• You must have worked for your employer for at least two months to use self-certification.
• You can only use self-certification during the first 16 days of the sick leave, which is the employer liability period.
• If you are away for more than 3 calendar days, your employer may require that you hand in a sick note. You can get sick note from your doctor, dentist, chiropractor and manual therapist.
• If you have used self-certification before getting a sick note, the days are counted as used self-certification days.
• You cannot combine self-certification with a partial sick note.

There is no joint form for self-certification. Each individual employer designs routines and self-certification forms for their employees, either on paper or digitally. Talk to your employer to find out what applies at your workplace. 

You can use self-certification for up to 3 calendar days at a time, and up to 4 times within one year. This is the minimum scheme, but employers can extend the right to self-certification up to 16 days, which is the employer liability period.

In many companies, the employees have the right to use self-certification for up to 8 calendar days at a time and up to 24 calendar days during a year. There is no limit to the number of times self-certification can be used.

Check with your employer what rules apply where you work.

When you use self-certification, it is your employer who approves it.

If you have used all your self-certification days, you must submit a sick note from your doctor or a health professional authorized to issue sick notes. Alternatively, you can talk to your employer about using vacation days or leave (with or without pay), or you can request compassionate leave.

Your employer may decide that you are not allowed to use self-certification if:

• you have used self-certification 4 times within a 12-month period
• your employer has reasonable grounds to assume that your absence is not due to illness

Your employer must give you notice if they take away your right to use self-certification, so that you can express your opinion.

If you have lost your right to use self-certification, your employer must reconsider the decision after 6 months.

If you need to be away from work due to your children's illness, you may be entitled to care benefit (care days). These days come in addition to the self-certification days you have when you yourself are ill.

Learn more about care benefit (in Norwegian).