Employee benefits and insurance

Insurance on business travel

During travels within Norway, you as an employee are covered by good insurance schemes and are entitled to necessary healthcare. However, this is not the case for travels abroad. Therefore, it is especially important that you as an employee find out what types of healthcare you are entitled to, and what insurances you have during stays abroad. NOTE: Membership in The Norwegian National Insurance Scheme is a prerequisite for most of these insurances.

In the public sector, there are special agreements that apply to employees traveling on assignments or on service for the state's account. There is one agreement for domestic travel and one for international travel. To be covered by the agreement for domestic travel, the travel must be imposed or approved and not be of a permanent nature. Abroad, the travel must be imposed and/or approved.

Travel in Norway

State employees are covered by the Occupational Injury Insurance Act during business travel while they are working on the trip. Additionally, employees are accident-insured throughout the trip (24-hour coverage) according to a special agreement on coverage of expenses for travel and meals domestically.

Furthermore, employees are covered by accident insurance throughout the trip both domestically and abroad, and when stationed abroad.

Travel abroad

State employees are covered by the Occupational Injury Insurance Act during business trips while they are working on the trip. Additionally, employees are accident-insured throughout the trip (24-hour coverage).

For stays outside the EEA area, the individual agency covers necessary expenses for treatment of illness and/or injury on travel at the state's expense, as well as documented expenses for possible repatriation not covered by The National Insurance or other schemes, including travel insurance in credit cards.

Damage or loss of travel goods

Damage to or loss of ordinary travel goods for personal use compensates a probable loss.

For particularly expensive/valuable items the employee brings, private insurance should be taken out.

In the assessment of whether the financial loss is to be covered wholly or partly, particular consideration is given to whether the traveler has shown ordinary diligence. Damage/loss must be reported immediately to the employer. An application for insurance settlement must be submitted within a reasonable time after returning home. If the employee has taken out their own insurances, these should be fully utilized before the state covers any of the damage/loss. When using own insurances, the deductible is covered.

Employees at UiT are covered by an occupational injury insurance at The Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. The insurance covers injuries incurred during work in Norway and abroad, when the other conditions of the law are met. When the trip is not a business trip, the employee must have their own travel insurance.

If you travel directly from a job-related trip to a private trip, paid with a private credit card, you must check the coverage level with the insurance company. Terms and coverage level depend on the type of card and card company and should always be checked before departure.

The agreement applies to permanent and temporary state employees who have their regular work on land and who temporarily perform service on board ships on expeditions.

Workers' compensation insurance provides, among other things, compensation for lost earnings due to work accidents or occupational injuries. The insurance is effective from the first day you work.

As an employee at UiT, you are covered for occupational injuries when you are at work at the workplace during working hours. Employees covered by the Main Tariff Agreement are additionally covered according to the rule in the agreement's general provisions on benefits for occupational injuries cf. general provision § 24.

The injured party is entitled to compensation according to the rules that overall provide the best compensation. As a student, you are covered for occupational injuries through the National Insurance Act at the place of education during teaching hours if you are a member of the Norwegian National Insurance. You are a member when you have legal residence in Norway and the stay is intended to last, or has lasted for at least 12 months.

Further about occupational injury insurance at the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund and the law on occupational injury insurance (Not available in English).

Occupational Injury Insurance Certificate: According to Norwegian law, one is insured for occupational injuries during work. We do not have an insurance certificate for occupational injuries. If you need further documentation in connection with a stay abroad, you must contact (to be announced).

Occupational injury insurance when working from home.

There are special rules that apply to occupational injury compensation when working from home. See more "Guideline for working from home for employees at UiT The Arctic University of Norway" (Not available in English). 

The group life insurance scheme at the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund provides security for your family if you die before reaching retirement age. If you are an employee at the time of death, your survivors may be entitled to receive a payout from the group life insurance. Everyone with a permanent position at UiT is covered by the group life insurance scheme. You are also covered by the group life insurance scheme if you have a part-time position or temporary employment, engagement, and temporary replacement. The compensation is paid out as a lump sum to the survivors. Read more about group life insurance at the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

UiT is self-insured, which means that compensation amounts are covered by the budget, without taking out insurance. In special cases, it is permissible to take out insurance. This applies, for example, if you bring expensive technical equipment to particularly risky operations/areas, or in particularly theft-prone countries.

UiT, as an employer, can be liable for compensation for employees' actions according to compensation law rules. The state is self-insured and cannot issue any form of insurance certificate.

Travel Insurance: For longer stays abroad (over a month), one usually needs to extend the number of days on their regular travel insurance or purchase travel insurance with a longer duration.

An important point to check is whether the travel insurance allows for "trips within the trip" without having to return to the permanent address.

See also the section on Travel Insurance

Insurance for Family Members

Family members who move with officials and civil servants to a service location abroad are covered by their own accident insurance. The insurance is valid throughout the stay abroad and includes spouse, partner, cohabitant, and children up to the age of 18, or through the year the child completes secondary school. See the State Personnel Handbook section 10.26.

Liability Insurance Certificate: UiT, as an employer, can be liable for compensation for employees' actions according to compensation law rules. The state is self-insured and cannot issue any form of insurance certificate.

Health Insurance: As a member of the Norwegian National Insurance and an EU/EEA citizen, you are entitled to be issued a European Health Insurance Card. This gives you the same rights to healthcare as the country's own citizens in EU/EEA countries. The card is valid for travels up to three months, see Helsenorge.no for more information.

S1 Certificate: If you are traveling for longer periods to one or more EU/EEA countries, you can apply for an S1 certificate which gives you the same rights to healthcare as the country's own citizens in EU/EEA countries, see Helsenorge.no for more information.

Addition to Employment Contract: For stays abroad lasting over a month (does not apply to conferences or seminars abroad), an addition to the employment contract must be filled out.

Employees who sustain an occupational injury while serving conscription in the Defense Forces or are in service for the Civil Defense are covered by compensation schemes under both the Defense Act and the Occupational Injury Insurance Act. For more information about insurance, pension schemes, loan opportunities, and other details about membership benefits, you can visit the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.