Wage garnishment means the bailiff deducts money directly from your salary or benefits to pay a debt you have not settled. You are always allowed to keep enough for subsistence and necessary housing expenses. Here you will learn how much can be deducted in 2026, how to file a complaint, and how you can stop the deduction.
What is wage garnishment?
Wage garnishment is a fixed sum deducted from your salary or benefits each month to cover a debt. The deduction is also called wage deduction or bailiff deduction. Your employer or NAV (Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration) receives a written deduction notice and must follow it – they cannot refuse to deduct. Wage garnishment is often the last step when an invoice has not been paid, after reminders and collection.
Who is the bailiff – and what does SI do?
The bailiff is a public authority that can demand money by force. In most municipalities this is the district bailiff, a public official under the police. The bailiff is neutral and stands between you and the person you owe money to.
For state claims – for example fines, fees or overpayment from NAV – it is often Statens innkrevingssentral (SI) (The National Collection Agency) that handles the case. SI is a special bailiff and can conduct the enforcement procedure itself.
How an enforcement proceeding works
Before there is a deduction, the person you owe money to must have a legal basis for enforcement – for example a collection case that has gone through the conciliation council, or a court judgment. After that, this happens:
- The person you owe money to asks the bailiff for an enforcement proceeding.
- The bailiff notifies you and assesses your finances: income, housing expenses, family and fixed expenses.
- You should document net salary, rent or mortgage, how many children you have and their ages, and any extra expenses, for example for health. This determines how much you get to keep.
- The bailiff determines wage garnishment (deduction from income) and/or enforcement lien (lien on an asset).
Good advice: Show up and submit the documents. The better you document your expenses, the more you get to keep.
How much can the bailiff deduct?
The bailiff can only take what is left when you have paid for a necessary subsistence and your housing expenses. The rule is in dekningsloven (Civil Enforcement Act) § 2-7. The calculation is like this:
Net income − necessary housing expenses − subsistence allowance − approved supplements = possible deduction
Housing expenses such as rent, mortgage, home insurance and municipal charges are deducted in addition to the subsistence allowance – they are therefore not included in the allowance. This is a common misunderstanding.
Subsistence allowances per month, effective from 1 July 2026:
| Situation | Allowance per month |
|---|---|
| Single | 11,388 kr |
| Married or cohabiting | 9,644 kr |
| Supporting spouse or cohabiting partner | 19,288 kr |
In addition comes a child allowance per child: 3,645 kr (under 6 years), 4,835 kr (6–10 years), 6,102 kr (11–14 years) and 7,020 kr (15 years and older). The allowances are a starting point and can be adjusted up or down based on an individual assessment. If you have children you have contact with, but do not live with permanently, you can get a separate contact allowance in addition.
Wage garnishment or enforcement lien – what is the difference?
There are two forms of enforcement:
- Wage garnishment is a fixed deduction from your income, month by month.
- Enforcement lien is a lien on an asset – for example a house, car or bank deposit. The lien does not take money immediately, but the asset can later be force sold to cover the claim.
Which claims are deducted first?
If you have multiple claims against you, the law determines the order they should be covered in (dekningsloven § 2-8). Claims are prioritized as follows:
- child maintenance,
- compensation for a criminal act,
- fines,
- tax and charges,
- other claims, for example ordinary consumer debt.
This means that child maintenance is always deducted before, for example, a consumer loan. If you only have one source of income, there may therefore be nothing left for the claims that are lowest on the list.
You get a payment default notice
When an enforcement proceeding is held, it is registered in the Enforcement Register. This automatically gives you a payment default notice. Then banks, landlords and insurance companies see that you have payment problems, and you may be denied a loan or have difficulties renting a place. Read more about what a payment default notice means.
A payment default notice is automatically deleted four years after registration – or as soon as the debt is paid in full.
Can I complain or stop the deduction?
Yes, you can complain. The deadline for complaining to the bailiff is generally one month from when you were notified (Civil Enforcement Act § 5-16). You can complain about the wage garnishment itself as long as the deduction period runs.
Important trap: A complaint does not stop the deduction automatically. The deduction continues while the complaint is being processed, unless the district bailiff or the court decides otherwise.
The deduction lasts for a maximum of two years per case – up to five years for tax, and without time limit for child maintenance. The bailiff must recalculate the deduction if your finances change significantly, but only if you notify them (§ 7-23).
How to avoid wage garnishment – and where to get help
You can stop or avoid wage garnishment in several ways:
- Pay the claim if you can – then the deduction stops, and the payment default notice is deleted.
- Contact the bailiff early, and document your actual expenses.
- Consider a debt settlement if the debt has become impossible to manage.
- If you have so little left that you cannot manage, financial assistance from social services may be a safety net.
You can get free financial advice from NAV. On SamfunnPrep you will find more guides on finance and rights in Norway – feel free to use our tools to get an overview of your own situation.
The rules about money, debt and public services are also part of the curriculum for the Citizenship Test. Do you want to understand Norwegian society better? Practice for free on SamfunnPrep.
