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The a-melding guide

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The a-melding guide

Table of content

Guidance cover page
  • Error messages (MAGNET/EDAG) and feedback List of error messages, feedback and how to make corrections
    • Overview of error messages (MAGNET/EDAG) Severity and how to correct mistakes
    • Feedback What is feedback
    • Replacement a-melding or new a-melding Two ways of submitting an a-melding when you have to make corrections
  • Organisation number Employer, pension company or others you're submitting the a-melding for
    • Legal organisation number and organisation number for enterprises Which number should you use when submitting the a-melding
    • Organisation number in public sector Applies to public sector
  • Pension scheme arrangement (mandatory occupational pension scheme) Private arbeidsgiver skal oppgi pensjonsselskap eller pensjonskasse det er inngått avtale om sparing med
  • National identity number, D number or international ID (income recipient) Identifies employees, pensioners and others who receive salary and benefits
  • Employment Type of employment, start and end date, leave, change of payroll system, etc.
    • Type of employment Whether the employment is ordinary, maritime or other, and how to change in the event of an error
      • Ordinary employment Employee who receive salary (applies to the vast majority)
      • Maritime employment Employee who works at sea, on a vessel or a mobile installation
      • Exceptions for ordinary and maritime employment Examples of when you do not need to provide information about ordinary or maritime working conditions.
      • Pensions or other benefits Person who receives a pension and other benefits without being employed or on assignment
      • Freelancers, contractors and fee recipients Person who works on an assignment without being employed
      • Select the correct employment type When you're uncertain which employment type you should select
      • Change the employment type Examples of how to switch from one employment type to another.
    • Information on employment Start and end date, FTE percentage, leave and other information
      • Employment start date
      • Employment end date
      • Cause of end date
      • Percentage employment (FTE percentage)
      • Date of change in FTE percentage
      • Hours per week for a full-time position
      • Working hours arrangement
      • Date for change of salary
      • Type of appointment (permanent or temporary)
      • Wage seniority
      • Pay grade
      • Occupation code
      • Employment ID
      • Leave
      • Layoffs
      • Remuneration type
    • Special circumstances Changing payroll system, merger, acquisition, merger of two municipalities, etc.
      • Employment in the case of salary to employee who has left
      • Change of payroll system
      • Change jobs with the same employer
      • Demerger
      • Mergers
      • Acquisition, change of owner or transfer of enterprise
      • Municipality and county mergers
  • Salary and benefits Cash benefit, expense allowances, payments in kind, national insurance contributions, pension, etc.
    • Overview of salary and other benefits Descriptions of salary and other benefits you can use
    • Correcting errors in salary and benefits Incorrect amount or description, paid too much or too little
  • Deductions Trade union fees , premiums for pension schemes and other deductions
    • Trade union fees
    • Premium for pension schemes
    • Premiums for foreign pension schemes
    • National Insurance premiums and education and development fund premiums
    • Portacabin rent
  • Withholding tax How to state obligation to deduct withholding tax, calculate and pay advance tax deduction
  • Attachment of earnings How to state obligation to attachement of earnings, calculate and pay attachment of earnings
  • Employer’s national insurance contributions and financial activity tax How to calculate, what you have to specify and pay
    • Employer’s National Insurance contributions Calculation codes, rates, zones and payment
    • Financial activity tax on salary Applies to the finance and insurance sector
  • Special groups International, seafarers, tax-free organisation, withholding tax on pensions, net salary, Jan Mayen and Svalbard
    • Abroad Foreign employers with assignments in Norway
    • Foreign relations Norwegian employers with employees abroad or with foreign employees in Norway
    • Special allowance for seafarers For seafarers who require a special allowance
    • Tax-free organisation How to specify salary and benefits for employees in tax-free organisations
    • Withholding tax on pensions Tax on pension payments for persons who are not tax resident in Norway
    • Net salary For employers who have employees with net salary
    • Jan Mayen and the Norwegian dependencies For persons who are covered by the Jan Mayen Tax Act
    • Svalbard For persons who are covered by the Svalbard Tax Act
  1. The a-melding guide
  2. Employment
  3. Information on employment
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Coronavirus - important information from the Tax Administration

  • Tax offices and SUA-offices opens for ID control
  • Package of measures: Apply for deferred payment, changes in rules and postponed deadlines

Leave

  • Updated: 14 February 2018

    Brief information concerning leave

    Specify leave if an employee is on full or partial leave from employment for 14 days or more. Applies to both continuous and non-continuous leave, as well as paid and unpaid leave.

    You can specify all leave, including shorter leave of less than 14 days’ duration, but this is not a requirement.


    The following are considered to constitute leave:

    The list is not exhaustive

    • Courses/studies etc. which are not required by an employer and which are granted in response to the employee's wishes
    • Absence in connection with care allowance and training allowance which lasts more than 14 days.
    • Leave after the end of a period with sickness benefit, e.g. upon transition to work assessment allowance
    • Leave referred to in Section 12 of the Working Environment Act, such as pregnancy leave, maternity leave, parental leave, leave to care for children admitted to hospital or severely ill children, care of close relatives (if lasting more than 14 days in total), military service, civic duty.
    • Course leave in accordance with tariff


    The following are not considered to constitute leave:

    • Courses, study, etc. which are either required or arranged by the employer
    • Employees who are granted leave to work for another employer. In this case, you should state the end date for the employment. This is because the employer responsibility is transferred to a new employer.
    • Employees who are ill and have to be off work because of a risk to the unborn child
    • Employees who are at home with sick children (sick child days)

     

    Partial leave

    You must specify the leave if partial leave has been agreed and periods extend beyond 14 days. This will for example apply if leave of one day a week is agreed over the next ten weeks. In this case, you must specify a leave percentage of 20 during the period.

     

    Several short periods of leave

    In the case of several shorter periods of leave, you should specify this as leave if the leave collectively lasts for 14 days or more over a 12-month period.

     

    Absence in connection with care allowance and sick child days

    If an employee Is off work due to a sick child, the absence must not be reported as leave, even if it lasts for longer than 14 days. This type of absence is often referred to as ‘sick child days’. It does not matter whether the absence is covered by the employer or NAV.

    Absence in order to care for a sick child or close relative which extends beyond sick child days must be reported as leave when it lasts more than 14 days. In such cases, the employee will receive care allowance from NAV under Section 9-10 (in Norwegian only) or 9-13 (in Norwegian only) of the National Insurance Act. Leave must also be reported if an employee is absent for more than 14 days due to training in looking after or caring for a sick child. In such cases, the employee will often be in receipt of training allowance from NAV.

     

    Long-term illness

    Less than 12 months:

    If an employee has been on full or partial sick leave continuously for less than 12 months, you must not specify this as welfare leave. The sickness absence does not alter the information that you must give concerning the employment in the a-melding. This applies regardless of whether it is you or the employer who receives sickness benefit from NAV.  

     

    More than 12 months:

    If an employee has been on full or partial sick leave continuously for more than 12 months and the employment is not terminated, you must specify this as leave. Under the Working Environment Act, employees have a protected period of 12 months. From the date on which the employer considers the protection period to be over and he decides to continue the employment, this must be reported as leave. This is irrespective of any sick leave or entitlement to sickness benefit from NAV. The leave can be either paid or unpaid.

    You must then specify leave corresponding to the normal working hours that the employee has been released from their obligation to work and for the period in excess of 12 months.

    If the employee is 100 percent absent, you must specify the leave percentage as 100. This applies regardless of whether or not the employee is entitled to remuneration from the employer or whether the employee receives benefits from NAV.

     

    Illness or other absence during pregnancy

    If an employee is ill during pregnancy or is unable to work due to a risk to the unborn child and receives pregnancy benefit from NAV, you must not specify this as leave.

    An employee who is pregnant may also be entitled to leave during their pregnancy which is not due to illness or a risk to the unborn child. This type of absence must be reported as welfare leave.

     

    Is it mandatory

    Yes, you must specify leave for all ordinary and maritime employment relationships when the employee is on leave.

    You must not specify leave for freelancers, contractors and fee recipients or for pensions or other non-employment benefits.

     

    The information you must provide

    When you specify leave, each entry must include:

    Description of leave Always
    Leave ID Always
    Leave start date Always
    Leave end date Always in the month in which the employee’s leave ends
    Leave percentage Always

     

    Description of leave

    Specify one of the following descriptions:  

    • Leave with parental benefits
    • Leave in connection with military service
    • Education leave
    • Welfare leave

     

    Leave with parental benefits

    When an employee receives parental benefits from NAV.

    Concerns:

    • Maternity leave (the mother’s entitlement during the first six weeks after the birth) 
    • Parental leave with parental benefits (both parents)

    The leave period is agreed between the employee and the employer.

     

    Leave in connection with military service

    When an employee takes leave in connection with mandatory or voluntary military service, etc.

     

    Education leave

    In the case of paid and unpaid leave in connection with education. Concerns leave specified in a collective agreement for education and courses and studies that are not statutorily required and which the employee wishes to take.

     

    Welfare leave

    For all other types of leave which are not covered by the descriptions above. Applies to both paid and unpaid leave.

    Examples:

    • Leave of absence for nursing mothers
    • Parental leave (leave for up to two years after the parental benefit period)
    • Care of close relatives - care allowance
    • Care of sick children - care allowance
    • Absence in order to participate in training in caring for sick children
    • Care leave (the entitlement of the father or another person who assists the mother to leave for two weeks in connection with birth)
    • Religious holidays
    • Civic duties
    • Pregnancy check-ups
    • Other type of absence granted by the employer

     

    Description of leave up to and including 2017

    For leave up to and including 2017, you must not use the leave descriptions above, but specify the description “leave” instead.

     

    Leave ID

    Leave ID is an identifier for the leave.

    Specify a unique ID for the leave. The ID must not be reused and is not time-dependent. If you reuse an ID, what you reported previously will be replaced by what you later report under the same ID.

    If you use a payroll or HR system, the leave ID will normally be generated when you create a new leave.

     

    Several types of leave at the same time

    If an employee has several types of leave during the same period, this should be specified as different types of leave with different leave IDs.  An example is a person who has 50 percent education leave at the same time as 20 percent parental leave. In this case, you must specify each of the leave types under a separate leave ID, period and percentage.

     

    Work during a period of leave

    If an employee works or is on a course for a number of days in the middle of a period of leave, the leave will not cease or be graded. Specify the combined leave with the same ID for the entire period.

     

    From paid to unpaid leave

    If a period of leave is altered from paid to unpaid, you must specify the same ID.

     

    Switching payroll system or accountant

    If you switch accountant, you will often have to switch to a new payroll system as well. When you switch your payroll system, you must transfer the information from one system to another. You can do this in one of three ways. For more information, see switching payroll system.

    Note!
    If you create a new leave ID in the new system, you will normally have to end the leave in the old system and set a new start date for the leave in the new system. The new start date must be the day after the end date in the old system.

     

    Leave start date

    Specify the date on which the leave starts and repeat the start date in each a-melding for as long as the leave continues.

     

    Leave end date

    Specify the date on which the leave ends.

    You can state an end date in the future if the date is known. You must then repeat the end date in each a-melding for as long as the leave continues.

     

    From leave to holiday or illness

    If an employee switches straight from leave to either holiday or sickness absence, you must end the leave. In such cases, the employee shall be regarded as in work even if they are not physically working. However, holiday or sickness absence during the leave period has no effect on the leave you are reporting.

     

    From leave to strike or lockout

    If an employee switches straight from leave to strike or lockout, you must end the leave. In such cases, the employee should be regarded as in work even if they are not physically working.

     

    Leave percentage

    Specify the percentage that the leave represents of the employee's agreed full-time equivalent (FTE) percentage. The percentage must be specified as more than 0 (can only be used if you are deleting a leave) and not more than 100.

     

    Examples

    Kari is employed in a part-time position with an FTE percentage of 80. She is on 50% leave from this part-time position. Specify 50 as the leave percentage.

    Jacob has an agreement concerning a day off every Friday over a four-month period. The leave is not continuous, but the same period of leave (same reason) is spread over time. As it is more than 14 days from the start date of the leave until the end date, they must report the leave. During this period, Jacob has 20 percent leave from a full-time position (100 percent FTE).

     

    When you must submit reports

    Specify the leave starting no later than the calendar month in which the leave starts and repeat until the leave is concluded.

     

    Changing the leave percentage

    In order to change the leave percentage, end the existing leave ID with the date on which the change took effect. Specify a new leave ID, leave description, new leave percentage and start date.

     

    Example

    Julie works in a shop and has agreed 80 percent leave from 1 February until 31 July.

    Later, Julie agrees a change in the leave percentage from 80 to 50 percent from 15 March.

    A­melding for February
    Description of leave Education leave
    Leave ID 2
    Start date of leave 1 February
    End date of leave 31 July
    Leave percentage 80

    They also enter the other mandatory information. 

     

    A-melding for mars
    Description of leave Education leave
    Leave ID 2
    Start date of leave 1 February
    End date of leave 14 March
    Leave percentage 80

     

    Description of leave Education leave
    Leave ID 3
    Start date of leave 15 March
    End date of leave 31 July
    Leave percentage 50

    They also enter the other mandatory information. 

    The shop must specify a new leave ID up to and including the a-melding for July.

     

     

    Correcting errors

    MAGNET_EDAG-114
    Invalid value
    MAGNET_EDAG-114B
    Invalid value for this calendar month
    MAGNET_EDAG-192
    Leave percentage is missing
    MAGNET_EDAG-192B
    Illogical period for leave of absence
    MAGNET_EDAG-192C
    Invalid leave ID
    MAGNET_EDAG-193
    Illogical period for leave of absence
    MAGNET_EDAG-231
    Leave information is missing
    MAGNET_EDAG-257
    Illogical start date and/or end date for leave of absence
    MAGNET_EDAG-271
    Invalid value
    MAGNET_EDAG-271
    Leave description has been changed from the previous report
    MAGNET_EDAG-286
    Leave percentage must be between 0 and 100

    See also the overview of all error messages

    If you have made an error when specifying leave but have not received an error message (MAGNET/EDAG) concerning this in feedback (A03), you can correct the error in the next a-melding. You do not need to correct previously submitted a-meldings.

    This concerns errors or omissions in information concerning:

    • Leave ID
    • Leave from date
    • Leave to date
    • Leave percentage

     

    Example – employer has specified the wrong type of leave

    A store submits an a-melding for March containing information about Nil’s education leave. It is the wrong specification. Nils is on a welfare leave. 

    The store provides the following information concerning incorrectly reported education leave:
    Leave ID 10
    Leave description education leave
    Start date of the leave 1 March
    End date of the leave 1 March
    Leave percentage 0

    They also enter the other obligatory information.

     

    The store provides the following information about Nils's welfare leave:
    Leave ID 20
    Leave description welfare leave
    Start date of the leave 1 March
    Leave percentage 80.00

    They also enter the other obligatory information.

    For more details concerning how to delete leave, see information below.

     

    Important information

    If you use a payroll system, please contact your system supplier if you are unsure how to correct reporting in your system.

     

    Deleting leave

    You can delete erroneously reported leave in one of two ways.

    1. Submit a new a-melding in which the start and end dates for the leave are set to the same date and the leave percentage is set to 0 percent.

      Use the same leave ID as used in the previous erroneous report(s). The Aa register must be able to unambiguously distinguish between leave lasting one day and an erroneously reported period of leave which is to be deleted. If you set the start date as equal to the end date and the leave percentage to 0 percent, this can be unambiguously interpreted in the register as the deletion of previously reported information.

    2. Submit a replacement a-melding which does not include the erroneously reported leave. You must then replace all reporting periods in which the leave has been specified incorrectly.

     

    What do we use the information for

    NAV uses information concerning leave in its case processing. From 2019 onwards, NAV will use information concerning leave directly in automatic case processing. To ensure accurate and expedient case processing, the accurate reporting of information as soon as it becomes known will be vital. In some cases, employees may be entitled to benefits from NAV even if they are on leave.  You should ideally report information concerning leave as soon as possible, so that NAV is able to reach decisions using accurate information.

    Statistics Norway (SS) uses the information to determine who is regarded as being employed.

    Information on leave is transferred to the Aa Register.

     

    Applicable regulations

    These regulations are only available in Norwegian.

    • A-opplysningsloven
    • A-opplysningsforskriften
    • Statistikkloven § 10
    • Folketrygdloven § 21-4
    • Folketrygdloven § 25-10
    • Forskrift om AA-registeret § 6
    • Arbeidsmiljøloven § 15-8

     

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