Survivor’s pension
BENEFITS
|Updated 19. September 2023
Survivor’s pension in brief
Copy linkLink successfully copiedSurvivor’s pension ensures you have income if you lose your spouse, partner or cohabitant with whom you have joint children. In certain cases, you can receive support if you used to be married to the deceased.
If you are bereaved after 30 November 2023, you can apply for adjustment allowance.
Survivor's pension may be time-limited
The Norwegian Parliament has adopted new rules regarding survivor's pension through the National Insurance Act from 1 January 2024.
This applies to those who already receive a survivor's pension:
- The survivor's pension will be limited to three years.
- If you were born in 1970 or earlier and have had a low income in recent years, it may be possible to receive support until you have reached the age of 67.
Read more about the new rules for survivor's pension
Survivor’s pension is for people who have lost a close family member (in Norwegian)
Survivor’s pension in brief
Copy linkLink successfully copiedSurvivor’s pension ensures you have income if you lose your spouse, partner or cohabitant with whom you have joint children. In certain cases, you can receive support if you used to be married to the deceased.
If you are bereaved after 30 November 2023, you can apply for adjustment allowance.
Survivor's pension may be time-limited
The Norwegian Parliament has adopted new rules regarding survivor's pension through the National Insurance Act from 1 January 2024.
This applies to those who already receive a survivor's pension:
- The survivor's pension will be limited to three years.
- If you were born in 1970 or earlier and have had a low income in recent years, it may be possible to receive support until you have reached the age of 67.
Read more about the new rules for survivor's pension
Survivor’s pension is for people who have lost a close family member (in Norwegian)
Who is entitled to this pension?
Copy linkLink successfully copiedYou may be entitled to survivor’s pension if:
- you were married to the deceased at the time of their death and the marriage had lasted at least 5 years
- you were married to the deceased at the time of their death and you have or had joint children
- you were separated at the time of death. If you were separated you will still be considered to be legally married
- you were living with the deceased at the time of their death and you have or had joint children
- you had been living with the deceased for more than 5 years at the time of their death and you had previously been married to each other
- you were divorced from the deceased and have not remarried. As a general rule, you will receive survivor’s pension if your divorced spouse dies within 5 years of the divorce and the marriage had lasted at least 25 years, or at least 15 years if you have children together
- you had previously lived together as cohabiting partners for at least 15 years and have or had joint children, and it has been less than 5 years since you moved apart. The number of years you lived together as cohabiting partners is calculated from the date your joint child was born
As a general rule, the deceased must have been a member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme for the last 5 years before their death. In some cases, membership of social security schemes in other EEA countries may be treated as equivalent to membership of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme.
A surviving partner has the same rights as a surviving spouse.
Did the marriage last less than 5 years?
If the marriage lasted less than 5 years and you do not have joint children, or if you have daily care of the deceased’s children, you may be entitled to transitional benefit for a surviving spouse or partner.
Are you on a pension or disability benefit?
If you are receiving a pension or have reached the age of 67 years, you can receive a survivor’s supplement to your old-age pension. See the section What happens when you become a pensioner?
See what rules apply if you are on disability benefit.
Children’s pension
Surviving children may be entitled to a children’s pension.
Death caused by an occupational injury or occupational illness
If a person’s death was caused by an approved occupational injury or occupational illness, their survivors may be entitled to survivor’s pension according to special rules. For example, the requirements concerning membership of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme are less strict, and the requirements regarding the duration of the marriage or joint children do not apply.
How much are you entitled to?
Copy linkLink successfully copiedYour survivor’s pension will be calculated on the basis of the deceased’s earned pension, with a reduction based on your income. The pension consists of basic pension, supplementary pension and/or any special supplements.
Basic pension
Basic pension is calculated on the basis of the deceased’s period of national insurance cover. In order to receive a full basic pension, the deceased’s period of national insurance cover must be at least 40 years (i.e. their period of residence in Norway).
New cohabiting partner reduces your basic pension
Your basic pension will be reduced if you start living with a new partner. Once you have been living with your partner for at least 12 of the last 18 months, your basic pension will be reduced to 90 per cent. With a period of national insurance cover of 40 years, this corresponds to NOK 106,758.
Remember to notify NAV if you start living with a new partner.
Supplementary pension
Supplementary pension is calculated on the basis of your deceased spouse or cohabitant’s previous earned income and their earned pension.
Your supplementary pension constitutes 55 per cent of the supplementary pension the deceased would have received if they had been entitled to disability pension or old-age pension (at the time of their death).
Special supplement
You can receive a special supplement if your deceased spouse or cohabitant has little or no earned supplementary pension.
Pension earnings from abroad
If the deceased has accumulated pension rights in a country with which Norway has a social security agreement, you may also be entitled to a pension from that country.
How does earned income from work affect survivor’s pension?
Your survivor’s pension will be reduced if you have or can be expected to have your own earned income.
If your earned income from work is higher than half the national insurance basic amount (“G”) , which currently corresponds to NOK 59,310, 40 per cent of the excess will be deducted from the benefit. How much you will receive will thus depend on both your income and the deceased’s income.
As a general rule, NAV expects you to maintain your previous income level, and that you earn at least two times the national insurance basic amount (“G”), which currently corresponds to NOK 237,240.
You may be exempt from the requirement regarding earned income if you have not worked for a long period of time before the deceased died and you were 55 years of age or older at the time of their death. In addition, exemption from the requirement may also be granted if you have health problems, if you have the care of a child under the age of 3 years old, if you have the care of a child with special care needs, or other care responsibilities.
If you were living with the deceased at the time of their death, the first year is considered a transitional period, during which you are not required to earn income.
Examples of how survivor’s pension and transitional benefit for survivors are calculated.
Exampel 1 | |
| Your income | 500 000 |
| Minus ½ G (as per 1 May 2021): | - 53 200 |
| = 446 800 | |
| From this sum, 40 per cent is deducted: 446 800 x 40 per cent = NOK 178 720. In other words, your survivor’s pension or transitional benefit for survivors will be reduced by NOK 178,800 per year, which corresponds to NOK 14,893 per month. If the deceased had low pension earnings, the calculation might look like this: | |
| The deceased’s pension earnings converted into a monthly pension | 15 500 |
| Deduction due to your monthly income | - 14 893 |
| Monthly survivor’s pension / transitional benefit for survivors | = 607 |
Example 2 | |
| Your income | 350 000 |
| Minus ½ G (as per 1 May 2021) | - 53 200 |
| = 296 800 | |
| From this sum, 40 per cent is deducted: 296 800 x 40 per cent = 118 720 kroner. In other words, your survivor’s pension or transitional benefit for survivors will be reduced by NOK 118,720 per year, which corresponds to NOK 9,893 per month. If the deceased had low pension earnings, the calculation might look like this: | |
| The deceased’s pension earnings converted into a monthly pension | 20 000 |
| Deduction due to your monthly income | - 9 893 |
| Monthly survivor’s pension / transitional benefit for survivors | = 10 107 |
Other benefits for survivors
Copy linkLink successfully copiedIf you are working, have children, are a genuine job seeker, are going to school or are studying, you may also be entitled to more support from NAV.
Some people may also be entitled to a survivor’s pension from a private occupational pension scheme.
If you have children, you may be entitled to extended child benefit.
If you are in work and have children, you may be entitled to child care benefit for survivors.
You may also be entitled to benefit to cover supervision of children and other family members if you are registered as a genuine job seeker.
You may be entitled to supplemental benefit for a surviving spouse if you are taking an approved education. The education must be necessary and appropriate to help you find work or keep your job.
You may also be entitled to an allowance to cover tuition fees for a surviving spouse.
Private occupational pension
Many employees are members of an occupational pension scheme through their workplace. Some of these pension schemes provide a pension for survivors, often with slightly different criteria from those that apply to survivor’s pension from the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme.
If appropriate, contact the deceased’s last employer, if the deceased was in work when they died.
How long can you receive this pension for?
Copy linkLink successfully copiedNAV offers various services and support schemes for those who need help finding a job (information in Norwegian):
If you are undertaking an education that NAV means is necessary for you to get a job and support yourself, you may get additional benefits. The same applies if you are registered as a jobseeker with NAV (information in Norwegian):
If you have had little or no employment income, you may be entitled to payment until you are 67 years old. It is your income in 2019-2023 that determines whether you are entitled to the payments.
Who can keep the payments until age 67 years?
Your employment income must have been below 3 times the average national inurance basic amount (G) in 2022 and 2023:
| Average basic amount (G) x 3: | |
| 2022 | 329 352 kroner |
| 2023 | 348 717 kroner |
In addition, your employment income in 2019-2023 must have been below 2 times the basic amount (G) on average:
| Average basic amount (G) x 2: | |
| 2019 | 197 732 kroner |
| 2020 | 201 706 kroner |
| 2021 | 209 432 kroner |
| 2022 | 219 568 kroner |
| 2023 | 232 478 kroner |
NAV needs to know your income for 2023 in order to assess whether you can keep financial support until you turn 67. The earliest we can see if you are entitled to financial support is in the autumn of 2024 when the figures from the Tax Agency are ready.
If you keep the financial support until you turn 67, your pension will be recalculated from 1 January 2029. This may mean that you will receive lower payments from 2029.
When might you lose your survivor’s pension?
Survivor’s pension will stop if you
- remarry
- have a child with a cohabiting partner
- start living with someone you have previously been married to
- start living with someone you have or have had children with
What happens when you become a pensioner
You cannot combine survivor’s pension with a public-sector contractual early retirement pension (AFP). In some cases, survivor’s pension may be combined with a private-sector contractual early retirement pension (AFP) that you started drawing after 2011.
Survivor’s pension stops when you turn 67 years at the latest, or if you start drawing your old-age pension before the age of 67.
Survivor’s supplement to your old-age pension
As an old-age pensioner, you may be entitled to a survivor’s supplement to your old-age pension.
If your own earned pension is higher than the deceased’s, you will not receive a supplement to your old-age pension.
If you lose your spouse, cohabitant or partner, you may be entitled to an additional supplement to your old-age pension.
As a surviving spouse, registered partner or cohabitant, you may be entitled to a higher old-age pension than the one you have earned yourself. If you are a surviving cohabiting partner, you are only entitled to this if you have or have had children with your cohabiting partner who is now deceased, or have previously been married to your cohabiting partner who is now deceased.
If you were divorced from the deceased, you may have rights as a survivor under certain conditions.
In order to receive old-age pension with rights as a survivor, you must meet the same criteria as for survivor’s pension.
If you are already receiving old-age pension when your spouse, partner or cohabitant dies, you may be entitled to a higher old-age pension, because you benefit from the deceased’s earned pension. Once the death has been registered with NAV, you will receive a letter informing you about your rights.
NAV will follow up your case and assess whether entitlements from your deceased spouse qualify you for a higher pension, even if we do not receive an application from you. We will follow up on your case within 3 months of the deceased’s death. If we do not have enough information, we will contact you and ask you to send it to us.
If you are already receiving your own old-age pension, you will have your pension converted into the rates for single pensioners.
How to apply if you were divorced from the deceased
If you were divorced from the deceased, you may nevertheless have rights as a survivor in some cases.
You must submit a paper application. It is important that you fill in all the relevant fields and submit all the necessary documentation, so that your case can be processed promptly. You will be notified as you fill in the application if you need to provide documentation of any of the information you have provided.
Application for survivors’ benefits – form no. NAV 17-01.05
Have you been informed that you need to submit an application?
If you receive information from NAV that you need to submit an application in order for us to assess your pension entitlements, this is because
- you live abroad and your deceased spouse, partner or cohabitant did not receive old-age pension, disability benefit or contractual early retirement pension from NAV, or
- you are under the age of 67 and have not started drawing your old-age pension
You must submit a paper application. It is important that you fill in all the relevant fields and submit all the necessary documentation, so that your case can be processed promptly. You will be notified as you fill in the application if you need to provide documentation of any of the information you have provided.
Application for survivors’ benefits – form no. NAV 17-01.05
Other benefits from NAV will not be affected by the changes in the old-age pension. If you are receiving an occupational pension, you will be notified by your pension scheme if there are going to be any changes in the payments you receive from them.
Your year of birth is important when NAV calculates pensions for old-age pensioners with entitlements from a deceased spouse or spousal equivalent
For survivors born before 1943, the rules are as follows:
- Your basic pension should usually constitute a full basic pension, but will be reduced in line with the rules in section 3-2.
- Your supplementary pension will be 55 per cent of your own earned supplementary pension and 55 per cent of the deceased’s earned supplementary pension. You keep your own earned supplementary pension if it is higher than 55 per cent of both parties’ supplementary pensions.
- You will receive a pension supplement if the sum total of your basic pension and supplementary pension is lower than the minimum pension level at the special higher rate.
- If you have a reduced pension because you have a reduced period of national insurance cover, the period of national insurance cover of the party with the highest pension earnings will be used as the basis for your future pension.
For survivors born between 1943 and 1954, the rules are as follows:
- Your basic pension should usually constitute a full basic pension, but will be reduced in line with the rules in section 3-2.
- Your supplementary pension will be 55 per cent of your own earned supplementary pension and 55 per cent of the deceased’s earned supplementary pension. You keep your own earned supplementary pension if it is higher than 55 per cent of both parties’ supplementary pensions.
- A pension supplement is granted if the sum total of your basic pension and supplementary pension is lower than the minimum pension level at the special higher rate.
- If you have a reduced pension because you have a reduced period of national insurance cover, the period of national insurance cover of the party with the highest pension earnings will be used as the basis for your future pension.
- Your total old-age pension including your entitlements from the deceased will be calculated on the basis of the same life expectancy adjustment and regulation as your pension before the deceased died.
- If you are under the age of 67 years, you cannot receive survivor’s pension if you are already receiving old-age pension. The same applies if you are receiving graded old-age pension. However, if you had set your withdrawal percentage on your old-age pension to 0 before the deceased died, you may nevertheless be entitled to survivor’s pension.
Are you receiving survivor’s pension and are considering applying for old-age pension?
If you are receiving a pension as a surviving spouse, this pension will stop when you turn 67 years of age. However, if you have sufficient pension earnings, you can choose to start drawing your old-age pension before you turn 67. If you do so, you will no longer qualify for survivor’s pension. Your old-age pension will then be calculated with entitlements from the deceased.
Please note that you cannot return to receiving survivor’s pension once you have chosen to start drawing your old-age pension.
When assessing whether you meet the conditions for being able to start drawing your old-age pension before you turn 67, we take only your own earned pension into account. If you meet the conditions, your additional entitlements as a survivor will also be calculated with the same life expectancy adjustment as your own earned old-age pension.
Are you a surviving spouse and want to apply for survivor’s pension or old-age pension?
If you are under the age of 67 and are not receiving survivor’s pension, you can choose between old-age pension and survivor’s pension. If you choose old-age pension, you will be able to receive old-age pension that includes entitlements from the deceased.
Please note that you cannot receive survivor’s pension once you have chosen to start drawing your old-age pension. If you would like more information or help calculating your pension, do not hesitate to contact us on (+47) 55 55 33 34.
If you apply for old-age pension after you have turned 67 years and you are a survivor, we will assess whether you can have pension earnings from the deceased included in your old-age pension.
If you lose your spouse, cohabitant or partner, you may be entitled to an additional supplement to your old-age pension.
As a surviving spouse, registered partner or cohabitant, you may be entitled to a higher old-age pension than the one you have earned yourself. If you are a surviving cohabiting partner, you are only entitled to this if you have or have had children with your cohabiting partner who is now deceased, or have previously been married to your cohabiting partner who is now deceased.
If you were divorced from the deceased, you may have rights as a survivor under certain conditions.
In order to receive old-age pension with rights as a survivor, you must meet the same criteria as for survivor’s pension.
Are you receiving survivor’s pension and are considering applying for old-age pension?
If you are receiving a pension as a surviving spouse, this pension will stop when you turn 67 years of age. Your old-age pension will then be calculated with additional entitlements from the deceased. However, if you have sufficient pension earnings, you can choose to start drawing your old-age pension with additional entitlements from the deceased before you turn 67 years. If you do so, you will no longer qualify for survivor’s pension. Please note that you cannot return to receiving survivor’s pension once you have chosen to start drawing your old-age pension.
When assessing whether you meet the conditions for being able to start drawing your old-age pension before you turn 67, we look only at your own earned pension. If you meet the conditions, your additional entitlements as a survivor will also be calculated with the same life expectancy adjustment as your own earned old-age pension.
Are you a surviving spouse and want to apply for survivor’s pension or old-age pension?
If you are under the age of 67 and are not receiving survivor’s pension, you can choose between old-age pension and survivor’s pension. If you choose old-age pension, you will be able to have additional entitlements from the deceased included in your pension. Please note that you cannot receive survivor’s pension once you have chosen to start drawing your old-age pension.
If you would like more information or help calculating your pension, do not hesitate to contact us on (+47) 55 55 33 34. If you apply for old-age pension after you have turned 67 years and you are a survivor, we will assess whether you can have pension earnings from the deceased included in your old-age pension.
What happens to your pension when your spouse, cohabitant or partner dies?
If you are already receiving old-age pension when your spouse, partner or cohabitant dies, you may be entitled to a higher old-age pension, because you benefit from the deceased’s earned pension. Once the death has been registered with NAV, you will receive a letter informing you about your rights.
NAV will follow up your case and assess whether entitlements from your deceased spouse qualify you for a higher pension, even if we do not receive an application from you. We will follow up on your case within 3 months of the deceased’s death. If we do not have enough information, we will contact you and ask you to send it to us.
If you are already receiving your own old-age pension, you will have your pension converted into the rates for single pensioners.
How to apply if you were divorced from the deceased
If you were divorced from the deceased, you may nevertheless have rights as a survivor in some cases.
You must submit a paper application. It is important that you fill in all the relevant fields and submit all the necessary documentation, so that your case can be processed promptly. You will be notified as you fill in the application if you need to provide documentation of any of the information you have provided.
Application for survivors’ benefits – form no. NAV 17-01.05
Have you been informed that you need to submit an application?
If you receive information from NAV that you need to submit an application in order for us to assess your pension entitlements, this is because
- you live abroad and your deceased spouse, partner or cohabitant did not receive old-age pension, disability benefit or contractual early retirement pension from NAV, or
- you are under the age of 67 and have not started drawing your old-age pension
You must submit a paper application. It is important that you fill in all the relevant fields and submit all the necessary documentation, so that your case can be processed promptly. You will be notified as you fill in the application if you need to provide documentation of any of the information you have provided.
Application for survivors’ benefits – form no. NAV 17-01.05
Other benefits from NAV will not be affected by the changes in the old-age pension. If you are receiving an occupational pension, you will be notified by your pension scheme if there are going to be any changes in the payments you receive from them.
For people born in the period 1954–1957 who started drawing their old-age pension with additional entitlements as a survivor before 1 January 2020, the rules are as follows:
You will receive old-age pension calculated according to a combination of both the old and the new rules. If you were born in 1954, one tenth of your pension will be calculated according to the new rules and nine tenths will be calculated according to the old rules. If you were born the following year, two tenths of your pension will be calculated according to the new rules, and eight tenths will be calculated according to the old rules; and so on and so forth.
The additional entitlements as a survivor in the old-age pension under the old rules are different from the survivor’s supplement to the old-age pension under the new rules. Under the old rules, additional entitlements as a survivor in the old-age pension are calculated as follows:
- Your basic pension should usually constitute a full basic pension, but may be reduced. The length of your period of national insurance cover, your marital status and a number of other factors affect the size of your basic pension.
- Your basic pension will be calculated on the basis of the deceased’s period of national insurance cover if this is longer than your period of national insurance cover.
- Your supplementary pension will be 55 per cent of your own earned supplementary pension and 55 per cent of the deceased’s earned supplementary pension. You keep your own earned supplementary pension if it is higher than 55 per cent of both parties’ supplementary pensions.
- You will receive a pension supplement if the sum total of your basic pension and supplementary pension is lower than the minimum pension level at the special higher rate.
- Your total old-age pension including your entitlements from the deceased will be calculated on the basis of the same life expectancy adjustment and regulation as your pension before the deceased died.
- You cannot receive survivor’s pension if you are already receiving old-age pension. The same applies if you are receiving graded old-age pension. However, if you had set your withdrawal percentage on your old-age pension to 0 before the deceased died, you may nevertheless be entitled to survivor’s pension.
In addition, you will receive survivor’s supplement on that part of your old-age pension that is calculated using the new rules. This supplement is calculated as the difference between the old-age pension with additional entitlements as a survivor in accordance with the old rules for pension earning and your own old-age pension, calculated using the old pension earning rules.
The difference must be positive in order for you to qualify for survivor’s supplement. The supplement will be adjusted for the proportion of your old-age pension that is calculated according to the new rules for pension earning. For example, people born in 1956 will receive 3/10 of the survivor’s supplement.
For people born in the period 1954–1962 who started drawing their old-age pension with additional entitlements as a survivor after 1 January 2020, the rules are as follows:
- Your basic pension should usually constitute a full basic pension, but may be reduced. The length of your period of national insurance cover, your marital status and a number of other factors affect the size of your basic pension.
- Your basic pension will be calculated on the basis of the deceased’s period of national insurance cover if this is longer than your period of national insurance cover.
- Your supplementary pension will be 55 per cent of your own earned supplementary pension and 55 per cent of the deceased’s earned supplementary pension. You keep your own earned supplementary pension if it is higher than 55 per cent of both parties’ supplementary pensions.
- A pension supplement is granted if the sum total of your basic pension and supplementary pension is lower than the minimum pension level at the special higher rate.
- Your total old-age pension including your entitlements from the deceased will be calculated on the basis of the same life expectancy adjustment and regulation as your pension before the deceased died.
- If you are under the age of 67 years, you cannot receive survivor’s pension if you are already receiving old-age pension. The same applies if you are receiving graded old-age pension. However, if you had set your withdrawal percentage on your old-age pension to 0 before the deceased died, you may nevertheless be entitled to survivor’s pension.
Only people who can start drawing their old-age pension with additional entitlements as a survivor before 1 January 2020 are entitled to a survivor’s supplement to the old-age pension under the new pension earning rules.
Are you receiving disability benefit
Survivor’s pension stops if you are entitled to and are granted disability benefit. It is your choice whether you want to carry on receiving survivor’s pension or prefer to receive disability benefit with an additional survivor’s supplement. Read more about additional survivor’s in the disability benefit and how to apply.
Note: you have to make this decision before you are granted disability benefit. If you wish to continue receiving survivor’s pension, you will have to withdraw your application for disability benefit before it is granted. Write to us if you want to withdraw your application for disability benefit.
Once NAV has granted disability benefit, this decision is binding, and you can no longer choose to retain your survivor’s pension.
Rule changes
Copy linkLink successfully copiedThe Norwegian Parliament has adopted new rules regarding the survivor’s pension from 1 January 2024.
If you already receive a survivor's pension, the general rule is that you will keep it for 3 years.
For those who are bereaved after 30 November 2023, the rules for adjustment allowance will apply:
New rules for survivors from 2024
The current survivor’s pension will be replaced by an adjustment allowance. The allowance is intended to guarantee an income and to help you help yourself in an adjustment period after the death. After 6 months, you will normally be expected to have found employment or be participating in another type of activity, so that you can eventually provide for yourself.
These changes will likely take effect from 1 January 2024.
What is an adjustment allowance?
- A time-limited benefit that normally only lasts 3 years.
- The benefit may be extended by up to 2 years, if you need help finding employment, such as completing an education or work training.
- If you were born in 1962 or earlier and you had a low earned income in the last five years before the death, you may keep the benefit until you turn 67 years old.
- The benefit is 2.25 times the National Insurance basic amount G, currently NOK 266,895, depending on the period of national insurance coverage for the person who died.
- If your income exceeds 0.5 times G, currently NOK 59,310, the benefit will be reduced.
- The benefit is regarded as pensionable income.
There are also changes for survivors receiving retirement pension.
When is the money paid out?
Copy linkLink successfully copiedSee payment dates:
Please be aware that these dates are when NAV guarantees you will have the money in your account.
| Payment dates in 2023 |
|---|
| 20. January |
| 20. February |
| 20. March |
| 20. April |
| 16. May |
| 20. June |
| 20. July |
| 18. August |
| 20. September |
| 20. October |
| 20. November |
| 12. December |
In your payment overview, you can see upcoming payments several days before the actual payment date.
The time of day when the payment will be credited to your account will vary, as it is your bank that transfers the payment into your account. Payments can therefore arrive in your account in the afternoon or evening.
Holiday pay
There is no holiday pay on this benefit.
Tax deductions
Tax is deducted from the money.
Tax is deducted at the ordinary rate in June. No tax will be deducted in December, except for withholding tax or Svalbard tax.
To and from abroad
Copy linkLink successfully copiedFor people who are going abroad
First, you need to find out whether you will retain your membership of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme while you are abroad.
Contact NAV to check whether you can keep your financial support during your temporary stay or permanent move abroad.
You may be entitled to pension payments abroad pursuant to the National Insurance Act.
Are you going to retain your membership of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme?
If you move to another country, you do not retain your membership of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme, but you may be entitled to health services in your new country of residence. For more information about this, contact the Norwegian Health Economics Administration (HELFO).
Can you take your survivor’s pension with you?
If you move to an EEA country, you will usually continue to receive your survivor’s pension from the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme.
However, there are restrictions on the right to receive survivor’s pension abroad for certain groups of people. This applies to the special entitlements in the calculation of pensions for
- persons who are the survivors of young disabled people
Survivor’s pension granted under the exemption rules regarding the length of the deceased’s membership of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme prior to their death will not be paid if the survivor moves away from Norway.
Which countries are EEA countries?
See an overview of the EEA (European Economic Area) countries.
Switzerland and the Faroe Islands are not EEA countries, but the EEA rules on pensions also apply in these countries.
Your obligations if you move
If you move abroad, you must:
- notify NAV
- register the move in the Norwegian National Registry
Please note that if you move abroad, you must contact the Norwegian Tax Administration regarding your duty to pay tax to Norway.
A social security agreement between Norway and the country you are moving to may provide you with extended entitlement to pension payments.
Are you going to retain your membership of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme?
If you move to another country, you do not retain your membership of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme, but you can apply for voluntary membership. You will get this if you have lived in Norway for at least 30 years after the age of 16 and at least 10 of the years were immediately before you moved abroad.
Can you take your survivor’s pension with you?
According to the rules in the Norwegian National Insurance Act, you can take survivor’s pension from the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme with you when you move abroad if you or the deceased lived in Norway for at least 20 years between the ages of 16 and 67 years. This applies regardless of which country you are moving to.
If your period of residence in Norway is shorter than 20 years, but you have a supplementary pension from the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme, you will receive this and basic pension on the basis of the same number of years as your supplementary pension is based on, regardless of which country you move to.
Social security agreements that Norway has with other countries may provide extended entitlement to continue receiving your survivor’s pension from the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme after you have moved to the country with which Norway has a social security agreement.
However, there are restrictions on the right to receive survivor’s pension abroad for certain groups of people. This applies to the special entitlements in the calculation of pensions for
- persons who are the survivors of young disabled people
Survivor’s pension granted under the exemption rules regarding the length of the deceased’s membership of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme prior to their death will not be paid if the survivor moves away from Norway.
Countries outside the EEA that Norway has a social security agreement with
If you move to one of these countries, you may have extended entitlement to pension payments:
United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Quebec, Chile, Turkey, Australia, Israel, India, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro.
Your obligations if you move
If you move abroad, you must:
- notify NAV
- register the move in the Norwegian National Registry
Please note that if you move abroad, you must contact the Norwegian Tax Administration regarding your duty to pay tax to Norway.
You may be entitled to pension payments abroad pursuant to the National Insurance Act.
Are you going to retain your membership of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme?
If you move to another country, you do not retain your membership of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme, but you can apply for voluntary membership. You will get this if you have lived in Norway for at least 30 years after the age of 16 and at least 10 of the years were immediately before you moved abroad.
Can you take your survivor’s pension with you?
According to the rules in the Norwegian National Insurance Act, you can take survivor’s pension from the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme with you when you move abroad if you or the deceased lived in Norway for at least 20 years between the ages of 16 and 67 years. This applies regardless of which country you are moving to.
If your period of residence in Norway is shorter than 20 years, but you have a supplementary pension from the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme, you will receive this and basic pension on the basis of the same number of years as your supplementary pension is based on, regardless of which country you move to.
Social security agreements that Norway has with other countries may provide extended entitlement to continue receiving your survivor’s pension from the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme after you have moved to the country with which Norway has a social security agreement.
Your obligations if you move
If you move abroad, you must:
- notify NAV
- register the move in the Norwegian National Registry
Please note that if you move abroad, you must contact the Norwegian Tax Administration regarding your duty to pay tax to Norway.
Moving to Norway
As a general rule, you must be a member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme in order to be entitled to survivor’s pension.
Duty to report changes
Copy linkLink successfully copiedIf there are any changes in your income, family situation and/or work situation, or if you are planning to spend some time abroad, this may have an impact on the financial support you receive from NAV. You must therefore notify NAV immediately in the event of these kinds of changes.
Application and documentation
Copy linkLink successfully copiedYou can apply online or on paper. If you apply online, you do not need to submit documentation.
If you do not have electronic ID, you can submit a paper application. In this case, you must provide documentation of your income by means of a copy of your last three pay slips, last year’s tax return and your employment contract or similar.
Paper applications may take slightly longer to process.
You will receive a written decision once your application has been processed. Normal processing time is maximum one month; you will be notified if it is going to take longer to process your application.
Processing time for applications
The processing time is the time from when we receive your application until we have made a decision. Remember that we need all the necessary documentation to process your application.
| Case concerns | Expected case processing time |
|---|---|
| Application | 4 weeks |
International application - living in Norway | 2 months |
International application - living abroad | 8 months |
Processing time for complaints and appeals
Have you received a decision from us that you think is wrong? You can appeal to the NAV office that issued the decision. They will reassess your case. If they do not agree with your appeal, they will forward it to NAV Appeals Management Unit.
| Case concerns | Expected case processing time |
|---|---|
Complaint to the NAV unit | 12 weeks |
Complaint to the NAV Appeals Management Unit | 20 weeks |
Appeals to the NAV Appeals Management Unit | 20 weeks |
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