — or continue paying and claim reimbursement from NAV. Follow the follow-up rules: an oppfølgingsplan by week 4, a dialogue meeting by week 7, and reporting to NAV by week 9. Sick pay above 6G is a matter of contract.
If you work in Norway
Tell your employer on the first day. You can self-certify for up to three days at a time, four times a year; after that you need a doctor’s sykmelding, which is sent digitally. NAV pays from day 17 at up to 6G; if you earn more, check whether your employer tops up. Sykepenger last for a maximum of 52 weeks.
Sickness and annual leave
Holiday accrues during sickness for up to 12 months. An employee who falls ill during a holiday can claim the days back from the first day of illness with a medical certificate, and holiday cannot be scheduled during sick leave without consent.
The annual leave entitlement itself is covered on our Norway annual leave page — 21 working days minimum.
Keeping the record straight
Sick pay rules turn on dates: the day the illness started, the day the certificate was due, the day the employer's obligation ends and the benefit takes over. In Norway those dates decide who pays and how much, and they have to be provable months later — to a payroll auditor, an insurer, or the employee. A shared spreadsheet rarely survives that; a tracker like Leavo records each absence with its dates and approvals alongside annual leave, so the record exists before anyone asks for it. We compare the options in our leave management software guide, and the policy side — carryover, payout, accrual — in our guides.
Sick leave in Norway: common questions
How many self-certified days can I take?
Up to three calendar days per absence and four absences in a rolling twelve months as the legal minimum; employers in the IA scheme allow up to eight days per absence and 24 a year. Self-certification only works within the employer period.
What is 6G?
Six times the national insurance basic amount (grunnbeløpet), adjusted every May. It caps the income NAV uses to calculate sykepenger; earnings above it are not covered unless the employer tops up.
What happens after 52 weeks?
Sykepenger end. The employee may qualify for work assessment allowance (arbeidsavklaringspenger) and must work 26 weeks before earning a new right to sick pay.
What happens if I fall ill during my annual leave in Norway?
Holiday accrues during sickness for up to 12 months. An employee who falls ill during a holiday can claim the days back from the first day of illness with a medical certificate, and holiday cannot be scheduled during sick leave without consent.
Source
Primary source: Folketrygdloven (National Insurance Act), chapter 8. Rates and caps change — often every January or April — and collective agreements frequently improve on the statutory scheme. Confirm against the current text before acting. See our methodology.