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CAPITAL CITY Oslo
CURRENCY Norwegian Krone (kr)
PAYROLL CYCLE Monthly
CONTRACT LANGUAGES Norwegian / English
TIME TO HIRE 24 hours
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Hire and pay talents
with Horizons in
180+ countries
Horizons ensures day-to-day guidance to help your business navigate Norway labor laws and regulations. Horizons also ensures Norway payroll is processed on time, and that taxes are withheld as required.
As the Norway Employer of Record, Horizons is responsible for employee income tax withholding, payment of payroll taxes to state authorities, and submission of tax returns to the Norway Tax Office.
Partnering with our Norway PEO is the quickest and most cost-effective way to enter the Norway market.
| PEO Platform Hire in Norway, and pay employees through our platform or app. | PEO Cost Our Norway PEO solution is the most affordable on the market. | Time-to-hire Fast onboarding in Norway, hire in as little as 24 hours. |
| Contracts We draft labor contracts compliant with Norwegian labor law. | Local Benefits We administer all mandatory benefits and contributions in Norway. | 180+ Countries It doesn’t stop with Norway — we are an international PEO |
Norway is famous for having some of the most comprehensive labor laws in the world. It is an excellent place for workers, which contributes to the high standard of living, but this can also make it difficult for businesses to ensure compliance with the law.
It is always important to provide your employees in Norway with a written contract of employment, including all relevant details of employment such as salary and benefits. It needs to be written in Norwegian and use the local currency of the Norwegian Krone.
By partnering with our Norway PEO, Horizons’ team of local experts can provide assistance for drafting strong employment contracts that are compliant with local regulations.
| Probationary period | 0 – 6 months |
| Termination notice period | 1 – 3 months |
| Severance | Not required by law. Check your specific employment agreement for details on your specific situation. |
| Probationary period | 0 – 6 months |
| Termination notice period | 1 – 3 months |
| Severance | Not required by law. Check your specific employment agreement for details on your specific situation. |
The normal hours of work in Norway are 40 hours per week and nine hours per day (including a one-hour lunch break). Anything over this will usually need to be paid at overtime rates, which are 140% of normal pay (or more).
Overtime limits are in place, with employees generally not allowed to work more than ten hours overtime in a week, 25 hours over a four-week period, or 200 hours over a one-year period.
Quick, compliant hiring in 24 hours—no subsidiary required.
| Date | Holiday name |
|---|---|
| 1 Jan, 2023 | New Year’s Day |
| 6 Apr, 2023 | Maundy Thursday |
| 7 Apr, 2023 | Good Friday |
| 9 Apr, 2023 | Easter Sunday |
| 10 Apr, 2023 | Easter Monday |
| 1 May, 2023 | Labor Day |
| 17 May, 2023 | 17 May Constitution Day (1814) |
| 18 May,2023 | Ascension Day |
| 28 May, 2023 | Whit Sunday |
| 29 May, 2023 | Whit Monday |
| 25 Dec, 2023 | Christmas Day |
| 26 Dec, 2023 | Boxing Day |
Norwegian employees are entitled to four weeks and a day of paid vacation leave, but many employers offer five weeks of leave. This is usually covered by the employer, and is accumulated over the first 12 weeks of each year.
The pay is usually equivalent to 10.2% of the qualifying period, or 12% if the allowance is five weeks, or 12.5% if the employee is over the age of 60.
Employers in Norway will usually need to pay for the first 16 days of employee sick leave. Beyond this, the government covers payments (unless a different agreement has been made beforehand).
Sick leave payments are limited to 600% of the standard national insurance payments.
Notice periods of between three months and six months are usually provided to Norwegian employees prior to termination, and three months is common. The exact length depends on several factors, such as age, length in a role, and so on.
Employees in a probationary period are entitled to a shorter notice period, which is usually around two weeks. Probation generally lasts around three to six months.
Norway has particularly robust employee protections, so it’s crucial that proper procedures are followed, such as holding an official meeting about the termination where employees can bring a representative, and that employers have proper cause for termination.
Navigating employee terminations and handling severance packages can be complicated for companies expanding overseas for the first time. Horizons’ Norway PEO can mitigate risk for foreign companies and provide guidance through this process.
Norway’s extensive social benefits are funded by relatively high rates of taxation. Income tax is a flat rate of 22%, but there is an additional ‘tax bracket rate’ which works progressively, so higher earners pay more. This bracket tax ranges from 0% to 16.2%, depending on income level.
Employees must also make national insurance contributions, which is 8.2% of gross wage/salary income, with lower contribution rates for other forms of income such as pensions. Employers must also contribute to this fund. The rates vary depending on salary, but usually are between 16% and 29% of salary.
Employers also need to pay towards employee pension funds, but the exact terms can vary depending on your circumstances and your employees’ preferences.
For companies, the tax rates differ for either resident or non-resident businesses. Resident businesses are taxed on their worldwide incomes, and non-resident businesses are taxed only on Norway-based income. The rate of corporate tax is 22% of profits.
Norway has a universal public healthcare system, so all healthcare is free at the point of use. Because of this, it is not the norm for employers to offer private health insurance, but some do choose to as part of their benefits packages.
Norway does not have a legally regulated minimum wage. However, trade unions may have negotiated a minimum wage in some industries, so it’s important that you understand the relevant rules for your situation before hiring.
| Minimum Wage Country Comparison Chart | (Per month in USD) |
| Switzerland (Geneva) | $4,000 |
| Italy | $2,255 |
| Australia | $1996 |
| Algeria | $156 |
| Uzbekistan | $22 |
Setting up your Norwegian benefits system can be a confusing process if you are not familiar with the complex labor laws, language, and cultural differences. Be prepared for a time-consuming process and potential delays.
Horizons can help you bypass this complicated part of your Norway expansion by offering benefit system outsourcing that can save you time and money. Our experts will advise you on the best course of action and take care of your benefit setup and management, helping you focus on the rest of your expansion.
With Horizons, you get quick service, transparent pricing, and expert support.
A Norway PEO and a Norway EOR are two types of companies which specialize in providing human resources services to businesses in Norway.
The main difference between a Norway PEO and a Norway EOR is in the scope of their services.
Norway PEOs provide a full range of HR services, including payroll, benefits administration, and employee recruiting—all under one roof as a co-employer. Engaging a Norway PEO is essentially outsourcing your HR duties in Norway.
Norway EORs actually take over as the legal employer of your employees based abroad. Norway EORs become responsible for labor compliance for your employees in Norway.
At Horizons, we offer both PEO and EOR services in Norway. Get in touch now and let us know what service you are seeking.
A PEO in Norway can feasibly hire both local and foreign nationals to work in Norway.
However, the ability of Horizons to sponsor your foreign national employee in Norway may be limited due to visa quotas practiced in many countries.
Contact us with your requirements and our Global Mobility team with review the case and get back to you within 2 business days.
In most cases, Horizons’ Norway PEO can hire & onboard your employee within 24 hours. The actual start date of the employee will depend on their notice period obligation to their previous employer as well as any relevant hiring rules in Norway.
It is possible to get a work visa in Norway. Horizons’ Global Mobility team is a dedicated team of work visa experts. They assess the details of each case to determine feasibility and costs before Horizons applies for the work visa on behalf of your employee. If the Global Mobility team determines that your case is feasible, the process is smooth and transparent. Visa spots in Norway are limited, however—get started today to secure your employees’ visa spot.
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