Norway Unemployment Benefit Calculator 2026

Unemployment benefit (dagpenger) is the money NAV, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, pays when you have lost your job or been laid off. This calculator follows the rules in chapter 4 of the National Insurance Act and uses the basic amount (G) from 1 May 2026, NOK 136,549. It shows the daily rate, the payment every 14 days, the monthly and yearly amounts, how long you can receive benefit and roughly what is left after tax.

How unemployment benefit is calculated in 2026

1. Find your income. NAV looks at your pay from work over the last 12 full calendar months before you apply, and at the average of the last 36 months. Whichever gives the higher basis is used. The figures come from the monthly payroll reports (a-melding) your employers file.
2. Adjust to today's G and cap at 6G. Income from before 1 May is raised in line with the increase in the basic amount. Income above 6G (NOK 819,294) per 12-month period is ignored.
3. Work out the daily rate. The daily rate is 2.4 per mille of the basis, which is 62.4% of the basis spread over 260 days a year.
4. Add the child supplement. You get NOK 38 per child under 18 per day. Benefit and supplement together cannot exceed 90% of the basis.
5. Adjust for any work. If you still work a little, you get benefit for the share of your working hours you have lost.

Worked example: NOK 520,000 of pay and two children

Sam loses his job and applies in October 2026. In October 2025 to September 2026 he earned NOK 520,000. Because part of that pay was paid before G went up on 1 May, it is adjusted to NOK 534,889. That is below 6G. The daily rate is 2.4 per mille of the basis, NOK 1,284. With two children the child supplement is NOK 76 a day, so the total is NOK 1,360. Every 14 days he gets NOK 13,600 before tax, which is NOK 29,467 a month and NOK 353,600 a year, or 68% of his old pay. After tax that is about NOK 24,351 a month. The first payment is NOK 4,080 lower because of the own contribution. Since he earned more than 2G, he can receive benefit for 104 weeks. If he takes a part-time job of 15 hours a week, his hours are reduced by 60%, so he receives NOK 8,160 every 14 days on top of his wages.

Unemployment benefit in 2026 by income

The table shows gross benefit without child supplement or work, for an application in October 2026 and steady income over the last 12 months.

Income above 6G gives the same benefit as 6G: NOK 1,966 a day. The after-tax column assumes benefit is your only income all year.

Who can get unemployment benefit?

You need at least NOK 204,824 (1.5G) in the last 12 months, or NOK 409,647 (3G) over the last 36 months. Salary counts. Of National Insurance benefits, only pregnancy-related sick pay, pregnancy benefit and parental benefit are treated as earned income for this test (§ 4-4). Ordinary sick pay from NAV, care benefits and work assessment allowance do not count towards the minimum, but sick pay, care benefits, pregnancy benefit and parental benefit earned as an employee are included in the basis when your daily rate is calculated (§ 4-11). Income from a sole proprietorship does not qualify, although salary from your own limited company (aksjeselskap) can. Your working hours must have fallen by at least 50%, and you must register as a job seeker, send the employment status form every 14 days, be willing to take any work paid at the collective-agreement or customary rate, anywhere in Norway, full-time or part-time (§ 4-5), be under 67 (the right ends at the end of the month you turn 67, § 4-23), live in Norway and be covered by Norwegian National Insurance. If you quit your job or were dismissed for reasons you were responsible for, you may lose benefit for the first 18 weeks. The calculator checks the income and working-hours requirements and warns you if you probably do not meet them.

If you are laid off

If you are temporarily laid off (permittert), your employer must keep paying your wages for the first 15 working days. After that you can get unemployment benefit, calculated the same way, if your hours are reduced by at least 50%. The maximum is 26 weeks within 18 months from the same employer. If you are only partly laid off, enter the hours you still work in the calculator.

Tax on unemployment benefit

Benefit counts as employment income for tax. You get the standard deduction (minstefradrag) of 46%, up to NOK 95,700, and pay 7.6% national insurance contributions, 22% tax on ordinary income and bracket tax. If you earned a salary earlier in the year, the tax on your combined income is higher than the calculator shows. Work out your whole year with the Norway income tax calculator.

Unemployment benefit, sick pay or something else?

Unemployment benefit is for people who are fit for work but have no job. If you fall ill while receiving it, you may get sick pay. Child benefit continues to be paid as usual: see the child benefit calculator.

This is a guide. It assumes your income is spread evenly over the months, while NAV uses the actual monthly figures from the payroll reports. Special rules, for example for fishers, national service, education or work abroad, are not included.