Benefits
Unemployment benefit (dagpenger)
Unemployment benefit (dagpenger) is a financial support you may get if you are unemployed or temporarily laid off.
Contents
In this chapter
If you are unemployed or have been temporarily laid off, you may get unemployment benefit from NAV if all of this applies to you:
- You have lost 50 percent or more of your total working hours.
- You have lost your income, or your income has been reduced.
- You have had an income of at least 186,042 NOK (1.5 G - National Insurance basic amount (G)) in the last 12 months, or at least 372,084 NOK (3 G) in the last 36 months.
- You are under the age of 67.
We use the following types of income to calculate if you qualify for unemployment benefit:
- Salary
- Parental benefit paid to you as an employee
- Pregnancy benefit paid to you as an employee
- Pregnancy-related sickness benefit paid to you as an employee
Self-employment income does not count as salary in this case.
To get unemployment benefit, you must:
- apply for unemployment benefit
- register as a job seeker
- be resident in Norway and have Norwegian national insurance coverage
- submit an employment status form (meldekort) every 14 days
- be a genuine job seeker
Read more about what you must do to get unemployment benefit.
The requirement is that your total working hours must be reduced by at least 50 percent. If you have multiple jobs, you must have lost at least 50 percent of your combined working hours to qualify for unemployment benefit.
Example
You have two jobs and work a total of 30 hours per week. You work 20 hours per week for one employer and 10 hours per week for the other. In this case, you must have lost at least 15 working hours in order to qualify for unemployment benefit.
There are exceptions to the rule that you have to be a resident in Norway to get unemployment benefit. This can be the case if you for example have worked in Norway and travelled to your home country, or if you are returning to Norway after having worked in another EEA country. Read more about your situation under EEA and unemployment benefit.
There are some exceptions to the requirement of having to reside in Norway to get unemployment benefit. Read more about holiday and travelling.
Some types of financial support may be combined with unemployment benefit, but then your unemployment benefit may be reduced. In your application, you must specify if you are receiving other financial support, and NAV will calculate how much your unemployment benefit will be reduced.
The reason for your unemployment may affect your unemployment benefit. Check to see which rules apply to your situation.
If you quit your job, you may get unemployment benefit. You should apply one week before the last day you are entitled to salary from your employer. To avoid losing days with unemployment benefit, you must, apply at the latest, on the day you no longer are entitled to salary.
If you had reasonable cause to quit your job, you will get unemployment benefit from the first day you are entitled to it.
If you did not have reasonable cause to quit your job, you will not get unemployment benefit for the first 18 weeks.
Examples of reasonable cause include being unable to continue in your job due to health issues or having experienced bullying or harassment in the workplace. You must be able to provide documentation to prove this.
In any event, you must apply for unemployment benefit first. When you have applied, NAV will assess whether you had reasonable cause to quit your job or not.
If you were terminated from your job, you may get unemployment benefit. You should apply one week before the last day you are entitled to salary from your employer. To avoid losing days with unemployment benefit, you must, apply at the latest, on the day you no longer are entitled to salary.
If you were not personally responsible for being terminated or dismissed, you will get unemployment benefit from the first day you qualify.
If you were personally responsible for being terminated or dismissed, you will not get unemployment benefit for the first 18 weeks.
In any event, you must apply for unemployment benefit first. When you have applied, NAV will assess whether you were personally responsible for being terminated or dismissed.
If you lost your job because your employer went bankrupt, you may get an advance on wage guarantee funds in the form of unemployment benefit for a period of up to one month. Tick the box for this in your application for unemployment benefit.
Read more about wage guarantee..
When you are self-employed, you do not qualify for unemployment benefit. That is because self-employment income from sole proprietorships do not count as salary when NAV assesses if you qualify for unemployment benefit.
You may still qualify for unemployment benefit if you have had salary from another employer in the last 12 or 36 months.
If you worked for your own limited company and received salary as an employee, you may qualify for unemployment benefit.
If you have had freelance income, you may get unemployment benefit.
If you were recently discharged after being in the Norwegian military for at least 3 months, and you are unemployed, you may get unemployment benefit. You may receive unemployment benefit for a period of up to 26 weeks, regardless of your past income.
Fishers have a separate unemployment benefit scheme, managed by the Guarantee Fund for Fishers. Read more about how to apply for unemployment benefit from the Guarantee Fund for Fishers.
Self-employment income from fisheries, does not qualify you for unemployment benefit.
If you are temporarily laid off, you are generally entitled to receive wages from your employer for the first 15 working days of the lay-off period. If you are partially laid off, the 15 paid days can apply for a longer period. After this paid period, you may qualify for unemployment benefit.
To qualify for unemployment benefit when you are temporarily laid off, the reason for the lay-off must be a lack of work for the company or other circumstances beyond your employer’s control. The reason you are laid off can therefore affect your right to unemployment benefit. NAV will assess whether the reason for the lay-off qualifies you for unemployment benefit.
If you are temporarily laid off from your job due to strike or labour dispute,
- you are not entitled to unemployment benefit if your pay or employment conditions are affected by the strike or dispute.
you are entitled to unemployment benefit if your pay or employment conditions are not affected by the strike or dispute.
If you work in the fisheries industry and are temporarily laid off, you can qualify for unemployment benefit if your working hours have been reduced by at least 40%. As an employee in the fisheries industry, you can receive unemployment benefit from the first day of your temporary lay-off period, because you are not entitled to wages from your employer.
You are considered an employee in the fisheries industry if you work in a fish processing enterprise, a fish oil enterprise or in the seafood industry.
If you are the only employee in your own limited company, you may temporarily lay yourself off by up to 80 percent, and still qualify for unemployment benefit.
If you temporarily lay yourself off by more than 80 percent, NAV will consider this as you not doing everything you can to secure more work and to avoid temporary layoffs.
You may be entitled to unemployment benefit if you are temporarily laid offfrom your job due to unforeseen events, such as fire, accidents, flooding, landslides or other natural events.
If you are temporarily laid off due to an accident or natural event, your employer must notify you at least 2 days before you are laid off. In the event of fire, your employer has a 14-day deadline to notify you that you will be laid off. You are not entitled to wages for the first 15 days of the temporary lay-off period; however, you can qualify for unemployment benefit from the first day of the lay-off period.
Read more about what to do, and what your rights are, if you are both unemployed or temporarily laid off, and on sick leave.
You can apply for education or training while receiving unemployment benefit. Not all types of education or training are eligible to combine with unemployment benefit (dagpenger).
Read more about the rules for combining unemployment benefit with education, and how to apply.
Whether you will receive unemployment benefit (dagpenger) from Norway or from another EEA country, depends on where you have lived and worked before you were unemployed or temporarily laid off. The situations below explain what applies in your case.
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Spain
- Switzerland*
- Sweden
- United Kingdom*
*Switzerland is not an EEA country, but you are still covered by the National Insurance Actif you are a citizen of an EFTA state (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland).
*United Kingdom is not an EEA country, but they have their own agreements with Norway.
If you become unemployed in Norway, you can apply for unemployment benefit in your home country.
How you apply
When you apply for unemployment benefit in your home country, your home country must ask NAV to confirm your working and insurance periods in Norway.
If your home country does not ask NAV for this confirmation, you can apply for a PD U1 Certificate yourself. A PD U1 Certificate confirms that you have worked in Norway, and it may entitle you to unemployment benefit in your home country. Contact your local employment office to find out if you should apply for PD U1 yourself.
The processing time for PD U1 is currently 19 weeks.
Apply for PD U1
If you apply for a PD U1 Certificate yourself, NAV will need documentation of how much you have worked.
In your application, you must include
- when you started and quit your job.
- how much you have worked.
- why you quit.
If you do not have the documentation above, your employer can fill in the NAV Employment Form 04-02.03.
If you have worked in Norway but travelled home to another EEA country at least once a week, you may be entitled to unemployment benefit (dagpenger) in Norway if you are temporarily laid off or partly unemployed. If you become fully unemployed, you must apply for unemployment benefit in the country you live in.
You become temporarily laid off or partly unemployed
If you become temporarily laid off or partly unemployed from your job in Norway, you can apply for Norwegian unemployment benefit. You do not need to stay in Norway while receiving your unemployment benefit.
How to apply for unemployment benefit.
You become fully unemployed
If you become fully unemployed from your job in Norway, you are not entitled to Norwegian unemployment benefits. You must apply for unemployment benefit in your home country.
When applying for unemployment benefit in your home country, your home country must ask NAV to confirm your working and insurance periods in Norway.
If your home country does not ask NAV for this confirmation, you can apply for a PD U1 Certificate yourself. A PD U1 Certificate confirms that you have worked in Norway and it may entitle you to unemployment benefit in your home country. Contact your local employment office to find out if you should apply for PD U1 yourself.
The processing time for PD U1 is currently 19 weeks.
Apply for PD U1
If you apply for a PD U1 Certificate yourself, NAV will need documentation of how much you have worked.
In your application, you must include
- when you started and quit your job.
- how much you have worked.
- why you quit.
If you do not have the documentation above, your employer can fill in the NAV Employment Form 04-02.03.
If you have worked in Norway and travelled home to another EEA country less than once a week, you can apply for unemployment benefit (dagpenger) in Norway if you become unemployed or temporarily laid off. If you travel back to your home country, you can apply for unemployment benefit there.
You are temporarily laid off or partly unemployed
If you are temporarily laid off or partly unemployed from your job in Norway, you can apply for Norwegian unemployment benefit. You do not need to stay in Norway while receiving your unemployment benefit.
You become fully unemployed
If you lose your job in Norway and become fully unemployed, you can choose to apply for unemployment benefit in Norway or apply for unemployment benefit in your home country. Where you stay determines where you can apply.
You are staying in Norway and want to apply for unemployment benefit
If you apply for unemployment benefit from NAV, you must stay in Norway while receiving the unemployment benefit. If you are in your home country when you lose your job, you must return to Norway to apply for unemployment benefit.
How to apply for unemployment benefit.
You are going home and want to apply for unemployment benefit
If you return to your home country, you will not receive unemployment benefit from NAV. Instead, you can apply for unemployment benefit in your home country.
When you apply for unemployment benefit in your home country, your home country must ask NAV to confirm your working and insurance periods in Norway.
If your home country does not ask NAV for this confirmation, you can apply for a PD U1 Certificate. A PD U1 Certificate confirms that you have worked in Norway, and it may entitle you to unemployment benefit in your home country. Contact your local employment office to find out if you should apply for PD U1 yourself.
The processing time for PD U1 is currently 19 weeks.
Apply for PD U1
If you apply for a PD U1 Certificate yourself, NAV will need documentation of how much you have worked.
In your application, you must include
- when you started and quit your job.
- how much you have worked.
- why you quit.
If you do not have the documentation above, your employer can fill in a NAV Employment Form 04-02.03.
You may be entitled to unemployment benefit (dagpenger) in Norway if you have lived and worked in another EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom. You can bring your right to unemployment benefit earned there when you apply for unemployment benefit in Norway.
To be entitled to unemployment benefit in Norway:
- You must have lost the job you had in the other EEA country
- You must have worked in Norway after returning from the other EEA country
- The rules for unemployment benefit must apply to you
If you quit your job to move to Norway with your spouse or cohabitant who has found a job in Norway, you may be entitled to unemployment benefit without becoming unemployed in Norway.
What do you need to do to get unemployment benefit in Norway?
To get unemployment benefit from Norway, you must live in Norway. You must apply for unemployment benefit and be registered with NAV as a jobseeker.
What documentation do you need?
When you have worked in another EEA country, we need information about the jobs you have had there in the last 36 months. To document your jobs, you need a PDU1 Certificate. You should receive this certificate from the employment authorities in the country you worked in. If you already have a PD U1 Certificate, please include it in your application for unemployment benefit in Norway.
If you have not received the PD U1 Certificate from the EEA country you worked in, NAV will ask the employment authorities of that country for the certificate.
If you apply for unemployment benefit without a PD U1 Certificate, you must document:
- Start and end dates
- Reason for termination of employment
- Income in the last 36 months
- Working hours in the last 36 months
You may be entitled to Norwegian unemployment benefit (dagpenger) if you have lived in Norway while working in another EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom.
To be entitled to unemployment benefit in Norway
- you must have lost the job you had in the other EEA country
- the rules for unemployment benefits apply to you
You can transfer your rights to unemployment benefit earned in another EEA country when you apply for unemployment benefit in Norway.
What do you need to do to get unemployment benefit in Norway?
To get Norwegian unemployment benefit, you must live in Norway. You must apply for unemployment benefit and be registered with NAV as a jobseeker.
What documentation do you need?
When you have worked in another EEA country, we need information about the jobs you have had there in the last 36 months. You will need a PDU1 Certificate to document these jobs. You should receive this certificate from the employment authorities in the country you worked in. If you already have the PD U1 Certificate, please include it in your application for unemployment benefit in Norway.
If you have not received the PD U1 Certificate from the EEA country where you worked, NAV will ask the employment authorities in that country for the certificate. In this case, you must send documentation of this when you apply for unemployment benefit:
- Start and end dates
- Reason for termination of employment
- Income in the last 36 months
- Working hours in the last 36 months
You may be entitled to unemployment benefit (dagpenger) from Norway if you have lived in Norway while working in another Nordic country, or if you have lived and worked in another Nordic country and are going back to Norway.
To get unemployment benefit from Norway, you must have
- lost your job in another Nordic country.
- been a resident and had national insurance rights in another Nordic country.
- registered as a jobseeker in Norway within 8 weeks of leaving the country where you worked.
- received or been entitled to unemployment benefit from Norway within the last 5 years.
There are exceptions to these rules for those who move in with a spouse or cohabitant who has found a job in Norway. Submit an application and we will assess whether you are entitled to unemployment benefits.
What do you need to do to get unemployment benefit in Norway?
To receive Norwegian unemployment benefit, you must live in Norway. You must apply for unemployment benefit and be registered with NAV as a jobseeker.
What documentation do you need?
When you have worked in another EEA country, we need information about the jobs you have had there in the last 36 months. You will need a PD U1 Certificate to document these jobs. This certificate is available from the employment authorities in the country you worked in. You must include the PD U1 Certificate in your application for unemployment benefit in Norway.
If you have not received the PD U1 Certificate from the EEA country where you worked, NAV will ask the employment authorities in that country for the certificate. If so, you must send documentation of this when you apply for unemployment benefit:
- Start and end dates
- Reason for termination of employment
- Income in the last 36 months
- Working hours in the last 36 months
What countries are part of the Nordic region?
- Denmark
- Finland
- Faroe Islands
- Greenland
- Iceland
- Norway
- Sweden
- Åland
When you travel to another EEA country to look for work, you may be entitled to keep your unemployment benefit (dagpenger) from Norway for up to 3 months. In order for this to apply to you, you must have been fully unemployed and entitled to unemployment benefit for at least 4 weeks before departure.
If you are travelling with your spouse or cohabitant who found a job in another EEA country, you do not need to have been entitled to unemployment benefit for 4 weeks before departure.
What do you need to do before you leave?
If you want to receive unemployment benefit from Norway while abroad, you must apply for a PD U2 Certificate. You must send your PD U2 Certificate application before you leave Norway. We recommend that you apply no later than 4 weeks before you leave.
Application for certificate PD U2
When will you receive an answer to your application?
There is no processing time for PD U2 applications, but you will receive an answer to your application approximately 1 week before you leave.
What do you need to do after leaving Norway?
When you are in the EEA country where you will be staying, you must register as a jobseeker in that country. This means that you have to show up at the office of the employment authorities.
Your unemployment benefit from Norway will be stopped from the day you travel. Once NAV receives confirmation that you have registered with the employment authorities in the country you will be staying in, your unemployment benefit will start up again.
If you register as a jobseeker within 7 days of arrival, you will receive a back payment of your unemployment benefit from the day you left Norway. If you register later than 7 days, you will receive back payment of the unemployment benefit from the day you registered.
While receiving unemployment benefit from Norway, you must continue to follow the rules for what you must do to keep your unemployment benefit.
If you return to Norway
If you are still unemployed and return to Norway after the 3 months of your unemployment benefit from Norway have been used up, you must reapply for unemployment benefit. In this case, you must document when you returned to Norway, for example by using your plane ticket.
When applying for a job in Norway while receiving unemployment benefit from another EEA country, there are some rules for what you must do.
What do you need to do before coming to Norway?
Before coming to Norway, you must have applied for a PD U2 Certificate from the employment authorities in the EEA country where you are receiving unemployment benefit. This certificate allows you to keep your unemployment benefit while you are in Norway.
What do you need to do after you arrive in Norway?
When you arrive in Norway, you need to
- Show up at a NAV office and hand in your PD U2 Certificate. It is written on the PD U2 Certificate when the deadline is for handing it in to NAV.
- Ask the NAV office to create a Norwegian D-number for you. You need to do this as soon as possible. Remember to bring your passport.
- Register as a jobseeker at the NAV office.
After you have handed in the PD U2 Certificate, received a Norwegian D-number and registered as a jobseeker, you must
- send in your employment status form (meldekort) every 14 days.
- apply for jobs in Norway.
Remember that you must also follow the rules in the EEA country you receive unemployment benefit from.
If you have lost your job because your Norwegian employer is bankrupt, you may get an advance on wage guarantee in the form of unemployment benefit (dagpenger). You may get an advance from the wage guarantee fund for up to one month after your employer goes bankrupt. You do not have to stay in Norway while receiving the wage guarantee advance.
When the period of advance payment from the wage guarantee fund has ended, you can apply for Norwegian unemployment benefit. You must stay in Norway while receiving unemployment benefit.
Read more here about bankruptcy and wage guarantees.
How do you apply?
You should apply as soon as your employer is bankrupt. When you apply for an advance from the wage guarantee fund, you must apply for unemployment benefit. In the application, you tick a box to say you want an advance from the wage guarantee fund. You can also apply for unemployment benefit in the same application.
To know which rules apply to you, NAV will in some cases need to know your country of residence.
When NAV considers which is your country of residence, we will, among others, consider:
- How long you have worked and lived in Norway
- Whether you have had a permanent or temporary job in Norway
- If you regularly commute between Norway and your home country
- Your family situation
NAV can help you apply for a job in another EEA country
If you are applying for a job in another EEA country, NAV can help you through the EURES Cooperation.
It may also be a good idea to contact the employment authorities in the country you are moving to, and find out if they can help you apply for jobs.
In this chapter
We calculate how much unemployment benefit you can get, based on your income for the last 12 months, or the average for the last 36 months. We will apply the alternative that benefits you the most.
You may get up to 62.4 percent of your past income up to 744,168 NOK (6 G – National Insurance basic amount).
If you provide for children under the age of 18, you will get child supplement of 36 NOK per child, 5 days per week. This is a total of 180 NOK per week per child. If you provide for a child, you are entitled to child supplement even if the child does not live with you.
The child must live in Norway or another EEA country, Switzerland or Great Britain. If the child, over a period of 12 months, spends more than 90 days outside of Norway or another EEA country, Switzerland or Great Britain, you will no longer receive child supplement.
If you have been in the Norwegian military for at least 3 months, and were recently discharged, we will calculate your unemployment benefit based on an income of 355 860 NOK (3 G). If your income for the last 12 months was higher than this, you may be entitled to a higher unemployment benefit. NAV will calculate your unemployment benefit based on the income that will benefit you the most.
If you are you receiving other financial support, it may affect the amount of your unemployment benefit. You specify in the application the type of financial support you are receiving, and NAV will calculate how much your unemployment benefit will be reduced.
Remember to update your tax card
You must pay tax on the unemployment benefit you receive from NAV. You should update your tax card when your monthly payments are reduced. Read more about tax deduction on payments from NAV.
First payment
You will receive your first payment of unemployment benefit when your application is granted. The processing time for unemployment benefit is currently 6 weeks.
You will receive back payment from the day you were entitled to unemployment benefit.
We will subtract a deductible from you
When you receive unemployment benefit, NAV will subtract a deductible from you. The deductible is an amount of money, which will be the same as 3 days of unemployment benefit.
We subtract the deductible from your first payment. You will not receive unemployment benefit until we have subtracted the entire deductible.
Usually, NAV will subtract the deductible from your first unemployment benefit payment. If you work, are sick or on holiday, you may get less or no unemployment benefit payment. In this case, it may take longer for us to subtract your deductible.
If your first unemployment benefit payment is less than the deductible, we will subtract the rest of the deductible from the next payments. You will not receive unemployment benefit until we have subtracted the entire deductible.
Regular payments
Unemployment benefit is paid every 14 days. You will receive the money 1–3 business days after submitting your employment status form (meldekort).
How long your unemployment benefit period is, is decided based on your income from the last 12 months, or your average income for the last 36 months. We will apply the alternative that benefits you the most.
- If you had an income of 248,056 NOK (2 G) or more in the last 12 months, or on average for the last 36 months, you may get unemployment benefit for a period of up to 104 weeks.
- If you had an income of less than 248,056 NOK (2 G) in the last 12 months, or on average for the last 36 months, you may get unemployment benefit for a period of up to 52 weeks.
- If you have been in the Norwegian military for at least 3 months, and were recently discharged, you may get unemployment benefit for a period of up to 26 weeks.
We use the following types of income to calculate how long your unemployment benefit period will be:
- Salary
- Parental benefit
- Pregnancy benefit
- Pregnancy-related sickness benefit
Self-employment income does not count as salary.
Have you received unemployment benefit for the last 52 weeks?
If you have received unemployment benefit within the last 52 weeks, you continue on the period you were granted the last time you received unemployment benefit. For example, if you were granted an unemployment benefit period of 52 weeks, and you were unemployed or temporarily laid off for 22 weeks, you still have 30 weeks left of your unemployment benefit period.
The notice you received when your application was granted, specifies how long your unemployment benefit period is. To see how many weeks you have left, you can check the last payment notification you received.
If you have worked for 12 weeks or more since you last received unemployment benefit, NAV will do a new calculation of your unemployment benefit payment. We choose the calculation that is best for you.
Additional rules apply if you have been temporarily laid off
In any 18-month period, your employer can lay you off for a maximum of 26 weeks. For the first 15 days of the temporary lay-off period, you will receive wages from your employer. These days are in addition to the 26 weeks you can be laid off. We will stop your unemployment benefit when the 26-week period has expired. After this, you will generally receive wages from your employer again.
If you become unemployed after being laid off, you can re-apply for unemployment benefit. You will then continue on the weeks for which you were granted unemployment benefit. For example: if you received 104 weeks of unemployment benefit, you will now have up to 78 weeks remaining of your period.
If you are temporarily laid off again by the same employer within an 18-month period, you will continue with the 26-week period you can be laid off. For example: if you were temporarily laid off for 20 weeks in the last 18 months you can now be temporarily laid off for 6 weeks.
If it is more than 18 months since the last time you were temporarily laid off from the same employer, you can be temporarily laid off for up to 26 weeks.
If you are temporarily laid off by another employer, you can be temporarily laid off from that job for 26 weeks, regardless of whether you have been previously laid off or not.
If you are employed in the fisheries industry and are temporarily laid off, you are not entitled to wages for the first 15 days you are laid off. However, you can qualify for unemployment benefit from the first day you are laid off. You can receive unemployment benefit if your working hours are reduced by at least 40 percent.
You can receive unemployment benefit if you are laid off from the fisheries industry for up to 26 weeks within an 18-month period. We will stop your unemployment benefit when the 26-week period has expired.
Employers in the fisheries industry are not required to pay wages when you have received unemployment benefit when laid off for 26 weeks within the last 18 months. There are certain exceptions to this rule. Contact your employer to find out about what applies specifically to you.
Other options
More information for you who
In this chapter
You should apply 2 weeks before the last day you are entitled to salary from your employer. You may, at the earliest, receive unemployment benefit from the day you submit your application and registerer as a job seeker.
When you apply digitally, it will take about 20–30 minutes. The application is in Norwegian.
In your application, please upload documentation for the information you give NAV. If we have all the information we need when we start processing your application, you will receive an answer to your application sooner. Based on the information you provide in the application, you will be told what documents we need from you. There are some documents that most applicants must include.
Check to see what the following documents must include:
We need your employment contract to confirm information about your employment.
The employment contract must include
- what date you started your job
- your employment percentage or your agreed working hours
- agreed notice period for termination/resignation
- what date the employment ends, if you have a temporary employment contract
If you do not have an employment contract, or if your employment contract does not include all the necessary information, your employer can fill out one of the following forms.
Unemployed: "Confirmation of reason for termination/reduced hours” (NAV 04-08.03)
Temporary lay-off: "Confirmation of employment and lay-off" (NAV 04-08.04)
If you have resigned from your job or if you have been terminated, we need to know why. That is why we need the notice of resignation you have handed in to your employer, or the notice of termination your employer have given you.
Have you resigned from you job?
In that case, your notice of resignation must include
- what date you gave your employer your notice of resignation
- the reason why you resigned
If you did not hand in a written reason for your resignation to your employer, you can include the reason why you resigned in your application to NAV.
Have you been terminated from your job?
In that case, your notice of termination must include
- what date you received the notice
- the reason for your termination
If you do not have a notice of termination, or if your notice does not include all the necessary information, your employer can fill out the form "Confirmation of reason for termination/reduced hours” (NAV 04-08.03).
Has your contract expired?
If your contract has expired, we do not need a notice of resignation/termination. Your employment contract will include information about the employment ending.
If you have been fully or partially temporarily laid off, we need to know why. That is why we need the notice of temporary lay-off you received from your employer.
The notice of temporary lay-off must include
- your name
- why you were temporarily laid off
- how many percent you have been temporarily laid off (degree of lay-off)
- start and potential end date for temporary lay-off period
- what date you received the notice
The notice should also say whether there is agreement in your workplace about the temporary lay-off. If the notice does not say anything about agreement, you need to document this in another way.
How do you upload paper documents?
You can take photos of paper documents and upload these photos to your application. Make sure that the entire document is in the photo and that all text is readable. The file formats you can use are PDF, JPG or PNG. The file size must not be larger than 10 MB.
Do you not have all your documents right now?
Do you not have all the documents NAV needs right now? Submit what you have, then forward the rest of the documents later, but within 14 days. If you do not submit all documents in time, your application may be denied. If you are unable to get all the documentation you need, please contact NAV.
Processing time for applications
The processing time is the time from when we receive your application until we have made a decision. Remember that we need all the necessary documentation to process your application.
If you delay submitting documentation, it may take longer for you to receive a decision.
Case concerns | Expected case processing time |
---|---|
Application | 6 weeks |
International application in case of layoff | 6 weeks |
International - printing of certificate PD U1 | 19 weeks |
International - printing of certificate PD U2 | 4 weeks |
Processing time for complaints and appeals
Have you received a decision from us that you think is wrong? You can complain to the NAV Unit that issued the decision. They will reassess your case. If they do not agree with your complaint, they will forward it to the NAV Appeals Management Unit.
Case concerns | Expected case processing time |
---|---|
Complaint to the NAV unit | 6 weeks |
Complaint to the NAV Appeals Management Unit | 4 months |
Appeals to the NAV Appeals Management Unit | 4 months |
When your application has been processed, you will receive a text message. You can find the answer to your application by logging in to nav.no.
You will receive your first payment of unemployment benefit when your application is granted.
Submit your employment status form (meldekort) while you wait for an answer
When you have registered as a job seeker and you are waiting for your application to be processed, you must remember to submit your employment status form every 14 days. Log in to see when your next form is due.
There are several things you must do after you apply. Check to see what you must do while you wait for an answer.
Application for certificate PD U1/N-301 for use when transferring unemployment benefits
Application for certificate PD U2
Application for unemployment benefit when setting up your own business
Application to keep unemployment benefits while taking education or training
Have you received a decision from us that you think is wrong? You can complain to the NAV Unit that issued the decision. They will reassess your case. If they do not agree with your complaint, they will forward it to the NAV Appeals Management Unit.
Complain about a decision
The decision will have information about how to proceed if you want to complain, where to send your complaint and the term of complaint. If you have questions about the decision, you can contact us.
Appeal a decision
If you disagree with the decision of your complaint from the the NAV Appeals Management Unit, you can, with some exceptions, appeal the decision. The deadline for appealing is stated in the decision.
You can also use a lawyer or give a power of attorney to a person who complains on your behalf.
In this chapter
After you have submitted your application for unemployment benefit and registered as a job seeker, there are some requirements of what you must do.
To qualify for unemployment benefit, you must
- submit employment status forms (meldekort)
- be a genuine job seeker
- be available to NAV
- notify NAV of changes
Have you not applied? This is how you apply for unemployment benefit.
The employment status form (meldekort) makes it possible for NAV to calculate how much unemployment benefit you are entitled to. You have to submit your employment status form every 14 days, throughout your entire unemployment benefit period.
Remember to submit employment status forms while you wait for an answer to your application. You can log in to see when you need to send your first employment status form.
There are specific rules for how to fill out your employment status form. Read more about how to fill out an employment status form.
What happens if you do not submit your employment status form?
If you do not submit your employment status form in time, your payment will be reduced. If more than 20 days have passed since you last sent an employment status form, we will stop your unemployment benefit payment. In this case, you must reapply for unemployment benefit.
Being a genuine job seeker means that you must
- apply for jobs, go to interviews and keep your CV updated
- participate in labour market schemes, such as courses or training
- accept any kind of job, anywhere in Norway
- be able to start a new job on short notice
- be healthy enough to work at least a 50 percent job
If you are receiving unemployment benefit, you must be willing to accept any kind of job, anywhere in Norway. This means that you may have to accept a lower salary or a longer commute. You must be able to accept both full-time and part-time employment. The reason for this requirement is to increase your employment options.
You may get an exception from this requirement if you
- are over 60 years old
- have health issues
- are caring for a close family member
- have a child under 1 year old in your care
- are the sole carer for a child in 7th grade or younger, or joint carer with a parent you do not live with
- are the sole carer for a child with special needs, or joint carer with a parent you do not live with
There are other exceptions as well.
If you need an exception, include this in your application for unemployment benefit. You may be asked to provide documentation to confirm your situation.
If you are more than 50 percent on sick leave , you will no longer be entitled to unemployment benefit, but you may be entitled to sickness benefit.
When you are temporarily laid off, you may be less available to take other part-time or full-time work. The degree of layoff and how long you are laid off can limit how much you can work.
In the application for unemployment benefit, you can explain to us more about your situation.
What happens if you are not a genuine job seeker?
Your unemployment benefit payments will be stopped
If you do not follow the requirements of your agreement with NAV to seek employment, we will stop your unemployment benefit payments.
Temporary stop of unemployment benefit payments
You will lose your unemployment benefit for 18 weeks if you
- turn down job offers
- say no to participate in or withdraw from a labour market scheme
- resign from or otherwise quit your job
- are dismissed or terminated due to circumstances for which you are to blame
If this happens more than once within 12 months, you may lose your unemployment benefit for 26 weeks.
You must continue to submit employment status forms, even if you do not receive unemployment benefit payments for a period. It is very important that you continue to submit your employment status forms on time, even in this period. If you fail to do so, your unemployment benefit case may be stopped and you will need to reapply.
When you are receiving unemployment benefit, you must be available to NAV. Being available to NAV means you must respond to messages and other inquiries we send you.
What happens if you are not available to NAV?
NAV needs to be able to contact you to follow up on you as a job seeker. If we cannot reach you, we may stop your unemployment benefit payments.
Changes in your situation may affect your unemployment benefit. Therefore, it is important that you notify NAV of all changes, so that you are not paid too much or too little unemployment benefit.
Let us know by sending us a message.
When you get a new job or return to your old job, you must notify NAV about the following:
- the start date
- how much you will be working
- which employer you will be working for
Notify NAV as soon as you know when you are starting the job, to ensure that your payments are correct.
Read more about combining work with unemployment benefit.
You must notify NAV if you have turned down a job offer. Remember that when you are receiving unemployment benefit, you must be willing to accept any kind of job, anywhere in Norway.
You must tell us why you turned down the job offer. If we conclude that you did not have a valid reason for turning down the job, you will lose your unemployment benefit for 18 weeks.
If you are terminated, you must both notify NAV and send us the notice of termination you received from your employer.
If you were temporarily laid off when you were fired, you are entitled to be paid by your employer. You are entitled to receive pay from the date you received the notice of termination until the end of the notice period.
If you resign from your job, you must both notify NAV and send us your notice of resignation.
You must tell us why you resigned. If we conclude that you did not have a valid reason for resigning, you will lose your unemployment benefit for 18 weeks.
Notify NAV if your temporary lay-off changes.
If your temporary lay-off period is extended, you must send us your new notice of temporary lay-off, or other documentation from your employer.
If your employer goes bankrupt, you must both notify NAV and send us the bankruptcy notice.
If there are changes in your education, you must notify NAV.
You must notify NAV if you are on sick leave or your sick leave percentage changes.
Read more about what to do and what your rights are if you are on sick leave.
If you are going on a leave from your job, you must notify NAV. NAV considers if you are entitled to unemployment benefit while you are on leave.
If you have a child while receiving unemployment benefit, you must notify NAV. This way, you might get child supplement.
If you already have a child, and are receiving child supplement, you must notify us if:
- the child will be staying outside the EEA, Switzerland and Great Britain
you are no longer providing for the child
You must notify NAV if you are receiving a pension or other financial support from a private or other public source.
You must also notify us if you are receiving any other form of financial support from NAV.
You must notify NAV if you will be staying in an institution, such as a health care institution or prison. Your unemployment benefit payments will be stopped while you are in the institution.
If you are staying in a treatment facility, you may be entitled to sickness benefit.
If you get a new bank account number, you must update the information on My page. This ensures the benefit is paid to the correct account.
You may work while receiving unemployment benefit. How much you work will affect your payments.
If you work within 50 percent of your regular working hours, your unemployment benefit will be reduced for each hour you put on your employment status form (meldekort).
If you work more than 50 percent of your regular working hours, you will not receive any unemployment benefit.
Your regular working hours are specified in the letter you received when your application was granted.
When you receive unemployment benefit, NAV has calculated what we call “your regular working hours”.
This is calculated based on how much you worked before you became unemployed or were temporarily laid off.
If you worked regular hours for at least 6 months prior to becoming unemployed or being temporarily laid off, this will be your regular working hours. For example, if you regularly worked 37.5 hours per week, your regular working hours are 37.5 hours.
If you did not work regular hours for at least 6 months prior to becoming unemployed or being temporarily laid off, NAV will calculate your regular working hours. We add up all the hours you worked in the last 12 or 36 months, and calculate the average. In the application, select whether you prefer we calculate based on 12 or 36 months.
If your regular working hours were 30 hours per week, your regular working hours for one employment status form period (2 weeks) will be 60 hours. You may then work up to 50 percent of 60 hours in one employment status form period and still receive a reduced unemployment benefit payment.
In this case, you could for example work
- 15 hours one week and 15 hours the other week, and you would still receive a reduced unemployment benefit payment.
- 25 hours one week and 5 hours the other week, and you would still receive a reduced unemployment benefit payment.
- 30 hours one week and 0 hours the other week, and you would still receive a reduced unemployment benefit payment.
If you work more than 50 percent of your regular working hours, within one employment status form period, you will not receive any unemployment benefit.
If you are working more than 50 percent of your regular working hours on 3 employment status forms in a row, we will stop your unemployment benefit payments. We do that because it looks like you are back to work and no longer need unemployment benefit. If you need unemployment benefit again, you must reapply.
If you work for the employer who temporarily laid you off, in the same employment percentage as before, for more than 6 weeks in a row, the temporary lay-off is ended. If you get temporarily laid off again, you must receive a new notice of temporary lay-off and reapply for unemployment benefit.
Compensatory time off and free periods are not included in the calculation of these 6 weeks.
If you work for the employer who temporarily laid you off, in the same employment percentage as before, for more than 26 weeks in a row, the temporary lay-off is interrupted. If you get temporarily laid off again, you must receive a new notice of temporary lay-off and reapply for unemployment benefit.
You may work up to 60 percent of your regular working hours, and still receive a reduced unemployment benefit payment. If you work more than that, you will not receive any unemployment benefit for that employment status form period.
You must notify NAV if you get a job
If you get a job, you must notify NAV as soon as you know when you will be starting your new job. That enables us to accurately calculate your unemployment benefit. Remember to fill in all hours you work on your employment status form.
You should adjust your tax card
If you combine work with unemployment benefit, you should ask either your employer or NAV to use the percentage section of your tax card. We recommend doing this so you avoid paying too little in taxes.
Do you want to start your own business?
When you are receiving unemployment benefit, you may apply to keep your unemployment benefit for up to 12 months while starting your own business. This means you can work on your business without it affecting your unemployment benefit payments.
If you do not have all the documents you need when submitting your application, you can forward the remaining ones as soon as possible.
To qualify for unemployment benefit while starting a business, all of the following must apply to your situation:
- The business must be new.
- It must be possible for you to eventually earn a living through your business.
- You must own more than 50 percent of the business, either on your own or together with others who are also receiving unemployment benefit.
- If you lost your job in the last 6 months, your own actions cannot be the reason why you lost your job.
Are you unsure if this applies to you? Submit an application, and we will assess whether you are entitled to unemployment benefit while starting your own business.
If you want to start your own business while receiving unemployment benefit, you should apply as soon as possible. This is because the starting of the business can only be approved from the day when the processing of your application is completed. If you work on your business before it has been approved, these work hours will lead to a reduction in your unemployment benefit payment.
To apply for unemployment benefit while starting your own business, you must:
- Submit an evaluation of start-up plans with your application. Contact your NAV office for information on where to get such an assessment.
- Notify NAV of the fact that you want to start your own business while receiving unemployment benefit.
- Submit your application for starting your own business.
Application for unemployment benefit when setting up your own business
Evaluation of start-up plans
Are you not currently receiving unemployment benefit? Remember to also apply for unemployment benefit when you want to start your own business while receiving unemployment benefit.
When you are starting a business while receiving unemployment benefit, there are special rules for filling out the employment status form. Read more about the rules for filling out the employment status form.
Normally, you will not receive unemployment benefit during travels abroad. If you need to travel abroad as part of starting your business, you can apply to keep your unemployment benefit during your trip. Your application must be approved before you travel.
You apply by writing to us.
When you receive unemployment benefit, you can take education or training at the same time. Not all types of education or training are eligible to combine with unemployment benefit (dagpenger), and you can read more below about the rules that apply.
You must apply to combine unemployment benefit with education or training.
Are you not currently receiving unemployment benefit? Remember, you must also apply for unemployment benefit if you wish to get an education or be in training while receiving unemployment benefit.
You must document the education or training you will participate in. If you do not have all the documentation you need when you apply, you can forward these documents within 14 days.
You may combine unemployment benefit and education, even if you receive support from the Norwegian State Education Loan Fund (Lånekassen). Check to see Lånekassen’s limit on how much you can receive in benefits.
When should you apply?
You should apply before you start your education or training. The processing time is currently 6 weeks.
If the education is approved, you can get an education at the same time you receive unemployment benefit.
If the education is not approved, you have two options:
- NAV will stop your unemployment benefit, and you begin your education or training.
- You keep your unemployment benefit but do notstart your education or training.
You choose the alternative that suits you best in the application.
Application to keep unemployment benefits while taking education or training
Are you starting your education before receiving a response to your application?
Please note that if you start an education or training before receiving a response to your application, NAV will stop your unemployment benefit payments. Read more about what applies in your situation:
If you start your education beforereceiving a response to your application, we will temporarily stop your unemployment benefit payments until you have received a response to your application.
If your education is approved, you will receive post-payment of unemployment benefit for the period your application was being processed.
If your education is not approved, we will stop your unemployment benefit payments completely, and you will not receive any post-payment. If you want to receive unemployment benefit, you must end your education and re-apply for unemployment benefit.
You will not receive unemployment benefit before we have approved your education.
If your education is approved, you can get your education while receiving unemployment benefit.
If your education is not approved, you will not receive unemployment benefit. If you want to receive unemployment benefit, you must end your education and re-apply for unemployment benefit.
What type of education are you getting?
The rules for getting an education or training while receiving unemployment benefit differ, based on the type of education or training you will get.
In order to be entitled to combine unemployment benefit with primary school (barneskole) and lower secondary school (ungdomsskole), or upper secondary school (videregående skole), you must meet the following criteria:
- You must have been fully unemployed or fully temporarily laid off on the date you were granted unemployment benefit. If you are an on-call temporary worker, you are not considered fully unemployed.
- You must be at least 25 years old.
- It needs to be at least 12 weeks since the date you were granted unemployment benefit. This date is stated in your decision letter.
There are some exceptions
- If you are at least 25 years old but have not completed primary -, lower secondary - or upper secondary school, there is no need for 12 weeks to have passed since the date you were granted unemployment benefit.
- If you started school at least 12 weeks before the date you were granted unemployment benefit, you do not need to be 25 years old or older. Nor do 12 weeks need to have passed since the decision to grant you unemployment benefit was made.
How long can you combine school with unemployment benefit?
You may combine unemployment benefit with primary -, lower secondary - and upper secondary school for up to one unemployment benefit period.
If you are granted a new unemployment benefit period, you must re-apply to combine unemployment benefit with education or training.
In order to be entitled to combine unemployment benefit with vocational college (fagskole), you must meet the following criteria:
- You must have been fully unemployed or fully temporarily laid off on the date you were granted unemployment benefit. If you are an on-call temporary worker, you are not considered fully unemployed.
- You must be at least 25 years old.
- It needs to be at least 12 weeks since the date you were granted unemployment benefit. This date is stated in your decision letter.
There are some exceptions
If you started school at least 12 weeks before the date you were granted unemployment benefit
- you do not need to be 25 years or older
- it is not necessary for 12 weeks to have passed since the decision to grant you unemployment benefit was made.
How long can you combine vocational college with unemployment benefit?
You may combine unemployment benefit with vocational college for up to one unemployment benefit period.
If you are granted a new unemployment benefit period, you must re-apply to combine unemployment benefit with education or training.
In order to be entitled to combine unemployment benefit with education at university or university college (høyskole), you must meet the following criteria:
- You must have been fully unemployed or fully temporarily laid off on the date you were granted unemployment benefit. If you are an on-call temporary worker, you are not considered fully unemployed.
- You must be at least 30 years old.
- It needs to be at least 12 weeks since the date you were granted unemployment benefit. This date is stated in your decision letter.
- The education must grant credits (studiepoeng), but no more than 15 credits per half year.
There are some exceptions
If you started the education at least 12 weeks before the date you were granted unemployment benefit
- you do not need to be 30 years or older
- it is not necessary for 12 weeks to have passed since the decision to grant you unemployment benefit was made.
How long can you combine education with unemployment benefit?
You can combine unemployment benefit with education at university or university college for up to 12 months during one unemployment benefit period.
You may be entitled to unemployment benefit if you interrupt your work on a doctorate degree, have submitted your doctorate thesis, or if the regulations for getting a higher education in combination with unemployment benefit are met.
Have you not submitted your doctorate thesis and are still receiving salary?
As a main rule, you are not entitled to unemployment benefit while you are working on your doctorate thesis.
Have you interrupted your work on your doctorate thesis?
If you interrupt your work on your doctorate thesis, you may be entitled to unemployment benefit. In your application for unemployment benefit, you must enclose a confirmation from your student advisor that you are not working on your doctorate degree.
Have you completed your research fellowship period, but continue working on your thesis?
As a main rule, you are not entitled to unemployment benefit, but you can still send an application. Notify NAV that you are still working on your doctorate thesis when you apply for unemployment benefit.
Have you submitted your thesis, but not carried out your trial lecture or disputation?
If you have submitted your doctorate thesis and concluded all work on the thesis, you may be entitled to receive unemployment benefit until 2 weeks before you hold your first trial lecture.
Notify NAV in good time before you hold your trial lecture and disputation.
Starting 2 weeks before your first trial lecture, and lasting until the day for your disputation, you are not entitled to unemployment benefit. When you have completed the disputation, you may be entitled unemployment benefit again.
You must enter absence on your employment status form for the 2 weeks before your first trial lecture, and until the day for your disputation.
Have you completed your trial lecture and disputation, but are unemployed?
When you have completed your doctorate degree you may be entitled to unemployment benefit if you are still unemployed.
To have the right to combine unemployment benefit with courses or other types of training, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must have been fully unemployed or fully temporarily laid off on the date you were granted unemployment benefit. If you are an on-call temporary worker, you are not considered fully unemployed.
- You must be at least 25 years old.
- It needs to be at least 12 weeks since the date you were granted unemployment benefit. This date is stated in your decision letter.
There are some exceptions
If you started the course or education at least 12 weeks before the date on which you were granted unemployment benefit
- You do not need to be 25 years or older
- it is not necessary for 12 weeks to have passed since the decision to grant you unemployment benefit was made.
How long can you combine courses or training with unemployment benefit?
The course or training can maximum equal 3 months of full-time education. You can take a course part-time, or one that is divided into blocks. If the course is part of a longer education, NAV will look at the total length of the education.
Education in Norwegian language and social studies must be approved and follow the curriculum for Norwegian language and social studies for adult immigrants.
How long can you combine education with unemployment benefit?
You may be entitled to combine unemployment benefit with education for up to 1 year. The education can be divided into blocks that together correspond to 1 year.
In special cases, you can request an extended period to complete the education.
If you participate in the introduction programme according to the Integration Act, you may be entitled to combine unemployment benefit with participation in the introduction programme.
Follow-up from NAV when you are getting an education
You will receive an education plan from NAV. We make this based on the information you give in your application. The education plan contains a plan, a goal and specifications of the education or training you are getting.
If there are significant deviations from the education plan without reasonable grounds, you may no longer be entitled to combine unemployment benefit with education or training, for a period of 6 months. Significant deviations can for example be extensive absences, or that you do not submit agreed assignments.
You must enter education and training on your employment status form (meldekort)
You must enter education on your employment status form from the start date of your training or education. You need to send employment status forms for the entire period you are a student or participate in training.
If you take college courses, your start date is the day you register.
If you take courses at university or university college, your start date is the same as the official semester start for your place of study.
You must continue to seek work
To have the right to receive unemployment benefit you must continue to be a genuine job seeker. If you are completing primary -, lower secondary - or upper secondary school, you do not need to accept work that you cannot combine with your education.
The main rule is that you must stay in Norway to qualify for unemployment benefit. The reason is that you must be able to start a new job, attend meetings, or participate in labour market schemes. If you go on holiday or are otherwise absent, you will normally not receive unemployment benefit. If you are absent only on Saturday and Sunday, this will not affect your unemployment benefit payments.
You can read about the rules for EEA and unemployment benefit.
Can you travel abroad?
If you travel abroad on holiday, you will not receive unemployment benefit for the days you are gone.
However, if you are travelling to an EEA country to attend a job interview, you may still receive unemployment benefit. You must notify NAV before you travel. If you are attending a job interview, you can stay in the EEA country for up to three days.
If you move abroad to apply for jobs there, you can in some cases keep the Norwegian unemployment benefit for up to 3 months.
Can you travel in Norway?
You can travel anywhere you want in Norway while receiving unemployment benefit, as long as you are a genuine job seeker and stay available to NAV.
Any days when you are not available to NAV or not a genuine job seeker, will be considered as holiday or absence. You will not receive unemployment benefit for these days.
When you are receiving unemployment benefit, you must be available to NAV. Being available to NAV means you must respond to messages and other inquiries we send you.
What must you do if you are going on holiday or will be absent?
If you are going on holiday or will otherwise be absent, you must remember to include this on your employment status form (meldekort). You can read more about how to fill out your employment status form.
Holiday supplement with unemployment benefit
You do not need to apply for holiday supplement, as this is something NAV considers automatically.
If you qualify for holiday supplement, we will calculate how much you will get, and we will send you a letter about this.
Will you get holiday supplement?
To qualify for holiday supplement this year, you need to have received unemployment benefit for more than 8 weeks for last year.
You may have received unemployment benefit last year which was meant for 2022 or earlier. In this case, this payment will not be considered when NAV determines if you have received unemployment benefit for more than 8 weeks.
When will you get your holiday supplement?
As a main rule, you will get your holiday supplement in June 2024.
If you are getting holiday supplement, you will have the money within 1-2 days after receiving the decision letter.
How much do you get?
The holiday supplement is 9,5 percent of all the unemployment benefit payments you received last year.
This is included:
- unemployment benefit you received for 2023
This is not included:
- holiday supplement for previous years
- other financial support from NAV
- salary from your employer
- wage guarantee funds
Updated 10/02/2024
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