Family planning and pregnancy

Right to counselling about family planning

If you are pregnant you have the right to information and counselling about which help or economic support you are entitled to. Talk with your midwife or general practitioner. You can also contact Amathea, which offers free counselling for pregnant women. 

Right to abortion

In Norway, all women have the right to choose to have an abortion until the 12. week of pregnancy. You do not need to give a reason for why you want an abortion.

You can also have an abortion after the 12. week of pregnancy, but then certain rules apply.

Maternity protection

Requirements for the work environment:

In Norway, employers (e.g. companies) are responsible for ensuring that pregnant employees are protected from discomfort and injury at work, and for preventing injury to the foetus or the woman. If your employer requires that you perform work that might be dangerous for you or the fetus you should contact Arbeidstilsynet.

Maternity leave and family care leave:

Pregnant women have the right to 12 weeks' leave from work during pregnancy. The father or some other person caring for the mother have the right to two weeks' leave. 

Work ban after birth:

In Norway, mothers are usually not allowed to work the first six weeks after giving birth. This is the case even if you want to work. To be allowed to work, you need to have a medical certificate stating that it is better for you to work.

Protection against dismissal:

If you are pregnant, your employer can not dismiss you during your pregnancy unless the reason is clearly not related to the pregnancy (e.g. theft from the employer). You can also not be dismissed during the period when you are on parental leave. 

Time off work for examinations:

If you work for an employer and are pregnant, your employer must allow you to attend all medical check-ups, even during working hours. Your employer must pay you your full salary and is not permitted to deduct any money based on you attending medical check-ups.

If you have a fixed-term contract, the maternity protection is valid for the duration of the fixed-term contract.

Parental leave

As parents you have the right to parental leave for 12 months in total. In these 12 months you also have the right to parental benefit if you qualify for this. Also, you have the right to parental leave for an additional 12 months for each birth, but then you do not have the right to pay or economic support. 

Instead of full leave, it is possible to take partial leave. You need to make an agreement with your employer. If you take partial leave you do not have right to parental leave for an additional 12 months.  

Parental benefit

As parents you may have the right to parental benefit. To qualify for parental benefit you need to have had a certain income for at least 6 of the last 10 months. The parental benefit is meant to replace the income you would have had if you were in work, up to a certain amount. 

You may choose if you want to take out 100 percent or 80 percent parental benefit. If you take out 100 percent you have the right to parental benefit for 49 weeks in total. If you take out 80 percent you have the right to 59 weeks in total. 

The parental benefit is split like this:

• Maternal quota: 15 weeks with 100 percent benefit. 19 weeks with 80 percent benefit. Six of these weeks must be withdrawn right after birth. Additionally, the mother receives 3 weeks of parental benefit before birth. 
• Paternal quota: 15 weeks with 100 percent benefit. 19 weeks with 80 percent benefit. The paternal quota shall as a main rule be used before the end of the shared period.
• Shared period: 16 weeks with 100 percent benefit. 18 weeks with 80 percent benefit. When the father withdraws from the shared period, the mother must attend some approved activity, e.g., work, study or partake in the introductory program for newly-arrived immigrants. The exception is if the mother is dependent upon help to care for the baby due to illness. 

Mothers must take out parental benefit the last three weeks before the birth. Mothers can take out parental benefit up to twelve weeks before expected birth, but then there will be less weeks of the shared period after birth. 

If you cannot work while you are pregnant because it may harm the foetus, you might also have the right to pregnancy benefit. 

Mothers who haven't had enough income to qualify for parental benefit may get a lump-sum maternity and adoption grant.

You can get more information about financial support related to pregnancy from Nav.

Child benefit and cash-for-care benefit

If you have children younger than 18 staying with you, you might have the right to child benefit. The purpose of child benefit is to help cover the costs of raising a child, and is calculated based on the number of children you have. To qualify for child benefit the child must be a resident of Norway, and you must stay in the country legally. The child benefit is granted until the month before the child becomes 18. 

If you have a child between 1 and 2 years old, which doesn't have full-time place in a publicly-funded pre-school day care centre, you might have the right to cash-for-care benefit. As a main rule, both you and your child must live in Norway for you to be granted the benefit. Additionally, you must have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme ("folketrygden") for at least 5 years. In the case where the child lives with both parents, both of you must have been members of the National Insurance Scheme for at least 5 years. You cannot be granted the cash-for-care benefit for more than 11 months.