Farmers and reindeer herders

In principle, you receive sickness benefit with 80 per cent coverage from the 17th day of sick leave. However, as a farmer or reindeer herder, you may have a collective insurance policy that entitles you to sickness benefit with 100 per cent coverage. In the event that you are covered by the collective insurance, you must obtain a certificate from the tax assessment authorities.

You can also take out individual insurance that provides you 100 per cent coverage during the first 16 days of sick leave.

Read more about insurance for farmers and reindeer herders (in Norwegian).

When applying for grants for a temporary replacement

If you need to enclose the sick note with an application, ask your doctor to give you a sick note on paper. You can then use Part C as an attachment to the application.

You can still use the digital sick note and application for sickness benefit with Nav. You will then simply discard Part B and Part D while you keep Part C. Because your diagnosis does not appear in Part C, it is important that you only submit this part.

Who is considered a farmer?

You are considered to be a farmer if your last tax settlement showed that you had self-employment income from agriculture or forestry herding of at least NOK 8,000, and that it amounted to at least 20 per cent of your total net income. You are also considered to be a farmer if you can prove that you will have similar income in the future.

Who is considered a reindeer herder?

You are considered a reindeer herder when, under the law, you have the right to engage in reindeer herding. You document that you are covered by the collective insurance by having the reindeer agronomist in your grazing area certify that you are a registered reindeer herder.

Seamen

For seamen, sickness benefit is calculated as for employees, with two exceptions:

• You can receive sickness benefit if you are unable to work as a seaman, even if you are healthy enough to work in another job.
• You are entitled to sickness benefit even if you have been working for less than four weeks.

Fishermen

Fishermen registered on Sheet B in the national register for fisherman have a collective insurance that entitles them to sickness benefit with 100 per cent coverage from the first day of sick leave. You are entitled to sickness benefit even if you have been working for less than four weeks.

If you receive a share of the catch, you are considered self-employed. If you receive seamen's wages, you are considered an employee. Below you can see more about what to submit.

Conscripts

If you have done your military or civilian service, you have the same right to sickness benefit as employees.The right applies to illness or injury that occurs while you are doing your national service. You will receive sickness benefit from the day after your discharge.

You are entitled to sickness benefit even if you have been working for less than four weeks.

The scheme also includes those who have carried out their national service in

• the Home Guard
• military schools
• reserve police

The same applies to conscripts and persons subject to compulsory enlistment who are exempt from military service and have been transferred to civilian work.

Temporarily out of work

Had you been out of paid work for less than a month when you became ill? You may be entitled to sickness benefit from Nav if

• you are still out of paid work, or
• you have been working for less than four weeks

Periods with these benefits from Nav are not considered to be temporarily out of work:

• unemployment benefit
• sickness benefit
• attendance allowance, training allowance and care benefit
• parental and pregnancy benefits

Unpaid leave after the end of the parental benefit period may entitle you to sickness benefit if you are so ill that you cannot take care of your child. To be entitled to sickness benefit, you must have an agreement to resume work after the leave.

You can receive sickness benefit from the 15th day after the date your sick leave started. Sickness benefits amount to 65 per cent of the sickness benefit basis if you are not in work, and 100 per cent if you are in work when you are put on sick leave.

The prerequisite for the right to sickness benefit is that you can prove that you will lose an annual income equal to at least 1 G (the basic amount of the National Insurance Scheme).

Between the ages of 62 and 70

Persons between the ages of 62 and 70 are entitled to sickness benefit regardless of whether they are receiving old-age pension.

If you are between 67 and 70 years of age, you are entitled to sickness benefit for up to 60 days if your income exceeds 2 G (the basic amount of the National Insurance Scheme). The 60-day rule applies from the day after you turned 67 up to and including the day before you turn 70. If you have reached the age of 70, you are not entitled to sickness benefit.

Occupationally disabled 

If you combine work with disability benefit, you may be entitled to sickness benefit. Sickness benefit is calculated based on your earned income. Sickness benefit may reduce the payment of disability benefit in the same way as earned income does, but the disability level will not be affected.

How to apply

If the sick leave lasts more than 31 days, it will automatically be split up, and you can submit an application for sickness benefit before the entire sick leave has ended.

Income information

• If you are an employee, the employer must send an income report with your information.
• If you are self-employed and/or a freelancer, you submit the income information yourself. You can send the information from the form guide or by post to the same address as Part D.

Some applicants have to use the paper

In these cases, you must use part D of the paper sick note to apply for sickness benefit:

• You do not have BankID or other ID at the highest security level 
• You have a strictly confidential address in the Population Register

You send part D of the paper sick note together with income information to Nav. Find the correct address for Part D and income information.

Have you received the sick note at a hospital?

Most hospitals still write the sick note on paper, but these are made digital after they have been sent to Nav from the hospital. After a few days, you will find the paper sick report on nav.no in digital version, so you do not need to use the papers you have received, nor to apply for sickness benefit.

Payments

Administrative processing can start when Nav has received the application for sickness benefit and income information.

You can read about processing times to see when you normally will have the money in your account. You can also check payments by logging in to nav.no.

Duty to report changes

Are there changes in your income and/or job situation? This may affect the amount you are paid from Nav. You must immediately notify Nav in such cases. 

Sickness benefit when you are travelling

If you are considering travelling while on sick leave, there are a few things you need to check in advance. If your trip prevents you from fulfilling the duties you have while you are on sick leave, you will not be allowed to keep your sickness benefit. Read about what you need to do before you travel.