Disability pension in the Faroe Islands

You may be awarded disability pension if you are between 18 and 67 years of age and your working capacity has been permanently reduced by at least half. A prerequisite for being granted disability pension is that it has not been possible to improve your working capacity through work capacity-promoting measures (rehabilitation, etc.) or to find appropriate work for your circumstances.

There are three different levels of benefits for disability pension. Your placement in relation to these levels will depend on your loss of working capacity, age, work possibilities and other relevant circumstances.

Contact Almannaverkið for more information.

• You must be a Danish citizen, or married to a Danish citizen, or have recently been married to a Danish citizen.
• You have permanent residence in the Faroe Islands, or be in service on board a Faroese ship, and
• You must have lived permanently within the Danish commonwealth for at least three years.

All three of these conditions must be met.

The rules on citizenship may be waived in the case of persons who have been permanently resident in the Faroe Islands for at least ten years. In such cases, an application must be made for an exemption.

You are entitled to full disability pension in the Faroe Islands if you have been resident in the Danish commonwealth for at least four-fifths of the period from age 15 until the date you are awarded disability pension. 

If you have been resident in the Faroe Islands for a shorter period than this, the amount of payment will be reduced accordingly. Your residence periods within the Danish commonwealth (the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Denmark) will be added together, i.e. you can earn the right to early retirement in the countries of the commonwealth irrespective of which country you live in. 

In addition, other rules apply if you are covered by the Nordic Convention on Social Security. The Nordic Convention on Social Security places citizens of the Nordic countries on an equal footing, such that citizens who have lived and/or worked in other Nordic countries can be entitled to pensions from these countries.

The Faroese Islands Social Services, Almannaverkið, will process your application for disability pension. If you are applying to another country for disability pension, Almannaverkið will act as liaison body between the countries during the application process.

Special supplements may be granted in addition to the disability pension, such as social welfare and care supplements, personal needs-tested supplements and medication supplements.

If you apply to two different countries for disability pension, you should be aware that the legislation on disability pension is different in the various countries, and your working capacity may also be assessed differently.

You can apply to take your disability pension with you if you move to another country after you have been granted disability pension. The inquiry must be submitted to Almannaverkið, who in turn will send the request to the supreme authority, the government of the Faroe Islands, Almannamálaráðið. 

The Nordic Convention on Social Security states that pensions may be paid to Nordic citizens who are resident in an EU or EFTA country. The ordinary rules on citizenship and residence are therefore not applicable in these cases.

In the Danish commonwealth, the disability pension schemes of the various countries are so different that if you relocate from one of them to another, you must apply again in your new country of residence. In the case of relocation within the Danish commonwealth, you will be covered by the relevant legislation in the country to which you are moving.

You may work while receiving disability pension. The payments will be reduced if your income exceeds a certain amount. However, you should be aware that the assessment of whether you are unfit for work may be reviewed.

The right to disability pension will expire at the end of the month in which the person in receipt of disability pension dies. If you live with a spouse or cohabiting partner who is also receiving an old age pension or disability pension, payment of your disability pension will continue for three months in the event of your death.