The social security agreement between Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and UK

The agreement means, among other things, that people who settle in Norway do not lose social security rights they have earned in the UK, and that they are guaranteed access to necessary health care during their stay in the UK. Read more about the new social security agreement at regjeringen.no.

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, provided that you were covered by these rules before January 1 2021.

If EU’s rules on coordination of social security systems do not apply, social security rights will be coordinated by a social security agreement that has been concluded between Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway on one hand, and the UK on the other. This  agreement limits your social security rights somewhat, compared to the EU regulation on coordination of social security schemes.

It is stated in the separation agreement between the EFTA countries, which include Norway and the UK, who will still be covered by EU’s rules on coordination of social security systems. The rules on who will be covered are quite complex. However, below you will find some of the main features.

Did you go from Norway to the UK after the turn of the year 2020/2021?

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.

Did you go from the UK to Norway after the turn of the year 2020/2021?

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.

Did you go from Norway to the UK before the turn of the year 2020/2021?

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.

Did you go from the UK to Norway or another EEA/EU country before the year-end 2020/2021?

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.