Filing a claim on insurance is your right, not a service the company is doing you a favour for. But a valid claim can die in silence: you must file the claim without unnecessary delay, and no later than one year after you became aware of the event (Insurance Contract Act § 8-5). If you follow the process, the money is yours.
This guide from SamfunnPrep is about using insurance – not about choosing it. If you need an overview of which insurance you need, read that first.
How to file a claim – three steps the same day
When something happens, you do three things the same day: limit the damage, document it and file the claim. Filing an insurance claim is fastest through the company's digital form.
- Limit the damage. You have a duty to mitigate (§ 4-10): turn off the water, cover a broken window, secure the place. Reasonable measures are covered by the company (§ 6-4) – keep the receipts.
- Document everything. Take pictures and gather receipts and proof of ownership and value. You have the burden of proof, and Finansklagenemnda points out that pictures alone are rarely enough.
- File the claim. Use the claim form. For theft, break-in and vandalism, a police report is required: report digitally at anmeldelse.politiet.no with BankID, and send the case number to the company.
After that, the company assesses the damage (valuation or inspection) and offers repair or cash settlement. It must pay as soon as liability is clarified (§ 8-2), and you are entitled to interest when two months have passed (§ 8-4).
The deadlines that kill your claim in silence
Three deadlines determine whether your claim survives, and all are in the Insurance Contract Act (FAL). Break just one and you lose the money.
| Deadline | What it means | Statute | What happens if you break it |
|---|---|---|---|
| One year | File the claim within one year after you became aware of the event | FAL § 8-5 first clause | You lose the entire right to compensation |
| Three years | The claim expires three years after the end of the year you became aware (no later than ten years after the event) | FAL § 8-6 | The claim is expired and the company does not have to pay |
| Six months | After a written rejection, you have six months to take the case to court or Finansklagenemnda | FAL § 8-5 second clause | You lose the right to pursue the claim |
The clock starts when you became aware of the event – not the day the damage happened. The six-month deadline begins only when you receive the rejection in writing, with the deadline stated. A complaint to Finansklagenemnda stops the clock.
Correct information – and what "gross negligence" means
You must provide correct and complete information both when you take out insurance (§ 4-1) and when you file a claim. If you have failed to provide information, liability can be reduced or eliminated (§ 4-2). If you deliberately say something false to get more than you are entitled to, you may lose the entire claim – and the company can cancel all your contracts (§ 8-1).
The company can only reduce compensation if you have acted with gross negligence or intent (§ 4-9). Ordinary negligence – a slip – can never be used against you, and the company has the burden of proof for gross fault. A recent example: a man on an electric scooter who drove through a red light lost 100 percent of his compensation (Finansklagenemnda, case 2025-1105).
Is it worth filing a small claim?
Not always. The deductible is taken from every payment regardless of how small the claim is, so a small claim can result in almost nothing – and at the same time it can increase your price.
The deductible is a fixed amount. Levels vary from company to company, so check your policy. Typical levels as of 21 July 2026:
| Insurance | Standard deductible (2026) |
|---|---|
| Contents, normal damage | 3,000–4,000 kr |
| Car, collision | you choose yourself, often around 8,000 kr (6,000–20,000 kr) |
| Travel insurance (full year) | often 0 kr |
| Natural disaster | 8,000 kr – fixed by regulation |
The deductible for natural disaster insurance is not the company's choice: it is set at 8,000 kroner in the Natural Disaster Insurance Regulation (§ 6). The other levels are set by the companies themselves.
Calculate before you file: if the claim is 4,500 kroner and the deductible is 4,000, you get 500 kroner paid – but the claim is registered and can raise your price at renewal. Gjensidige itself says many people pay small car claims out of pocket when the cost does not exceed the deductible. Compare payout minus deductible against price and bonus loss first.
How much bonus do you lose on car insurance?
On car insurance you lose in 2026 usually maximum 10 percentage points bonus per claim with the large companies – far less than the old 30. This varies from company to company.
The bonus ladder typically goes from 10 to 75 percent, and you climb 10 percentage points for each claim-free year. One loss never takes you down more than one step; at If you lose only 0–5 percentage points on top bonus. The loss takes effect at the next renewal, and you earn it back in about one claim-free year per step.
Some damage types never result in bonus loss: fire, theft, rescue, glass damage and animal collision. A stolen car or a stone chip in the windscreen costs you no bonus. The bonus follows you to a new company if you have had car insurance for the last three years.
On contents insurance there is no formal bonus, but claim history affects the price: Finans Norge confirms that the premium is based on risk, historical claim development and cost levels. Many small claims can make you more expensive – and harder to switch.
The insurance you forget you have
Many people have coverage they never use. Check these before you buy something extra – or let a claim go.
- Legal aid and liability in contents insurance. Contents insurance typically has built-in legal aid of around 100,000 kroner (deductible 4,000 kr plus 20 percent) and liability coverage up to around 5 million kroner. Legal aid covers disputes about housing, purchases and neighbour relations. Amounts vary. The one-year deadline also applies here (§ 8-5), and the Norwegian Bar Association warns that people file too late.
- Your union. Many unions include contents insurance and legal help in membership, for example through LOfavør.
- Your credit card. If you paid at least 50 percent of the trip with a credit card, you often have a travel insurance included – cancellation, delay, baggage and repatriation. Read your card's terms.
- Work injury is reported to NAV. If you are injured at work, it is an occupational injury that you report to NAV (Labour and Welfare Service), not to your own company (National Insurance Act § 13-14).
When the company says no
If you get a rejection, the complaints route is free. Always require the rejection in writing, complain first internally to the company, then take the case to Finansklagenemnda.
Each company must have an internal complaints procedure where a different case officer reviews the case again, often a customer ombudsman. Finansklagenemnda can only handle cases the company has finished with.
Treatment in the secretariat is free. Complain before the deadlines run out – remember the six-month deadline after written rejection (§ 8-5). The body must decide the case within 90 days. In 2025, consumers got full or partial support in 35 percent of the cases the secretariat decided.
The decisions are not legally binding. But a company that does not accept a decision in your favour must cover both its own and your legal costs if the case goes to court (Financial Undertakings Act § 16-3). In practice, companies generally follow the board. Natural disaster claims go to a separate appeals board.
Switch insurance company
You can move your insurance to another company at any time during the year, with at least one month's notice and without a fee (§ 3-6). You state which company you are moving to, and get back unused premium month by month (§ 3-9).
The trap is an open case: do not switch while you have an unsettled claim. A filed claim – and any bonus loss – follows you, and a new company prices you based on your claim history.
New in 2026
- Occupational injuries are reported digitally. From 1 January 2026, the employer must report occupational injuries to NAV digitally. Paper reporting is being phased out.
- Foreign Ministry travel advice can void travel insurance. An official travel advisory from the Foreign Ministry (UD) can make entire travel insurance invalid – even for damage that has nothing to do with the unrest. As of March 2026, such advisories apply to over 60 countries.
- Three companies are leaving Finansklagenemnda from 1 July 2026. Check that your company is still affiliated before you complain.
- Less bonus loss. That one claim loss costs a maximum of about 10 percentage points is now the established norm.
Many of these rules – deadlines, deductibles and the right to complain – are part of the social studies knowledge you encounter on the citizenship exam. On SamfunnPrep you can practise for free, and the checklist for your first week in Norway helps you get insurance in place from the start.
