Pleiepenger in the final phase of life can replace income when you miss work to care for someone close to you at home. You apply to Nav. A doctor must confirm the situation, and an employee's employer must submit an income statement.
Who can receive pleiepenger in the final phase of life?
You must miss work to care for someone close to you in the final phase of life. The scheme covers care in a private home, and Nav assesses several conditions together.
Nav, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, uses “the final phase of life” to mean limited remaining life expectancy, often weeks or months. A doctor must confirm this. A serious diagnosis alone does not tell you whether the scheme applies.
As of 3 October 2026, the conditions include:
- You are under 70.
- You have normally worked for at least four weeks immediately before the period.
- You miss at least 20 per cent of your work on days you apply for.
- Your annual income is at least NOK 68,275, half the National Insurance basic amount.
- You are a member of folketrygden, Norway's National Insurance Scheme.
Some benefits can count as employment during the qualifying period. Nav lists sickness benefit, unemployment benefit and parental benefit among them. If your working situation differs, use Nav's conditions for pleiepenger in the final phase of life.
Someone close to you can be a family member or another close person, such as a friend. This differs from leave after a death. The guide to bereavement leave explains absence for grief and funerals.
What does care in a private home mean?
The person must receive care at home, rather than in a hospital or another institution. This can be their own home or another private home.
Clarify with the health service what the person needs and what you will actually do. Pleiepenger replaces employment income. It does not replace medical follow-up by a doctor or the municipality.
Plan the days: who stays with the person, which tasks need doing, and when each caregiver works. If home nursing is also provided, clarify how the support fits together. Do not report full absence from work if you continue working for part of the day.
Tell Nav if the person is admitted to an institution. Agree who in the family will report changes. An earlier approval does not automatically remain unchanged for every later day.
How do you share the days?
You share one total quota per person receiving care. As of 3 October 2026, the quota is up to 60 days, rather than 60 days for each caregiver.
You can take different days or split the day. Nav also allows two people to receive full pleiepenger at the same time. This uses the total quota faster. Each applicant must meet their own eligibility conditions.
| Plan | What you should clarify |
|---|---|
| One person provides care and completely stops working | The dates and full absence from work |
| Two people take turns | Who applies for which days or parts of days |
| Two people provide care simultaneously | Both claims use the same quota |
Example: Amir and his sister both want to stay home in the same week. They compare work schedules before applying. They do not each enter 60 days. Nav assesses their actual claims and how much of the shared quota is used.
You can combine pleiepenger with work and spread it over a longer period. This is called grading: the payment is adjusted to how much you work. Keep a simple record of planned and actual working hours.
How to apply and obtain the income statement
You submit the application, the doctor confirms the final phase of life, and the employer submits income information. These are three separate tasks.
- Ask the doctor for a medical certificate for the person receiving care.
- Agree your absence with your employer and write down the periods.
- Submit the pleiepenger application at nav.no.
- Ask your employer to submit an income statement.
- Check the document overview on Min side at Nav.
Nav normally needs only one medical certificate for the same person. If another applicant has already submitted it, you do not need to upload a new one. Later claims do not require a new certificate every time either.
As of 3 October 2026, you can apply only for the next 14 days. You can make new applications for later periods. Nav can generally pay for up to three months before receiving the application. Apply as you go rather than waiting until the entire care period ends.
An employee's employer must submit an income statement for the first application. A new statement is also required after a break of four weeks or more. After a shorter break, it is required if income has changed. Nav cannot process the employee's application without the statement. Nav's employer guidance explains this responsibility.
How much will you be paid?
Pleiepenger is calculated from income, and the payment depends on how much you work. For an employee, Nav normally uses income from the three calendar months before the period begins.
As of 3 October 2026, the maximum income basis is NOK 819,294 per year, six times the basic amount. This is a calculation cap, not an amount everyone receives. Short employment, variable income or several income sources can produce a different calculation.
The employer may continue paying and claim reimbursement. Otherwise, Nav can pay you directly. Ask your payroll office how this will work for you, so your budget does not depend on an assumption.
Nav deducts tax from the benefit. Holiday days do not qualify for pleiepenger; notify Nav if you take holiday. Read the approved periods and grading carefully when the decision arrives.
Which changes must you report?
Report changes to care or work. The application describes a plan, but Nav also needs accurate information about what actually happens.
Notify Nav if the person is admitted, you work more or less, or you want to stop receiving pleiepenger. A changed position, new job or changed income can also matter.
You can apply to care for someone close to you who lives abroad. If you travel outside the European Economic Area, EØS, you must notify Nav. Separate rules for stays abroad apply; clarify these before travelling.
If refused, the decision states the appeal process and deadline. First check whether the refusal concerns eligibility, missing documents or the calculation. A specific explanation and relevant attachments help Nav assess the appeal.
Checklist before the first day of care
Confirm the home, periods, medical certificate and employer's task before counting on the benefit. Update your shared calendar when someone takes over a day or starts working again.
Keep Nav's decisions together with your record of claims. This shows the difference between approved days and new periods you still need to apply for. Use SamfunnPrep's everyday tools for other practical tasks, and Nav's application for pleiepenger itself.
