Survivor’s pension

Examples of how survivor’s pension and transitional benefit for survivors are calculated.

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.

NAV 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:

In addition, your employment income in 2019-2023 must have been below 2 times the basic amount (G) on average:

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.

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.

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 1963 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.

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.