Am I allowed parental leave in Norway?
Yes — you have a right to parental leave with parental benefit from NAV. You can choose between 49 weeks at full pay (100%) or 59 weeks at 80% pay. The leave is split in three: a mother quota and father quota of 15 weeks each, and a shared period you divide yourselves. The quotas are personal — if one parent does not take their 15 weeks, they can only in special cases be transferred to the other. To be entitled to parental benefit you must have worked at least six of the last ten months. Parental benefit is capped at 6 times the base amount (6G), so if you earn more, your full salary is not covered unless the employer pays the difference. A parent who has not earned the right gets a lump-sum grant instead.
📋 The rules
- Choose 49 weeks at 100% or 59 weeks at 80% pay
- Mother quota and father quota: 15 weeks each
- The shared period you divide yourselves
- Requirement: worked 6 of the last 10 months
- Parental benefit capped at 6G
🔓 Exceptions
- A parent who has not earned the right can get a lump-sum grant instead
- Single parents can take the whole period themselves
- The quotas can in special cases be transferred between parents
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Parental leave is a right, not something the employer can refuse, and the sanctions land on the employer — not on you. An employer who discriminates against, passes over or dismisses someone because of parental leave breaches the Working Environment Act and the Equality Act, and can have to pay compensation for financial loss and for the harm caused. The financial trap for you is a different one: the 6G cap means a high salary is not fully covered by NAV, and a quota that goes unused is generally lost rather than passing to the other parent.
📎 Official sources
- NAV · Parental benefit →
- National Insurance Act ch. 14 · Lovdata →
- Working Environment Act · Lovdata →
❓ Frequently asked
How long is parental leave?
You can choose 49 weeks at 100% pay or 59 weeks at 80% pay. The choice applies to the whole benefit period, and parental benefit is capped at 6 times the base amount either way.
How much are the mother and father quotas?
15 weeks each. The rest is a shared period you divide yourselves, while the quotas are personal and can only in special cases be transferred between parents — if one parent does not use their quota, those weeks are generally lost.
What is the requirement for parental benefit?
You must have worked at least six of the last ten months before the leave begins. If you do not meet the earning requirement you get no parental benefit, but you can apply for the lump-sum grant from NAV instead.
What is the cap on parental benefit?
Parental benefit is capped at 6 times the base amount. If you earn more than 6G, NAV does not cover your full salary unless the employer makes up the difference — and the cap applies whether you choose 49 or 59 weeks.
What if I have not earned the right?
Then you can get a lump-sum grant from NAV instead, a fixed amount paid once. The right to the leave itself from your job is not the same as the right to parental benefit — it is your work record that decides the money.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “am I allowed parental leave norway”
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- “lump sum grant parents”