You can read further information about sickness benefits here if you believe you may have the right to it, and you can also contact us if you are uncertain.

You can have the right to receive sickness benefits if, for example, you receive unemployment benefit.

In general, you will not earn a new right to sickness benefits as long as you receive AAP.

Sickness benefits from a full-time position

If you had the right to sick pay from a full-time position you must normally use up the right to sick pay before you can receive AAP. This applies regardless of whether you are an employee, self-employed or unemployed. 

If the basis for sick pay is less than NOK 248,056, you can however choose between sickness benefits and AAP. NOK 248,056 is 2 times the basic sum in the national insurance system. 

Sickness benefits from a part-time position 

You can have the right to receive both sickness benefits and reduced AAP at the same time if you receive sickness benefits from a part-time position. To be connsidered for this, you must apply for both benefits. 

If your reduced work capability is due to an accepted occupational injury or occupational illness, it is sufficient that your work capability is reduced by at least 30%.

For those who have an occupational injury or occupational illness accepted by Nav, it is sufficient that you are a member of the national insurance scheme.

Read more about occupational injury and occupational illness.

If you are between 62 and 67 years of age when you apply, you must generally have had NOK  124,028 in pensionable income in the year before your work capability was reduced. This corresponds to the basic sum in the national insurance system. Nav can make exceptions.

There are two exceptions from the main rule regarding 5 years membership in the national insurance scheme. These apply if you have been a member for at least 1 year continuously before you apply for AAP.

Exception A:

You were a member of the national insurance scheme when your work capability was reduced and you have been a member for longer, or for just as long as you have not been a member after you reached the age of 16.

Exception B:

From the age of 16 you have had less than 5 years in total when you have not been a member of the national insurance scheme.

If you have worked in another country and earned national insurance membership there, it is possible that this time can be included as if it was national insurance membership in the Norwegian scheme. This only applies if Norway has an agreement with the relevant country. Norway has this type of agreement with, among others, EU/EEA countries. See with which countries Norway has a national insurance agreement.

You can have the right to receive AAP according to the general rules even if you are a student. If you have the right to receive sickness benefit from Lånekassen (Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund) you must use up this right before you can receive AAP.

You can also have the right to receive AAP if you, as a student or pupil in further education, have had to give up your studies completely due to illness or injury, and:

• the study or the further education programme is approved for support from Lånekassen.
• it is likely that you can return to your studies within 6 months.

It is not a requirement that:

• your work capability is reduced regarding any form of work
• you require other initiatives than medical treatment

When you apply for AAP you must document that:

• your studies have been interrupted (you can obtain documentation from the school/college)
• your study programme is approved for a study loan (you can obtain documentation from Lånekassen)

When you receive AAP as a student, you will not normally receive follow-up from Nav; however, you must submit employment status forms.

If you receive a loan or an allowance from Lånekassen, you do not have the right to AAP in the period you have the right to receive sickness allowance.

If you have applied for disability benefit, you can receive AAP for up to 8 months while you are waiting for a response.  You must have agreed with your adviser that you will apply for disability benefit.

In contrast to regular AAP, it is not necessary that you require treatment or other assistance from Nav, for example work-oriented activities. You will not normally receive follow-up from Nav; however, you must submit employment status forms.

You can receive AAP for up to 6 months if we assess that your illness or injury will be short-term. We call this “AAP as a replacement for sickness benefits”

This applies to those who:

• have not earned the right to sickness benefits
• have at least 50% reduced work capability due to illness or injury
• are likely to get well within 6 months.
• have previously received either sick pay, AAP or AAP and thereafter parental benefit.

In contrast to regular AAP, it is not necessary that you require treatment or other assistance from Nav, for example work-oriented activities. You will not normally receive follow-up from Nav; however, you must submit employment status forms.

If you are not sure whether you have earned a new right to sick pay, you can contact us.

If you are a jobseeker, you can continue to receive AAP for up to 6 months after your work capability has been finally determined. You can work up to 60% during this period. Note: You must continue to submit employment status forms.

You must re-apply for AAP.

• If it is less than 52 weeks since you last received AAP, you must continue in your previous period of AAP.
• If it is more than 52 weeks since you last received AAP, we will re-assess your case according to the general rules.

After parental benefit, you can have the right to AAP  again.

If you are going directly from parental benefit to AAP, you can continue with your previous AAP without applying. In such case, you must contact Nav before the last payment of parental benefit. If you wish to receive child supplement it is important that you also notify us.

If you have had, or will have, a break between parental benefit and AAP, you must apply for AAP again.

• If it is less than 52 weeks since you last received parental benefit, you will be able to continue in the same AAP period as before. In such case, it is sufficient that your work capability is reduced by 40%.
• If it is more than 52 weeks since you last received parental benefit, we will re-assess your case according to the general rules.

Consider how early you need to contact us or submit your application, taking into account case processing times.

As a starting point, we take 66% of your income before your work capability was reduced. We consider your pensionable earnings before your work capability was reduced by at least 50%. 

For most people, this is the income in the last calendar year before you went off sick. We use either 

• the income you had in the last year before you went off sick and your work capability was reduced by at least 50%, 

or 

• an average of the income you had in the last three years before you went off sick and your work capability was reduced by at least 50%,  

Note that annual income of more than NOK 744,168 is not included in calculations of AAP. This corresponds to 6 times the average of the basic amount in the national insurance system (6G). 

If you have had little or no income before your work capability was reduced by at least 50%, you will in any case be able to receive a minimum annual benefit. We call this the minimum rate. 

Exactly how much you are paid as a minimum rate will depend on your age: 

• If you are aged 25 or older, the minimum rate is NOK 253,141 per year, which is 2.041 times the basic sum in the national insurance system. 

• If you are under 25 years of age, the minimum rate is NOK 168,761 per year, which is 2/3 of 2.041G (the basic sum in the national insurance system). From and including the day you reach the age of 25, payment will be adjusted upwards to NOK 253,141, which is. 2.041 times the basic sum in the national insurance system.  

If you have an income that gives you a lower calculation basis than the minimum rate, we will increase the calculation basis to the minimum rate.

If you receive AAP due to an approved occupational injury or occupational illness, we will use the income you had at the time of the onset of the injury/illness. We only do this if this gives you a higher calculation basis.

If you provide for children under 18 years of age, you can receive a child supplement of NOK 36 per child, per day.

You can receive child supplement for:

• your own children
• adopted children
• children for whom you are obliged to pay support, even if you do not pay support at the moment
• foster children who you have provided for in the last 2 years. (Nav can allow an exception from the requirement for 2 years of care if the foster arrangement is expected to be for 2 years or more, for example if you receive child benefit for the child).

If you are a citizen of Norway, the EU/EEA or Switzerland

You may have the right to receive child supplement if the child lives in Norway, the EU/EEA area or Switzerland.

If your child lives outside of these areas for more than 90 days in a 12-month period, you lose the right to receive child supplement.

You must notify us if your child lives or will live outside of Norway, the EU/EEA area or Switzerland for more than 90 days in a 12-month period.

If you are not a citizen of Norway, EU/EEA or Switzerland

You may have the right to receive child supplement if the child lives in one of the Nordic countries.

You must notify us if the child lives or will live outside of the Nordic countries.

Holiday pay and bonuses from employers do not affect your AAP.

If you have received severance pay or redundancy package from an employer, AAP will be reduced by the same amount.  

Remember that you must notify us if your work situation changes.

If you receive both AAP and disability benefit, your disability benefit will be reduced as long as you receive AAP.

You must apply for disability benefit yourself. You can contact the occupational pension scheme for further information.

In general, you can receive AAP for up to 3 years.

How long you receive AAP will depend on how long you are in work-oriented activity or under medical treatment before you can work.

When your AAP period is approaching the end, we will assess whether you can be granted an extension of up to 2 years. You do not need to apply for an extension. If we require additional information about you, we will contact you.

You may have the right to an extension in the following situations:

• You are already working and are close to being able to increase your work capacity. You must be able to achieve a work capacity of more than 50%

or

• You are close to being able to get a job, or returning to work. You must be able to achieve a work capacity of more than 50%

or

• You are about to complete a training initiative you have started. In such case, you do not have to achieve a work capacity of more than 50%.

If you do not have the right to an extension after 3 years, or have used up your extension, you can apply for a new period with AAP.

You must still have reduced work capability of at least 50% due to illness or injury, and require treatment, initiatives or other follow-up from us to return to work.

If you already receive AAP, you can apply to keep it when you are setting up your own business.

You can keep AAP in a development phase for up to 6 months and in a start-up phase for up to 3 months.

You must apply before starting up your business and you must complete a form for professional evaluation of your setup plans.

If any information is missing, we will ask you, your personal doctor or others to provide further information. If we have requested the necessary documentation, but we do not receive it, you run the risk of your application being rejected. We will not reject your application without first notifying you that some information is missing.

When we process your application, we need to know details of your education and work experience. You should therefore register and update your CV at arbeidsplassen.no at the same time you submit your application. This also applies to those who intend to return to their employer.

Letter regarding work ability assessment

Your adviser will evaluate and discuss your job possibilities with you. This is called a “work ability assessment”. Read more about how we carry out a work ability assessment.

If you have any comments regarding the work ability assessment we have carried out, you can give us feedback, for example via the dialogue service in your activity plan.

Decision regarding follow-up from Nav (14a decision)

A follow-up decision is an assessment by us about what type of help you require to get a job or return to work. This decision does not concern financial matters.

The follow-up decision concerns:

• Your opportunities and anything that hinders you from finding income-earning work.
• Your need for work-oriented activities
• Goals in connection with these activities
• What Nav can contribute with

The follow-up decision contains one of the following conclusions:

• You can return to work without any assistance from us
• You can return to work with some assistance from us
• You can return to work with a lot of assistance from us
• Your opportunities for income-earning work are small

If you cannot complete an agreed activity due to short-term illness, you still have the right to receive AAP. You can report illness in your employment status form.

If you cannot take part in an initiative or other activity for a long period due to illness, you must contact us. We will consider whether your activity plan needs to be changed.

If you do not attend agreed meetings or arranged activities, initiatives or treatment, this can mean that:

• you lose your place on the initiative or program
• your payments may be reduced
• we can stop your AAP

If you cannot take part in an agreed activity, you must contact us.

If you believe you have been paid too much AAP, you must notify us. We will consider:

• whether you have actually been paid too much
• whether you need to repay an amount, and in such case how much

If you believe you have received too little, you should check whether

• you have sent in your employment status form
• you have completed the employment status form correctly
• you submitted the employment status form after the deadline
• deductions have been made, for example by a creditor, or due to payment of child maintenance
• your tax deductions are correct
• Nav has your correct bank account number. Log in and check which account number is registered

If you still have any questions regarding your payments, you can contact us.

You must notify us if there are changes in your job, for example:

• You get a new job, either full-time or part-time
• You begin to work more
• You begin to work less
• You lose your job or are laid off

You must notify us if there are changes in your health situation, for example:

• You become well, completely or partially
• You stop taking part in any agreed activities or treatment
• You are admitted to a hospital or institution

If you are in a hospital or institution for more than 3 months, and you receive free food and accommodation, we will normally reduce your AAP by 50%. However, we will not reduce your AAP if:

• you provide for a spouse or have the right to receive child supplement, or
• you have regular and necessary expenses for housing.

When you receive AAP and provide for children, you also have the right to receive child supplement. You must notify us if:

• You become responsible for additional or fewer children.
• You apply for parental benefit or a lump-sum grant

You can apply for child supplement 3 months back in time. Therefore you must submit an application within 3 months after you have responsibility for a child.

You must notify us if the child has been outside of Norway, the EEA or Switzerland for more than 90 days within the last 12 months, or if the child will be outside of Norway, EEA or Switzerland in the coming 12 months.

If you are a citizen of a country outside of the EU/EEA or Switzerland, you must notify us if the child lives or will live outside of the Nordic countries.

You must notify us if you receive severance pay or redundancy pay from your employer.

You will lose the right to AAP if:

• you are held in custody, or
• serve a sentence in a penal institution

If you work for an employer outside of the prison, you can receive AAP; however, you must still notify us of your situation.

You must submit a new application to receive AAP again after your sentence or time in custody is completed. Remember that you must obtain a confirmation that you have been released. You must send this to us.

If you believe you have received too little or been paid too much, or payment is missing, you must check if

• you have sent in your employment status form
• you have completed the employment status form correctly
• you submitted your previous employment status form late
• deductions have been made, for example by a creditor, or due to payment of child maintenance
• your tax deductions are correct.
• Nav has your correct bank account number. Log in and check which account number is registered.

If you still have any questions regarding your payments, you can contact us, so that we can check

• if you have actually been paid too much
• if you need to repay an amount, and in such case how much

Therefore it is important that you monitor your payment schedule.

If you are close to being able to begin in full employment, it can be possible for you to work up to 80%, without losing your AAP. You must first agree on this with your adviser.

This period can continue for up to 12 months.

If you receive work assessment allowance due to an accepted occupational injury or occupational illness, you can work up to 70%.

You can apply to keep AAP while you are setting up your new business. You can receive AAP for up to 6 months while your business is in a development phase, and/or 3 months when you are in a start-up phase. You can in such case work on your business without this affecting how much you will be paid in AAP.

It is a requirement that setting up your own business is likely to allow you to provide for yourself, possibly in combination with disability benefit.

When you apply for AAP when you are setting up your own business, you must also complete the form for professional evaluation of your setup plans.

If you are travelling within the EEA

If you are a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland and receive AAP, you do not need to apply to travel to a different EU/EEA country or Switzerland.

If you are a family member of an EEA citizen or Swiss citizen, the same rules apply as for citizens of EU/EEA countries.

If you are travelling outside of the EEA

If you are planning to travel to a country outside of the EU/EEA, you must apply to retain AAP in a foreign country, before you travel. You can retain AAP for up to 4 weeks per calendar year for stays in a country outside of the EU/EEA.

If you are a citizen of an EEA country or Switzerland, you can retain AAP when you relocate within the EEA area or Switzerland.

If you intend to relocate to a country outside of the EEA and Switzerland, you cannot retain AAP. You can however apply to receive AAP for the first 4 weeks. An exception can be made if you are receiving medical treatment or participating in an agreed work-orientated activity outside of Norway.

You are responsible for commencing suitable treatment in the country to which you relocate. Nav cannot help you with this. You must also be aware that poorer access to work-oriented activity in many countries may mean that it is difficult for you to meet your activity obligations.

When you are considering moving out of Norway, you must contact Nav in good time before you relocate. You will receive advice about how your relocation will affect your follow-up or your right to receive financial support.

You can travel within the Nordic countries, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Austria without applying to retain AAP.

If you intend to travel to other countries, you must apply to retain AAP. You can receive AAP for up to 4 weeks per calendar year.

If you are a family member of an EEA citizen who lives in Norway, the same rules apply as for citizens of EU/EEA countries.

You can relocate to a country within the Nordic countries, Luxembourg, the Netherlands or Austria, and continue to receive AAP.

If you intend to relocate to any other country, you cannot retain AAP. You can however apply to receive AAP for the first 4 weeks.

You are responsible for finding and starting suitable treatment in the country you move to. Nav cannot help you with this. You must also be aware that poorer access to work-oriented activity in many countries may mean that it is difficult for you to comply with your activity obligation.

When you are considering moving out of Norway, you must contact Nav in good time before you relocate. You will receive advice about how your relocation will affect your follow-up or your right to receive financial support.

If you are a family member of an EEA citizen, the same rules apply as for citizens of EU/EEA countries.