Annual leave in Norway: 25 working days, feriepenger and the main holiday period

Under Norway's Holiday Act (ferieloven), every employee is entitled to 25 working days of holiday a year, and Saturdays count as working days, so the statutory minimum is four weeks and one day. Employees can demand 18 of those days as a continuous main holiday between 1 June and 30 September, and they are paid holiday pay (feriepenger) of at least 10.2% of what they earned the year before, rising to 12.5% once they turn 60.

The rules below are as of 2026 and come from the Holiday Act on Lovdata and guidance from the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet).

How many days of annual leave do you get in Norway?

Section 5 of ferieloven says the employer must make sure the employee gets "feriefritid på 25 virkedager hvert ferieår", 25 working days in each holiday year. The holiday year follows the calendar year.

The catch is the word virkedager. The Act counts every day that is not a Sunday or a statutory public holiday, so Saturdays count. Arbeidstilsynet puts it plainly: six working days normally make up one week of holiday.

What the law says	What it means for a Monday–Friday worker
25 virkedager (Mon–Sat)	4 weeks and 1 day off
18 virkedager main holiday	3 weeks in a row
7 virkedager remaining holiday	1 week and 1 day
6 extra virkedager at 60+	1 extra week

If you track leave in Monday–Friday days, 25 virkedager works out at 21 days off. Holiday is also an obligation: the Act says the employee must take their holiday every year, so it is not simply a benefit to bank.

Do many employees get five weeks?

Yes. Arbeidstilsynet notes that many workers get a fifth week through the collective agreement settled in 2000/2001, and that this week comes from the agreement, not from the Holiday Act. Check your tariff agreement or employment contract to see which applies.

What is the main holiday period in Norway?

The main holiday period (hovedferieperioden) runs from 1 June to 30 September. Under section 7, an employee can demand that a main holiday of 18 working days, three weeks, is given within that window. They can also demand that the remaining 7 working days are given together at some point in the holiday year.

This is a right the employee can claim, not a rule that everyone must be off in July. But it shapes summer planning: an employer with a small team has to fit three-week blocks for everyone into four months.

Who decides when the holiday is taken?

The employer must discuss the timing of holiday and the holiday roster (ferieliste) in good time before the holiday. If they cannot agree, section 6 lets the employer set the dates, within the limits of the main holiday rules.

The employee can demand to be told when their holiday is at least two months before it starts. If you need a fair way to settle overlapping requests, see how to approve leave requests fairly.

What extra holiday do you get over 60?

An employee who turns 60 at any point during the holiday year gets 6 extra working days, one extra week. The employee must give the employer at least two weeks' notice before taking it.

The extra week also raises holiday pay: the statutory rate goes up by 2.3 percentage points, to 12.5%. That top-up is not paid on the part of the holiday pay basis above six times the National Insurance basic amount (grunnbeløpet, or G).

How is feriepenger calculated?

Feriepenger replaces normal salary during holiday. It is calculated on pay paid out in the previous calendar year, the accumulation year (opptjeningsåret), and paid out in the holiday year.

Situation	Minimum holiday pay rate
Statutory, under 60	10.2%
Statutory, 60 or over	12.5%
Five-week collective agreement	normally 12%
Five-week collective agreement, 60 or over	14.3%

The basis is the pay actually paid out in the accumulation year. Expense reimbursements for things like car, food and lodging are left out, and so is holiday pay paid out during that year.

A worked example: an employee under 60 on the statutory scheme earned NOK 600,000 in 2025. Their feriepenger paid in 2026 is 10.2% × 600,000 = NOK 61,200. On a five-week agreement at 12%, it would be NOK 72,000.

One practical consequence: in their first year in a job, an employee who did not work the year before has accumulated no holiday pay. They are still entitled to the time off, but it may be unpaid.

When is feriepenger paid?

By law, holiday pay is paid on the last regular pay day before the holiday, and the employee can demand it no later than one week before the holiday starts. In practice, Arbeidstilsynet notes that most employers pay it all in one month, typically June.

In that month, the employer holds back ordinary salary. Because five weeks of holiday do not fit into a single month, the employer deducts the equivalent of five weeks' pay, and the remainder is taken from the holiday pay. When an employee leaves, all earned holiday pay must be paid on the last regular pay day before they go.

Can you carry over holiday to next year in Norway?

Only by written agreement, and only up to 12 working days. Under section 7, the employer and employee can agree in writing to:

• carry over up to 12 working days to the next holiday year, or
• take up to 12 working days in advance (forskuddsferie).

Arbeidstilsynet stresses that it is the employer who decides whether a transfer is acceptable. Nothing beyond these limits can be agreed. Holiday cannot be cashed out while employment continues: the only way to receive holiday pay for unused holiday is when employment ends. For how carry-over works more generally, see holiday carry-over and leave accrual explained.

How does Norway compare with its neighbours?

Norway, Denmark and Sweden all set 25 days as the statutory figure, but they count the days differently. Denmark also uses a 25-day rule with its own holiday act (see annual leave in Denmark), and Sweden has 25 days under semesterlagen (see annual leave in Sweden). For a wider view, see paid leave by country.

Tracking Norwegian leave in Absenca

Absenca lets each office keep its own work week, time zone, public holidays, leave year and leave types, so a Norwegian office can sit alongside offices elsewhere with its own rules. Staff request leave in days, half-days or hours and see their remaining balance, and the team calendar shows who is out across the summer weeks. Absenca tracks the time off, not the pay: feriepenger stays in your payroll system. The free plan covers up to 10 people.

FAQ

Is annual leave in Norway 25 days or 5 weeks?

The Holiday Act gives 25 working days counting Saturdays, which is four weeks and one day. Many employees get five weeks through a collective agreement or their contract.

Is feriepenger 10.2% or 12%?

The statutory minimum is 10.2% of last year's pay. Collective agreements with a fifth week normally require 12%. Employees aged 60 or over get at least 12.5% under the Act, or 14.3% under a five-week agreement.

Can my employer refuse three weeks off in summer?

Not if you ask for it. You can demand a main holiday of 18 working days between 1 June and 30 September. The employer can set the exact dates if you cannot agree, and you can demand to be told at least two months in advance.

Do I get feriepenger in my first year in Norway?

Holiday pay is earned in the year before the holiday. If you did not work in Norway last year, you have not accumulated holiday pay, even though you are entitled to the time off.

Can unused holiday be paid out in Norway?

Only when employment ends. While you are still employed, unused days can only be carried over by written agreement, up to 12 working days.

Rules can change and collective agreements often add to them; check the Holiday Act on Lovdata and Arbeidstilsynet for the current position.