Check list - Membership in the National Insurance Scheme

1. Before going abroad, you should check whether your stay will affect your entitlements under the National Insurance Act

This applies particularly if you are taking a job in another country, residing abroad for more than one year, or whether you will be residing abroad for 6 months or more a year, for two or more consecutive years.

2. In order to be entitled to benefits from Norway, you must be a member of the National Insurance Scheme

If you are resident in Norway, you are a compulsory member of the National Insurance Scheme, but there are some exceptions. Voluntary membership also gives entitlement to benefits, depending on what coverage your voluntary membership provides. You can read more about compulsory membership under related content – questions and answers about membership.

3. When you come to work in Norway, you must contact the NAV Local Services Office in the municipality where you will be working

The general rule is that you must be a member of the social insurance scheme of the country in which you are working, but there are exceptions to this rule.

4. When you move to another EEA-country, your membership of the National Insurance Scheme ceases

Get in touch with your NAV Local Services Office, so that they can decide on the termination of your membership. NAV will send a copy of the decision to the Norwegian Tax Administration so that national insurance contributions are not deducted.

5. When you move to a country outside the EEA, your membership of the National Insurance Scheme ceases

Get in touch with your NAV Local Services Office, so that they can decide on the termination of your membership. NAV will send a copy of the decision to the Norwegian Tax Administration so that national insurance contributions are not deducted.

6. Even if you are not entitled to compulsory membership, you may have the right to voluntary membership

You can read more about the difference between compulsory and voluntary membership under questions and answers about membership.

7. Pensioners and moving to another EEA-country

You will not retain your Norwegian membership when you report that you are moving to another EEA-country. Get in touch with NAV Health Service Administration to obtain information about how your move will affect your health entitlements.

8. Employees in Norway with family members residing in another EEA-country

Family members who are resident in another EEA-country are not members of the National Insurance Scheme in Norway. If your spouse is a member as an employee in Norway, your spouse’s membership gives you some entitlements as a family member. For information, get in touch with the NAV Local Services Office in the municipality where the employed person is working.

9. When you take up work in another EEA-country, your membership of the National Insurance Scheme ceases

There are exceptions to this general rule. For information, get in touch with NAV National Office for Social Insurance Abroad.

10. When you take up work in a country outside the EEA, your membership of the National Insurance Scheme ceases

There are exceptions to this general rule. For information, get in touch with NAV National Office for Social Insurance Abroad.

11. Social security agreements between countries can affect your membership when you come to Norway and when you leave Norway

The EEA-Agreement is a social security agreement, but Norway has social security agreements with countries outside Europe as well. You can read more about social security agreements under Membership -  Social Insurance Agreements.