Norway - Occupational injury and occupational illness
This section provides information about who is entitled to benefits related to occupational injury (yrkesskade) and occupational illness (yrkessykdom) in accordance with the National Insurance Act and the Occupational Injury Insurance Act, and what conditions apply to the benefits.
Regarding the UK the EEA/EFTA-UK Separation Agreement or the Convention on Social Security between Norway and the UK is applied.
In what situation can I claim?
Benefits for occupational injury or occupational illness in accordance with the National Insurance Act
If you are a member of the National Insurance Scheme, and sustain an injury or illness in connection with work, you may be entitled to benefits.
Occupational injury insurance
If your employer is in the 'Kingdom', you are also insured against an occupational injury, because these employers are obliged to take out insurance for their employees. If you suffer an injury or illness in connection with work, you may also be entitled to compensation.
What conditions do I need to meet?
Benefits for occupational injury or occupational illness in accordance with the National Insurance Act
You must be a member of the National Insurance Scheme. (For example, you must be resident in Norway, with an employer in Norway or in the Norwegian area of the continental shelf involved in exploration for or extraction of oil, gas or other natural deposits.)
If you are a self-employed worker or freelancer, you must take out voluntary occupational injury insurance yourself.
You must be injured or harmfully affected ‘while working at the workplace during working hours', and you must demonstrate to NAV that it was most likely that the injury or illness was due to an occupational accident or that the illness was due to harmful influence in the workplace.
Occupational injury insurance
Your employer must be in the 'Kingdom', and you must be injured or harmfully affected ‘while working at the workplace during working hours'. You must demonstrate to your employer's insurance company that it was most likely that the injury or illness was due to an occupational accident or that the illness was due to harmful influence in the workplace.
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
Benefits for occupational injury or occupational illness in accordance with the National Insurance Act
If you become unable to work as a result of an occupational injury or occupational illness, special rules apply to the calculation of a disability benefit (in Norwegian only). For example, you may receive some disability benefit if you are only 30% unable to work.
Read more about how you can apply for a disability benefit in the section on disability benefit.
You can also receive damages - compensation for non-financial losses - of up to 0.75 G annually, which is NOK 77 799 at the current Basic Amount.
If you have lost your spouse as a result of an occupational injury or occupational illness, you may be entitled to a survivor's pension, regardless of the length of your marriage. Certain groups of registered partners are also entitled to a survivor's pension.
Employers have a duty to report occupational injuries or occupational illnesses to NAV. If your employer has not notified NAV, you may submit an injury notification to NAV yourself.
Occupational injury insurance
You must submit a claim for compensation to the insurance company yourself. You must do this within 3 calendar years of the year in which you obtained or should have obtained the necessary knowledge of the circumstances which caused the claim. Compensation in accordance with the Occupational Injury Insurance Act may be received in addition to benefits in accordance with the National Insurance Act.
Jargon busters
- G: Abbreviation for National Insurance Basic Amount (see Basic Amount below). 1 G = 1 x Basic Amount, 2 G = 2 x Basic Amount, etc.;
- Basic Amount: A standard amount that is used to calculate benefits and pensions, and which is set on 1 May each year. As of 1 May 2021, the Basic Amount is NOK 106 399, or about EUR 10 672.
Know your rights
The links below direct you to websites that describe your legal rights, but they are not part of the European Commission's websites. The Commission is therefore not responsible for the content.
- Occupational injury coverage - National Insurance Act (in Norwegian only)
- Your rights as a member of the National Insurance Scheme
The Commission's publications and websites:
Who do you need to contact?
- Benefits for occupational injury and occupational illness: Via NAV's website https://www.nav.no/en/Home, or at your local NAV office;
- Occupational injury insurance: Your employer's insurance company.