Can I decide my own holiday in Norway?
You have a statutory right to holiday, but the employer generally decides when. Under the Holidays Act you have a right to at least 25 working days (4 weeks plus 1 day) each year; the 5 weeks many people talk about come from a collective agreement — not from the law. Holiday pay is 10.2% of last year's salary (12% for those with five weeks), and it is not a bonus but pay you already earned the year before. That is why new employees with nothing earned can end up on unpaid holiday in their first year. You have a right to 3 continuous weeks of main holiday between 1 June and 30 September. The employer must discuss the holiday with you in advance, but sets the timing. From the year you turn 60 you get an extra week.
📋 The rules
- At least 25 working days of holiday (4 weeks + 1 day)
- Holiday pay: 10.2% of last year's salary (12% at 5 weeks)
- Right to 3 continuous weeks of main holiday 1 June–30 Sept
- The employer must discuss the holiday in advance
- From the year you turn 60: an extra week of holiday
🔓 Exceptions
- A collective agreement can give more days or a different summer window
- New employees without earned holiday pay can have unpaid holiday the first year
- The employer can change set holiday for unforeseen events
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The Holidays Act carries no fine — it is a rights law, and a breach ends up as a money claim. If the employer refuses you the holiday you are entitled to, you can claim compensation, and the dispute can go to the courts. The commonest money problem is holiday pay: it is paid the year after it is earned, and at the end of an employment all of it must be settled. If it is not paid out, it can be claimed with interest. The employer can also change a fixed holiday if something unforeseen happens — the right to holiday does not vanish, but the timing can move.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
How many holiday days am I entitled to?
At least 25 working days, that is four weeks plus one day. The five weeks many people talk about come from a collective agreement or an individual deal with the employer, not from the Holidays Act — without an agreement, 25 working days is the minimum.
Can I choose when I take holiday?
Not freely. You have a right to three continuous weeks of main holiday between 1 June and 30 September, but it is the employer who sets the timing, after discussing the holiday with you in advance.
How much is the holiday pay?
10.2% of last year's holiday-pay basis, or 12% for those with five weeks of holiday. Holiday pay is not an addition to your salary but pay you earned the year before, and it is paid instead of ordinary salary during the holiday.
Do I get extra holiday as I get older?
Yes. From the year you turn 60 you have a right to an extra week of holiday on top of the 25 working days. The right applies from the calendar year in which you turn 60, not only from your birthday itself.
Can the employer refuse my summer holiday?
Not entirely. You have a right to three continuous weeks between June and September, but the employer decides exactly when they fall, and can also change a fixed holiday if something unforeseen happens.
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