You can apply for permanent residence while on sick leave. Check what you have been paid, whether illness may give you an exemption from the income requirement, and whether you still meet the requirements for your temporary permit. Checked 2 October 2026.
Do sickness benefits count as income?
Yes. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) lists sickness benefits among the income that may be included in the self-support requirement for permanent residence. Employment income before or during sick leave may also count. You need to get an overview of gross income actually paid during a relevant twelve-month period, not just the annual salary in your employment contract. UDI lists NOK 341 373 before tax as the published amount as of 2 October 2026. The amount is based on the National Insurance basic amount and may change; UDI assesses which rates apply to the periods in your case.
Sickness benefits may be paid by NAV, or your employer may pay them and receive reimbursement from NAV. If your employer advances sickness benefits, do not count both the salary you received and the reimbursement paid to your employer as two amounts of income to you. NAV explains that the employer submits an income statement when NAV is to process the sickness-benefit case. The NAV payment overview shows what NAV has actually paid to you; payslips show payments from your employer.
| Period | What you can use to check it | What you should avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Before sick leave | Payslips and tax information | Using your agreed annual salary instead of the salary you received. |
| Sickness benefits paid directly by NAV | Decision and payment overview from NAV | Mixing the net payment with the gross amount. |
| Employer pays during sick leave | Payslips and confirmation from your employer | Adding the NAV reimbursement to your own salary a second time. |
| Graded sick leave | Salary, sickness benefits and the dates for both | Assuming that the sick-leave percentage alone shows your income. |
Read the complete guide to the self-support requirement for other types of income and exemptions.
Which twelve-month period matters?
UDI generally counts the twelve months immediately before you submit your application to the police. If you do not meet the requirement then, you may meet it later before a decision is made and have the twelve months counted back from that later date. If you already met the income requirement when you submitted the application, UDI says that later changes to your income do not remove this particular requirement. The other requirements must still be met when the case is decided for applications covered by the rules from 1 September 2025.
Calculation example: Over a twelve-month period, Amir receives NOK 205 000 in salary and NOK 160 000 in sickness benefits. The total is NOK 365 000 before tax. This may be above the amount published by UDI, but the example only illustrates the calculation. UDI must check that the amounts relate to the same relevant twelve-month period, that they are Amir's own eligible income, and that the other requirements are met. Two people with the same total may be assessed differently if their dates or permits differ.
Are there exemptions for long-term illness?
Yes, but a sick note alone does not automatically give you an exemption. UDI describes a possible exemption from the self-support requirement if, because of illness or injury, you have been unable to work more than 50 percent over the past twelve months. This must be substantiated with documentation from NAV or a medical certificate. UDI's guidelines say that a medical certificate should state when you became unable to work, what your work capacity was during the period, and why the illness or injury prevented you from working.
A 100 percent sick leave for a few weeks is therefore not the same as meeting a twelve-month requirement. A particular diagnosis alone does not decide the issue either. If you have received disability benefit from NAV, UDI has a separate exemption from the income requirement; disability benefit is not simply an income item to add to your calculation. Ask UDI what documentation you need in your situation. SamfunnPrep's NAV guide can help you distinguish between the different schemes.
What about the requirements for your residence permit?
Even if sickness benefits count towards the income requirement, you must also consider why you are currently allowed to live in Norway. UDI says that the requirements for a permit that forms the basis for permanent residence must be met when the application is decided. If you have family immigration, your family situation may be central. If you have a skilled-worker permit, your employment, position and working conditions may be central. There is no single rule saying that the same sick leave has the same effect for every type of permit.
Do not assume that a general NAV rule resolves the residence-permit requirement. Find your decision letter and read the conditions; here is how to read a UDI decision. If your sick leave is long, your employment changes, or you move to work assessment allowance, ask UDI a specific question: “I have a permit as a [type] valid until [date]. I have been on [percentage] sick leave since [date], and my employment [is/is not] continuing. Which requirements do I need to document for permanent residence?” Use a secure channel for health information.
Document checklist to prepare
- Residence: your current decision, expiry date and previous decisions during the residence period.
- Work: employment contract, payslips and brief confirmation from your employer about your position and whether your employment is continuing.
- NAV: the decision on sickness benefits and payment overview for the months you want to show; NAV's sickness benefits page explains where to find your sick note and application.
- Exemption, if relevant: NAV documentation or a medical certificate showing your work capacity and the period, as described by UDI.
- Timeline: dates for sick leave, work, NAV payments and submission to the police. Always follow your personal UDI document checklist; do not submit more health information than necessary.
If your residence permit is about to expire, check renewal deadlines in good time. Sick leave does not make the deadline less important. SamfunnPrep can help you keep residence dates together in the residence-period tool, but it does not calculate NAV income or illness exemptions. When the test part is relevant, you can practise for free on SamfunnPrep.
