Agreements with the UK
About how Brexit affects your social security rights, and which rules apply depending on when and where you have travelled.
How does Brexit affect your social security rights?
Even if the UK is no longer member of the EU, the EU regulation on the coordination of social security schemes still apply in some cases. This means that you might have the same social security rights as you would have had if UK were still a member of the EU.
If the EU rules on social security coordination do not apply, your social security rights will be coordinated under the social security agreement between the EEA/EFTA countries and the UK. Compared to the EU rules, this may mean that some of your entitlements could be somewhat limited. Read more about the agreement at regjeringen.no.
What applies to you?
To determine whether the EU rules on social security coordination still apply, it must be assessed what your situation was before and at the turn of the year 2020/2021, and what your situation has been since then.
The rules are based on a separation agreement between the EFTA countries and the UK. The rules on who will be covered are quite complex. However, below you will find some of the main features.
If you went to the UK for the first time after the turn of the year 2020/2021, the EU regulation on the coordination of social security schemes will normally not apply to your situation.
The social security agreement between Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and the UK contains provisions on the choice of law, i.e. whether you are to be covered by British or Norwegian social security rules. The agreement provides many of the same rights as the EU rules on social security coordination, including provisions on the aggregation of time.
The most important differences between the social security agreement and the EU coordination rules are that family benefits (child benefits, cash benefits and benefits for single parents) are not covered by the social security agreement. Basic benefits and assistance benefits are also not covered. In addition, unemployment benefits, Work Assesment Allowance (“AAP”) and disability benefits cannot be exported under the agreement, unlike the rules that apply within the EEA. There are also some other minor differences between the coordination regulation and the agreement.
If you go to the Isles of Jersey or Man, separate rules apply, which in some respects differ from the social security agreement. This is because the two islands have their own social security legislation. If you have moved from the Isles of Jersey or Man to live or work in Norway, you should contact Nav to check what rules apply.
If you went to Norway for the first time after the turn of the year 2020/2021, the EU regulation on the coordination of social security schemes will normally not apply to your situation.
The social security agreement between Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and the UK contain provisions on the choice of law, i.e. whether you are to be covered by British or Norwegian social security rules. The agreement provides many of the same rights as the EU rules on social security coordination, including provisions on the aggregation of time.
The most important differences between the social security agreement and the EU coordination rules are that family benefits (child benefits, cash benefits and benefits for single parents) are not covered by the social security agreement. Basic benefits and assistance benefits are also not covered. In addition, unemployment benefits, Work Assesment Allowance (“AAP”) and disability benefits cannot be exported under the agreement, unlike the rules that apply within the EEA. There are also some other minor differences between the coordination regulation and the agreement.
If you go from the Isles of Jersey or Man, separate rules apply, which in some respects differ from the social security agreement. This is because the two islands have their own social security legislation. If you have moved from the Isles of Jersey or Man to live or work in Norway, you should contact Nav to check what rules apply.
If you went to the UK before the turn of the year 2020/2021 and have been in UK without interruption since, the EU regulation on the coordination of social security schemes will still fully apply.
If you have earned social security time in the UK before the turn of the year 2020/2021, you will still be credited with this time, for example when calculating a pension in accordance with the EU regulations on the coordination of social security systems. This applies even if you returned to Norway before the year-end 2020.
If you went to Norway or another EEA/EU country before the year-end 2020/2021 and have been in Norway or other EEA/EU countries without interruption since, the EU regulation on the coordination of social security schemes will still fully apply.
If you have earned social security time in Norway before the year-end 2020/2021, you will still be credited with this time for example when calculating a pension in accordance with the EU regulations on coordination of social security schemes. This applies even if you returned to the UK before the year-end 2020.
Residency in Norway
To be insured in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme, your stay in Norway must be legal. Please see UDI's website on residence permits.
Updated 10/03/2025