Payment of benefits from NAV to recipients living abroad

Norwegian bank account

If you have a bank account in Norway, it would be preferable that your benefits are paid to this account. Payment to a Norwegian bank account is the easiest and quickest method of transferring benefits from NAV. You can arrange for your Norwegian bank to make regular transfers from your Norwegian bank account to your foreign bank account or use a VISA card to make withdrawals from your Norwegian bank account when you are abroad.

Foreign bank account

If you do not have a Norwegian bank account, payment can be made to a bank in the country of residence (usually in local currency). The costs of transferring to your foreign bank will then be deducted from the payment. The charge is NOK 3 to bank accounts in foreign countries. For payment by cheque, the fee is NOK 100, -. You must cover any costs incurred in the foreign recipient bank related to such transfers.

Currency and exchange rate 

Payments are first set in Norwegian krone (NOK), therefore amounts paid may differ when the exchange rate changes. Payments are usually made using the latest exchange rate at the time of payment.

The pension payments, unemployment benefits and other benefits will normally be paid in the local currency of the country you live in.

This means that large significant fluctuations in the exchange rate between the Norwegian krone and the local currency will affect the amount paid to your account.

The transfer must be marked

When the payment is transferred to a foreign bank account, the transfer must be “marked” with an IBAN number (or SWIFT number / BIC address). If these are missing, the transfer charges may be higher.

If you are unsure whether your bank account has an IBAN or SWIFT number / BIC address, contact your bank for clarification.

Payment dates

Persons who receive payment from NAV to an account abroad can expect to receive their payment on account 1 to 2 days after the payment date to the Norwegian account. The dates shown in the overview payout dates apply to payments to an account in Norwegian bank. 

Benefit payment dates 

If you are receiving benefit payments to a bank account outside Norway you can expect to receive your payments between 1 to 2 working days after the payment date to a Norwegian account. The dates listed in the overview for benefit payment dates apply to Norwegian bank accounts.

Child benefit payments: There is no payment receipt for this.

Child benefit payments will be available in a Norwegian bank account on the last working day of the month. Child benefit payments to foreign accounts will be transferred two days before the payments are due to ensure those receiving child benefit payments abroad also receive their payments before the last working day of the month. 

Daily pension payments and other benefits that do not have a payment due date will be credited by a minimum of two days after domestic benefit payments as a result of the transfer times to foreign banks.

Child benefit

No payment notification is sent.

Your child benefit will be deposited in your Norwegian bank account no later than the last working day of the month. The bank will transfer your child benefit to your foreign bank account two days before the due date so that most persons receiving Norwegian child benefit abroad will receive payment by the last working day of the month.

Daily payments of pension or other benefits that do not have a future due date will be credited at least two days after the payment in Norway, due to the transfer time to foreign banks.

Delays in payments from NAV

If you have not received your pension or other benefits at the right time, the problem is usually with the foreign banking system or with your foreign bank, and therefore we request that you contact your foreign bank.

You will find information about delays due to NAV on nav.no.

Obligations when moving

When you move abroad, you must

• notify your local NAV office
• notify the National Population Register

We would like to point out that when moving abroad, you must contact the Norwegian Tax Administration about tax liability to Norway.