Maternity, paternity and parental leave in Norway
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Parents in Norway share 49 weeks of parental benefit (foreldrepenger) at 100% of pay, or 61 weeks and 1 day at 80%, with 15 weeks (19 at 80%) reserved for each parent, for children born from July 1, 2024, according to NAV (checked October 18, 2026). NAV pays it on income up to 6G, which it states as NOK 819,294 a year, about $86,780 at the ECB rate of October 16, 2026.
NAV pays the benefit; the employer's part is a digital income report (inntektsmelding) sent to NAV. Your budget question is mostly about covering a long absence, not about paying for it.
Foreldrepenger is Norway's parental benefit, paid by NAV to replace income while a parent is on leave after a birth or adoption.
- Maternity leave
- 18 weeksAt 100%: 3 weeks before birth + 15-week mother's...
- Paternity leave
- 15 weeks at 100% or 19 weeks...Foreldrepenger from NAV on income up to 6G (NOK...
- Annual leave
- 25 daysWorking days (weekdays and Saturdays count
On this page
How the 49 or 61 weeks are split
The family picks a coverage level, 100% or 80%, and the total length follows from it:
| Part | At 100% | At 80% |
|---|---|---|
| Before the birth (mother) | 3 weeks | 3 weeks |
| Mother's quota (mødrekvote) | 15 weeks | 19 weeks |
| Father's or co-mother's quota | 15 weeks | 19 weeks |
| Shared period (fellesperiode) | 16 weeks | 20 weeks 1 day |
| Total | 49 weeks | 61 weeks 1 day |
Source: NAV, Foreldrepenger, checked Oct 18, 2026. 3 + 15 + 15 + 16 = 49; 3 + 19 + 19 + 20 weeks 1 day = 61 weeks 1 day.
The mother's benefit period opens with 3 weeks before the due date, and 15 days of those are reserved for her and must be taken before the birth. She can start up to 12 weeks early, which leaves fewer weeks after the birth. For children born before July 1, 2024, the shared period was 16 weeks at 100% and 18 at 80%.
Leave rules in Norway at a glance
| Leave | Rule and pay | Who pays | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maternity | 18 weeks. At 100%: 3 weeks before birth + 15-week mother's quota = 18 weeks (at 80%: 3 + 19 = 22 weeks). Norway has no separate maternity leave: these are the mother's own weeks of foreldrepenger (parental benefit), and she can also take part of the shared period. Parents share 49 weeks at 100% or 61 weeks 1 day at 80% (one child, both parents eligible, born from July 1, 2024). Of the 3 weeks before birth, 15 days are reserved for the mother. NAV pays on income up to 6G (NOK 819,294); the employer sends NAV a digital income report (inntektsmelding). | social security (NAV) | source |
| Paternity | 15 weeks at 100% or 19 weeks at 80% (father's or co-mother's quota). Foreldrepenger from NAV on income up to 6G (NOK 819,294 a year) | source | |
| Parental (shared) | Foreldrepenger for one child, both parents eligible, born from July 1, 2024: 49 weeks at 100% or 61 weeks 1 day at 80% = 3 weeks before birth (mother) + mother's quota 15/19 weeks + father's or co-mother's quota 15/19 weeks + shared period (fellesperiode) 16 weeks / 20 weeks 1 day. The mother must meet an activity requirement when the father or co-mother takes shared-period weeks. Shared period for children born before July 1, 2024: 16 weeks at 100%, 18 at 80%. Qualifying: income in at least 6 of the 10 months before the benefit starts and annual income of at least half of G (NOK 68,275). Source: NAV, https://www.nav.no/foreldrepenger |
Norway has no separate maternity leave
What US readers call maternity leave is, in Norway, the 3 weeks before the birth plus the mother's 15-week quota, plus whatever share of the 16-week common period she takes. A mother who takes the whole common period at 100% is away for 34 weeks. If the father or co-mother takes weeks from the shared period, the mother must meet NAV's activity requirement, for example work or full-time education.
Paternity leave: the father's quota
The father or co-mother has a reserved quota of 15 weeks at 100% (19 at 80%). When only the father or co-mother has the right to benefit, 10 weeks can be taken without an activity requirement for children born on or after August 2, 2024. A Norwegian father on your team can be away for 15 weeks or more.
Who qualifies, and what 6G means for high earners
To receive foreldrepenger the parent needs income in at least 6 of the 10 months before the benefit starts, annual income of at least half of G (NOK 68,275) and membership of the National Insurance Scheme (folketrygden).
NAV replaces pay only up to 6G, NOK 819,294. Our sample NOK 380,000 salary (about $40,250) sits well under it, so that employee is fully covered at the chosen rate. A senior hire on NOK 1,000,000 would get benefit on NOK 819,294 only, unless the contract or a collective agreement adds more.
The employer's costs around the leave
Holiday entitlement is 25 working days a year (Saturdays count), with an extra week for employees who turn 60. Holiday pay is 10.2% of the previous year's earnings, or 12% where the collective agreement's fifth week applies. Employer national insurance is 14.1% in zone I. A mandatory occupational pension (OTP) comes on top, which our cost data puts at a minimum of 2% of pay above 1G, a rate not yet confirmed on an official page; the Norway employer cost guide works through both. Pay floors in Norway are sector rates, set out under Norwegian minimum wages, and average income in Norway gives the pay context.
We did not confirm the employer's sick pay period or the public holiday count on an official page this month, so they are left out here.
Norwegian parental leave with an EOR
The EOR is the employer NAV deals with: it files the inntektsmelding, stops or adjusts salary for the leave weeks and restarts payroll on the return. If you want to top up a high earner above 6G, agree that in the contract and confirm the EOR will run it.
Listed EOR fees run from $99 (Native Teams, whose help center says EUR 99) to $699 (Oyster) per employee per month (cost index by country); Deel lists $599. Prices checked October 16, 2026. Compare providers on our EOR rankings, and see how Sweden's 480-day system differs.
Related: what EOR providers charge.
Frequently asked questions
How long is maternity leave in Norway?
How long is paternity leave in Norway?
What is Norway's parental leave policy?
Who pays maternity benefits in Norway?
Who qualifies for parental benefit in Norway?
Sources (7)
- NAV (Norwegian Labor and Welfare Administration): Foreldrepenger (parental benefit) (checked Oct 18, 2026)
- Deel: Deel pricing page (EOR $599 per employee per month) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- European Central Bank: Euro foreign exchange reference rates, October 16, 2026 (checked Oct 18, 2026)
- Native Teams: Pricing (checked Oct 18, 2026)
- Native Teams: Pricing plans, features, benefits and how they work (help center) (checked Oct 18, 2026)
- Arbeidstilsynet, minimum wage: Arbeidstilsynet, minimum wage (checked October 18, 2026)
- Arbeidstilsynet, holiday: Arbeidstilsynet, holiday (checked October 18, 2026)
This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Rules and rates change, so check the official source linked above before you file or sign a contract. Read our disclaimer.