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Leave in Norway

Maternity, paternity, and parental leave in Norway

Adoption leave in Norway

Other leave in Norway

Public holidays in Norway

Protect your employees and your business

Leave and time off in Norway

Every country has specific rules governing the paid and unpaid time off that employers need to grant their employees. In Norway, these rules are set out in Chapter 12 of the Working Environment Act. Some collective bargaining agreements also grant employees additional leave entitlements.

If you want to employ workers in Norway, you should have a solid understanding of the paid and unpaid leave those employees will be entitled to. In this section, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about annual leave, parental leave, and sick leave in Norway. We’ll also go into some different types of leave that Norwegian employees have access to, including leave for education and for military service.

Leave in Norway

Norwegian employment law grants employees the right to various types of leave, which may be paid or unpaid. In some cases, employees are paid by the social security system while on leave. If your Norwegian employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, it may provide different rules about the leave they’re entitled to.

And of course, employers in Norway are entitled to create their own leave policy, as long as the leave they grant meets the legal minimum standards set out in the Working Environment Act and any other relevant legislation.

Annual leave in Norway

Annual leave in Norway is governed by the Holiday Act, which gives employees the right to at least four weeks and one day (21 working days) of paid annual leave every year. Employees also have the right to holiday pay amounting to at least 10.2% of their annual salary in the previous year.

Although this is the legal minimum, many employers in Norway choose to give their employees 25 days (five weeks) of paid annual leave, and holiday pay equivalent to 12% of their annual salary. It’s common practice to pay holiday pay in June each year.

Using annual leave in Norway

Employers in Norway are responsible for ensuring that their employees take all of the statutory annual leave they are entitled to during the holiday year. If an employer doesn’t ensure that their employees take holiday, they may have to pay compensation to the employees.

If there is an agreement between the employer and the employee, employees can carry over up to two weeks of statutory annual leave into the following year. They can also take up to two weeks of leave in advance. Collective bargaining agreements may provide different rules for carrying over leave or taking it early.

Paying out annual leave in Norway

It is generally not possible to ‘pay out’ annual leave by paying an employee’s salary instead of giving them leave. The exception is when an employee leaves a company, when their employer must pay them for any unused holiday.

Sick leave in Norway

Employees in Norway are entitled to paid time off work when they are ill or injured. Employers are required to pay them 100% of their normal salary for the first 16 days of sickness. From the 17th day, the employee can be compensated by the social security sickness benefit, which is capped at six times the National Insurance ‘basic amount’. As of 2024, the basic amount is NOK 124,028 per year or NOK 10,336 per month. The maximum sick leave entitlement for employees in Norway is 52 weeks.

Maternity, paternity, and parental leave in Norway

Like many of its Scandinavian neighbours, Norway is known for its generous parental leave policy. Both mothers and fathers are entitled to paid leave when they either have a baby or adopt a child under 15 years of age.

Maternity and paternity leave in Norway

When a couple has a baby in Norway, they are entitled to a combined 12 months of leave following the birth. This includes up to 12 weeks of leave which the mother can take before her due date, and six weeks of leave which the mother must take immediately after the birth. Pregnant employees are also entitled to paid leave to attend prenatal appointments if they can’t be organised outside of working hours.

Parental leave in Norway

Parents in Norway are also each entitled to an additional 12 months of paid leave, after the initial leave described above. This must be taken immediately after the first (shared) 12 months of leave.

Pay for maternity, paternity, and parental leave in Norway

Employees on maternity, paternity, or parental leave in Norway are normally entitled to the parental allowance, which is designed to replace employees’ income following a birth or adoption. This is paid for by the National Insurance Scheme.
To be eligible for the parental allowance, employees must meet three conditions:

They must have had income for at least six of the past ten months.
They must earn at least half of the ‘basic amount’ (NOK 124,028 per year in 2024).
They must be a member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme.

The amount of parental allowance an employee can get depends on how much leave they take, as well as how many children they have. For one child, employees can get either 100% of their salary for 49 weeks, or 80% of their salary for 61 weeks and one day. This is capped at the ‘basic amount’ of NOK 124,028 per year.

In some cases, mothers who are not entitled to the parental benefit (for example because they have not been in work for six out of the past ten months) may be entitled to a lump sum instead.

Dividing paid parental leave between parents

Both parents are entitled to paid parental leave in Norway. However, the total parental allowance a couple can get is divided into the mother’s quota, the father’s quota, and a joint period which can be shared between the two parents.

The mother’s quota includes six weeks of maternity leave which she must take immediately after the birth. Fathers can choose to take two weeks of their quota at the same time as the mother around the time of the birth, from two weeks before the due date to six weeks after the birth. The joint period can be shared between the parents. Only one parent can receive the parental allowance at any time.

Adoption leave in Norway

Employees who adopt a child in Norway are entitled to equal leave and pay to birth parents, which can start on the date when the child is transferred into their care. Adoptive parents do not have the right to parental leave or pay if they adopt a child over 15 years old, or if they adopt the child of their partner (their stepchild). The only exception to this is when an employee adopts their partner’s child during the parental benefit period.

Partial parental leave

Employees in Norway can also choose to combine their parental leave with working part time. Because they are not taking full-time leave, this extends the period of leave. However, parental leave must be taken within three years of the birth or adoption of a child. Employees who want to take partial parental leave must sign an agreement with their employer.

Other leave in Norway

Employees in Norway are also entitled to various other types of leave under the Working Environment Act or the collective agreement that applies. Employers are also free to grant their employees additional leave by setting their own leave policy. Below, we’ll discuss some of the other types of leave you’re likely to come across if you hire workers in Norway.

Carer’s leave in Norway

Parents in Norway are entitled to 10 days off work to care for a sick or injured child, or 15 days if they have more than one child. They have this right regardless of how long they have been employed, and they must be paid in full by the employer for the first ten days. After this point, the employer can ask for reimbursement from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration.

Bereavement leave in Norway

There is no statutory requirement for bereavement leave in Norway. However, many employers choose to grant their employees compassionate leave for the death or funeral of a close relative. This leave can be paid or unpaid.

Educational leave in Norway

Employees in Norway are entitled to unpaid educational leave of up to three years if they have:

Worked for at least three years
Worked for their employer for at least two years

Employees who want to take educational leave must notify their employer in writing and include information about the academic content and duration of the course they want to take. Employers may refuse educational leave if it would significantly hinder their planning of operations and personnel assignments.

Military service leave in Norway
Employees in Norway have the right to take a leave of absence from work in order to complete voluntary or compulsory military service or other forms of national service. Employees must notify their employer if they want to continue their employment after completing their service.

Public holidays in Norway

Public holidays in Norway are generally days off from work. If an employee is required to work on a public holiday or a Sunday, they should normally be given time off on the next public holiday or Sunday, in line with working-time rules and applicable collective agreements.

In addition, work is generally prohibited during the following periods:

After 6:00 pm on the day before a public holiday.
After 3:00 pm on Christmas Eve and on the Saturday before Easter Sunday and Whit Sunday.
Before 10:00 pm on the day before the next working day.

Work performed during these restricted periods is treated as Sunday or public holiday work.

Are public holidays paid in Norway?

Salaried employees receive the same monthly salary regardless of the number of public holidays in a month. In practice, this means public holidays are paid days off.

Hourly paid employees are usually paid for Labour Day (1 May) and Constitution Day (17 May) if they fall on a weekday. There is no general legal obligation to pay for other public holidays unless the employee works.

Payment rules for other public holidays are often defined by collective agreements or individual employment contracts.

Employees who work on public holidays are entitled to additional compensation, typically set out in collective agreements. In many sectors, this may mean 100% extra pay (double pay), though rates vary.

Swapping public holidays for religious holidays

Employees who observe religious holidays that are not national public holidays are entitled to take up to two days off per year for religious observance. Employees must notify the employer at least 14 days in advance. Employers may require employees to make up the lost working hours at another time.

Public holidays in Norway in 2026

1 January (Thursday)

New Year’s Day

2 April (Thursday)

Maundy Thursday

3 April (Friday)

Good Friday

5 April (Sunday)

Easter Sunday

6 April (Monday)

Easter Monday

1 May (Friday)

Labour Day

17 May (Sunday)

Constitution Day

14 May (Thursday)

Ascension Day

24 May (Sunday)

Whit Sunday (Pentecost)

25 May (Monday)

Whit Monday

25 December (Friday)

Christmas Day

26 December (Saturday)

Second Day of Christmas.

Protect your employees and your business

As an employer in Norway, you need to understand your employees’ rights and entitlements. But keeping up with them can be a lot of work.

When you hire workers with CXC, we’ll ensure your engagements are in line with all local, national and international employment regulations. That way, your workers will get their benefits they’re entitled to, and your business will be protected from risk.

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FAQ's

How does annual leave work in Norway?

Employees in Norway are entitled to 25 statutory working days of annual leave each year, with Saturdays counted as working days under the Holiday Act. This is equivalent to four weeks and one day of annual leave. Many employers covered by collective bargaining agreements provide 30 working days, giving employees five weeks of annual leave. Employees aged 60 or over are entitled to an additional six statutory working days.

Unlike many countries, employees in Norway generally receive holiday pay instead of their normal salary while they are on annual leave. Holiday pay is normally calculated from the employee’s qualifying earnings in the previous calendar year and is usually paid before the main holiday period. The statutory holiday-pay rate is generally 10.2%, increasing to 12.5% for employees aged 60 or over. Where five weeks of leave apply, the usual rates are 12% and 14.3%, respectively.

Employers in Norway should discuss holiday dates with employees before finalising the leave schedule. If agreement cannot be reached, the employer may determine when leave is taken, provided the requirements of the Holiday Act are followed and employees receive the statutory notice.

Can unused annual leave be carried over in Norway?

Yes, employer and employee may agree in writing to carry over up to 12 statutory working days. Untaken statutory leave caused by illness or parental leave transfers automatically. More broadly, all statutory holiday that remains untaken at the end of the holiday year must be transferred to the following year, including leave that was not taken in breach of the Holiday Act. agreed carry-over from automatic transfer and should prevent routine non-use.

Employers in Norway remain responsible for ensuring employees take their holiday and cannot simply replace statutory leave with cash during continuing employment. Holiday pay for unused statutory leave is generally only settled in cash when the employment relationship ends. A clear the leave policy in Norway gives managers a practical framework for entitlement, approval, payment and return-to-work decisions.

Limited statutory carry-over is possible by written agreement, and statutory leave that remains untaken must otherwise transfer in accordance with the Holiday Act.Employers in Norway should not treat unused leave as an informal balance that can simply disappear at the end of a period.

Additional contractual leave beyond the Holiday Act minimum may be governed by the employment contract, collective agreement or company policy. Employers should therefore distinguish between statutory and additional leave when applying carry-over limits. In summary, unused annual leave may be carried over in limited circumstances, either by written agreement or automatically when statutory leave remains untaken, including because the employee could not take leave because of illness or parental leave.

What types of statutory leave are employees entitled to in Norway?

Employees may qualify for pregnancy, birth, adoption, parental, care, nursing, education, military and public-duty leave. Rights to absence and rights to income are separate, so payment may come from the employer, NAV or neither.

Leave type	How it works in Norway?
Annual leave	At least 25 statutory working days each holiday year, with holiday pay replacing ordinary salary during leave.
Sick leave	Eligible employees may receive 100% of their sickness-benefit basis, generally subject to the statutory ceiling for up to 52 weeks, with the employer paying the first 16 calendar days before NAV generally takes over.
Pregnancy and birth leave	Mothers are entitled to leave before and after childbirth, with benefit payments administered under Norway’s parental benefit scheme where eligibility requirements are met. Pregnant employees are also entitled to paid time off for prenatal examinations that cannot reasonably take place outside working hours.
Parental leave	Parents may share parental leave and parental benefits following the birth or adoption of a child, subject to eligibility under the National Insurance Scheme. Eligible parents may receive benefits for 49 weeks at 100% coverage or 61 weeks and one day at 80% coverage for one child.
Adoption leave	Adoptive parents may receive leave and parental benefits broadly like that available following childbirth, subject to the statutory rules.
Care leave	Parents are entitled to time off to care for sick children, while employees may also have rights to care for certain close relatives in specific circumstances. The ordinary entitlement for a parent with one or two children is generally 10 days per calendar year, with longer entitlements in specified circumstances.
Nursing leave	Eligible employees may take time off during working hours to breastfeed a child in accordance with the Working Environment Act. During the child’s first year, up to one hour is paid on working days of seven hours or more.
Educational leave	Employees with sufficient length of service may be entitled to unpaid educational leave for approved studies. Qualifying employees may generally take up to three years of unpaid educational leave.
Military or civil defence leave	Employees are entitled to leave to perform compulsory military or civil defence service.
Public duty leave	Employees may take leave to perform certain statutory public duties, such as serving as a lay judge or elected public official where required by law.

The duration, eligibility requirements and payment arrangements vary depending on the type of leave. Some types of leave in Norway provide a right to be absent from work only, while others also provide statutory pay or benefits. Employers in Norway should assess each request against the applicable eligibility rules before approving leave.

The leave policy in Norway should clearly explain notice, evidence, benefit applications and payroll treatment. Eligibility and duration vary by leave type, service and family circumstances.

How does sick leave work in Norway?

Eligible employees can receive 100% of regular earnings from the first day of qualifying sickness absence,, subject to the statutory benefit ceiling, for up to 52 weeks. Employers in Norway fund the first 16 calendar days, after which NAV sickness benefit generally applies. NAV benefits are generally capped at six times the National Insurance basic amount (6G), although an employment contract or collective agreement may provide salary continuation above that ceiling. Sickness-benefit treatment should follow the current employer and employee guidance.

Employees generally need to have worked for the employer for at least four weeks to qualify for employer-funded sick pay. An employee may use self-certification where the applicable conditions are met, while longer absences normally require medical certification. Managing sick leave in Norway requires timely notification, medical evidence when required, follow-up plans and workplace adjustments that support a safe return. Employees in Norway are expected to notify their employer of their absence as soon as possible and provide medical certification where required. For longer periods of absence, employers must also follow Norway’s return-to-work requirements, including appropriate follow-up and workplace adjustments where suitable.

Sick-pay arrangements usually involve an employer-financed period followed by NAV sickness benefit, subject to eligibility and documentation. The employer should focus on appropriate follow-up and possible work adjustment rather than diagnosis.

Can employees take vacation days during sick leave in Norway?

Yes. Employees in Norway may choose to take annual leave while they are on sick leave. However, sickness benefits normally stop for the days taken as annual leave, as those days are treated as holiday rather than sickness absence.

In Norway, if an employee becomes fully incapable of working before their annual leave starts or becomes sick during annual leave and meets the statutory requirements, they may request to postpone the affected holiday days. If the employee becomes fully unable to work before the holiday begins, they must submit a medical certificate and request postponement no later than the final working day before the holiday. If the employee becomes fully unable to work during the holiday, they may request postponement from the first day of illness, provided the absence is medically certified and the request is submitted without undue delay after returning to work. These rights apply to statutory holiday and generally require 100% incapacity for work.

The postponed leave can then be taken later in the holiday year or carried over where permitted. Any statutory holiday that remains untaken at the end of the year must be transferred to the following holiday year.

Employees in Norway should consider how taking annual leave may affect their entitlement to sickness benefits before requesting holiday during a period of sick leave.

For employers, it is important to distinguish between annual leave and sickness absence when processing payroll and maintaining leave records. This helps ensure holiday pay, sick pay and any NAV benefit reporting are handled correctly.

How do public holidays affect paid leave in Norway?

Public holidays in Norway do not count as statutory annual leave. Employees do not need to use their annual leave entitlement for official public holidays that fall within an annual leave period because Sundays and statutory public holidays are not counted as working days under the Holiday Act.

Whether an employee is paid for a public holiday depends on their employment arrangements. Employees paid a monthly salary will generally continue to receive their normal salary. For hourly paid employees, entitlement to payment depends on the Working Environment Act, the Act Relating to Public Holidays, the employment contract and any applicable collective bargaining agreement. Norway does not provide a general statutory right for hourly paid employees to receive pay for every public holiday on which they do not work. However, special statutory rules apply to 1 May and 17 May. Employees who would ordinarily have worked may qualify for pay, subject to the applicable conditions. Employees who work on those days are entitled to ordinary pay plus the applicable supplement, which must be at least 50% if no other rate has been agreed.

If a public holiday falls during an employee’s annual leave, it is generally treated as a public holiday rather than deducted from the employee’s statutory leave entitlement. Employees on holiday on 1 May or 17 May may also be entitled to pay and may request an extension of the holiday where the statutory conditions are satisfied.

Employers should apply their public holiday policy consistently and ensure payroll reflects the correct treatment for salaried, hourly paid and shift employees.

What is maternity leave in Norway?

Mothers are generally required to take the first six weeks after childbirth as leave unless a doctor certifies that returning to work earlier is medically safe. Pregnant employees are also entitled to up to 12 weeks of pregnancy leave before childbirth, while three weeks before the expected birth are normally reserved for parental-benefit purposes.

The right to take leave from work is governed by the Working Environment Act, while parental benefits are administered separately by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) under the National Insurance Scheme. Eligible parents may also share parental leave and parental benefits, subject to the statutory eligibility and allocation rules.

Parents are generally entitled to a combined 12 months of statutory leave connected with childbirth. Each parent may also qualify for up to an additional 12 months of unpaid leave, which must normally be taken immediately after the initial leave period. Leave rights and benefit rights should therefore be assessed separately. Employers should confirm the employee’s expected leave dates, submit any required information to NAV and plan for the employee’s return to work. Employees returning from maternity leave are generally entitled to return to the same or an equivalent position.

How much is maternity pay in Norway?

Eligible parents may generally choose parental benefit at 100% of the covered rate for a shorter period or 80% for a longer period, subject to the statutory earnings ceiling. For one child, the current standard periods are 49 weeks at 100% coverage or 61 weeks and one day at 80% coverage. The precise allocation depends on whether both parents qualify and the family’s circumstances. Payment during maternity leave in Norway is usually administered by NAV, although employers may continue salary and claim reimbursement.

Eligibility depends on prior income and National Insurance membership, so employers should not promise full uncapped salary unless their policy provides it. Employees generally need qualifying income during at least six of the ten months before the benefit period begins, annualised income of at least 0.5G and membership in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme.

NAV parental benefit is generally calculated on income up to six times the National Insurance basic amount (6G). Employers may provide a contractual or policy-based top-up for salary above that ceiling, but this is not a general statutory requirement.

A clear parental leave policy in Norway gives managers a practical structure for entitlement, approval, payment and return-to-work decisions.

Parental benefit is calculated by NAV subject to eligibility and a statutory ceiling, while some employers choose to top up salary by contract or policy. The employer must handle the income report accurately and on time.

What recent updates have reshaped parental leave entitlements in Norway?

Recent changes have expanded flexibility and equalised the total benefit period between the 80% and 100% coverage choices. The longer option now provides proportionate time without reducing the overall benefit value in the same way as before. For children born or adopted from 1 July 2024, the 80% parental-benefit period was extended by 11 working days. For one child, the standard period became 61 weeks and one day at 80%, compared with 49 weeks at 100%. The total benefit value under the two alternatives is now approximately equal.

Where both parents qualify, the current structure generally includes reserved periods for each parent and a shared period. For births from 1 July 2024, the standard allocation is:

Coverage option	Mother’s quota	Father/co-parent quota	Shared period	Pre-birth period
100%	15 weeks	15 weeks	16 weeks	3 weeks for the mother
80%	19 weeks	19 weeks	20 weeks and one day	3 weeks for the mother

Updates also affect reserved parental quotas and arrangements for families with only one qualifying parent. The applicable period can differ where only one parent qualifies, the employee is a sole parent, multiple children are born or adopted, or activity requirements apply.

Employers in Norway should keep the leave policy in Norway aligned with current NAV parental-benefit guidance, without hard-coding outdated week totals. A clear parental leave policyin Norway gives managers a practical framework for entitlement, approval, payment and return-to-work decisions.

Because parental leave rules change periodically, employers should rely on the latest guidance published by NAV rather than older internal policies or historical leave arrangements. This is particularly important when confirming benefit periods, eligibility and how leave can be shared between parents.

Employers should review their parental leave policies regularly to ensure they remain consistent with current legislation and NAV guidance.

How can CXC reduce compliance risks related to employee leave in Norway?

CXC helps businesses manage employee leave in Norway by supporting leave administration, payroll coordination and compliance with Norwegian employment requirements. We help employers administer annual leave, sick leave, parental leave and other statutory absences while maintaining accurate payroll records and employment documentation.

When you partner with CXC, our local specialists will support with leave tracking, holiday pay, statutory reporting, NAV-related payroll processes and employment administration throughout the employee lifecycle. We also help businesses apply Norwegian leave requirements consistently across their workforce and keep employment records aligned with local legislation and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

While CXC manages leave administration and payroll processes, your business continues to make operational decisions, approve leave requests and manage employees on a day-to-day basis.

Speak to our team to learn how we can help you manage employee leave and statutory entitlements in Norway.

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