Unemployment benefits (dagpenger) are financial support from NAV (welfare office) when you have lost your job or been temporarily laid off. As an immigrant in Norway, you have the same right to unemployment benefits as Norwegian citizens — as long as you are a member of the National Insurance Scheme and meet the income requirement.
Many people believe you have to wait for months before receiving any payment. In practice, you can receive unemployment benefits from the first day you are entitled, provided you apply on time and the dismissal was not your fault.
This guide explains who is entitled to the benefit in 2026, how much you will receive, how to apply, and what happens if you resign yourself. You will also receive a checklist of obligations as a job seeker — so that the payments do not stop.
Requirements to receive unemployment benefits
To receive unemployment benefits from NAV (welfare office), you must meet four main requirements. You must have lost at least 50 per cent of your working hours, have had a certain minimum income, be registered as a job seeker, and be under 67.
The income requirement is what stops most people. You must have earned at least 1.5 times the basic amount (G) over the last 12 months, or at least 3G over the last 36 months. In 2026, that means 195,240 kroner over the last year, or 390,480 kroner over the last three years. The basic amount is adjusted on 1 May each year, so the figures change.
You must also be a member of the National Insurance Scheme. Most people who live and work legally in Norway are automatically members. As an immigrant, your residence permit may affect your entitlement — if you have a study permit without the right to work, you usually do not qualify. Read more in our guide on permanent residence permit.
Self-employed individuals without salary income do not receive unemployment benefits either, because business income does not count in the calculation. If you have worked in another EEA country before coming to Norway, that income may count under the EEA rules.
As a job seeker, you must also be a "genuine job seeker". This means you are willing to take any job paid according to a collective agreement, anywhere in Norway, and that you register with NAV.
Check your payslips before you apply. If you have worked part-time or had several short employment relationships, it is the total of all pensionable income that counts — not the hours you have worked.
How much you receive and how long the support lasts
The unemployment benefit rate is 62.4 per cent of your previous income — up to a ceiling. NAV (welfare office) calculates the basis on the basis of pensionable income over the last 12 months, or the average of the last 36 months if that produces a higher rate.
The maximum threshold is 6G, that is 780,180 kroner in 2026. If you earned more than this in the year before you became unemployed, the excess is not included. The maximum annual payout is approximately 486,800 kroner gross, or around 40,500 kroner per month before tax.
How long you receive unemployment benefits also depends on your previous income:
- If you had at least 2G in income (260,060 kr) over the last 12 months, you receive unemployment benefits for up to 104 weeks
- If you earned less than 2G, you receive unemployment benefits for up to 52 weeks
- Those temporarily laid off receive unemployment benefits for up to 26 weeks within an 18-month period
If you have children under 18, you receive a child supplement of 38 kroner per child per day in 2026. The child supplement is also paid when the child lives in another EEA country.
NAV (welfare office) pays out every 14 days after you submit your status report (meldekort). First, a deductible equivalent to three days of payment is withheld. The deductible replaced the old waiting days from 2024.
Use NAV's unemployment benefit calculator to get a realistic estimate before you apply. The figures give you predictability during a stressful period.
How to apply for the benefit from NAV
You apply for unemployment benefits digitally on nav.no. Log in with BankID, MinID, or other electronic identification. You need a Norwegian fødselsnummer (national ID number) or D-nummer to use the service.
Apply two weeks before the last day you are entitled to wages. If you apply too early, your application will be rejected because the conditions for the benefit have not yet been met. If you apply too late — after your wages have stopped — you may lose days you would otherwise have been paid for.
First, you must register as a job seeker. This is a separate service on nav.no. Then you complete the actual unemployment benefit application with information about your employment, income, and why you became unemployed. In the application, you also provide your Norwegian bank account and family circumstances.
Upload documentation while you apply:
- Dismissal letter or layoff notice from your employer
- Employment contract from your last job
- Payslips, if NAV does not have your income on record
- Final certificate (sluttattest), if the employment relationship has ended
NAV's processing time is around six weeks in 2026. This means the first payment comes afterwards — anything that falls within the period is paid back-dated from the day you met the conditions. You do not receive support for the period before your application date.
Set aside extra money for the first weeks. Many people underestimate how long it takes from the last paycheque to the first payment landing in your account.
Self-resignation or layoff from work
How you lost your job affects when you receive unemployment benefits. NAV (welfare office) distinguishes between three situations: dismissal by the employer, self-resignation, and layoff.
If you were dismissed by your employer — for example through downsizing or restructuring — you receive unemployment benefits from the first day after the notice period, provided your application has been processed. You must not be responsible for losing your job.
If you resigned yourself, NAV (welfare office) normally treats it as self-inflicted unemployment. You will then not receive unemployment benefits for the first 18 weeks. This is a deliberate rule to prevent people from leaving jobs without good reason and living on public benefits.
There are exceptions. If you had a "reasonable cause" to resign — such as documented health problems, bullying, harassment, or unpaid wages — NAV (welfare office) may grant you the benefit from day one. The rules are set out in chapter 4 of the National Insurance Act. You must be able to document the reason, for example with a medical certificate or whistleblower case.
If you resign without having a new job lined up, you risk an 18-week waiting period before unemployment benefits begin. Always speak to NAV (welfare office) first if the working environment is the cause — you may lose your entitlement by going about it the wrong way.
A layoff is something different. You still have an employment relationship, but the employer cannot give you work right now. As an employee on layoff, you receive wages from your employer for 15 days, then financial support from NAV (welfare office) for up to 26 weeks.
Consider the timing of your resignation carefully. Never sign a settlement agreement without first checking the consequences for your unemployment benefits.
Status reports and obligations as a job seeker
Once NAV has approved your application, you must meet ongoing requirements to keep your unemployment benefits. The most important is the status report (meldekort). You submit it every 14 days on nav.no, reporting how many hours you have worked, whether you have been ill, and whether you have been available for work.
If you forget to submit the status report by the deadline, the payment stops. You must then apply again or request resumption. Set a reminder in your calendar — the deadline is Wednesday in the meldekort week.
As a job seeker, you must:
- Actively apply for jobs and be able to document your applications
- Attend appointments with your NAV adviser
- Accept offers of suitable work or labour market measures
- Be available for work anywhere in Norway
If you take part-time work while receiving unemployment benefits, you record the hours on your status report. NAV (welfare office) reduces the unemployment benefit accordingly — you receive graduated unemployment benefits, not zero. If you work more than 50 per cent of normal working hours for three status report periods in a row, the payment stops completely.
If you are travelling outside the EEA, you must notify NAV (welfare office) first. You are required to stay in Norway while receiving the benefit, unless you have received special permission.
Also read our guide on NAV in Norway for immigrants to understand which other rights you have as someone new to Norway.
Submit your status report on time, every time. It is the simplest way to ensure stable unemployment benefits.