Guide: Information for elderly people moving to Norway

If you are to live in Norway for longer than six months, you must register in the National Population Register. Check with the population register authority in your home country whether you must inform them that you are moving from the country.

The Info Norden guide on moving to Norway provides information on how to report your move, register in Norway, and get a Norwegian personal identity number.

In Norway, the retirement age is 67. You may be entitled to a retirement pension in Norway even if you have only lived or worked for a short period in Norway. The amount you can receive as retirement pension depends, for example, on the length of your social insurance period. 

You can receive pension from another country at the same time as you live in Norway. If you are planning to move to Norway and receive pension from another country, or you are entitled to a retirement pension from another country, contact the pensions agency and find out what you need to do. 

As a pensioner in Norway, you must pay tax on your income. The Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten) can give you more information about what applies in your case if you receive a pension from another Nordic country. However, Norway has tax agreements with many countries to prevent people being taxed twice.

On the Nordic tax information page, Nordisk eTax, you can read more about taxation of pension from Nordic countries when you live in Norway. 

You can work in Norway even if you are a pensioner. You should check with the pension authority from which you receive pension about the rules regarding how much you can work.

If you are living in Norway, you are entitled to healthcare services through the public health service. This means you have access to a GP (fastlege), specialist healthcare services, and hospital treatment. You must generally pay the user fees (egenandel) for healthcare services, but there is an exemption card scheme that sets a ceiling on annual healthcare fees.

There are various housing options for pensioners, including retirement homes (aldersboliger) and care homes (omsorgsboliger). If you have a low income, you can apply for housing allowance through the Norwegian State Housing Bank (Husbanken) or the municipality in which you live. The housing allowance scheme helps to cover some of your housing costs.

Pensioners who need practical help in their everyday lives can apply for home help services from the municipality. This can include home nursing and help with cleaning, personal hygiene, and meal deliveries. Your housing may also be adapted with loans of assistive devices such as walking frames and specially adapted furniture. Technological assistive devices such as security alarms and lifts may also be available. Contact the municipality in which you live to find out more about help in the home. 

If you are using assistive devices in another Nordic country, and are moving to Norway, find out about the rules that apply in your homeland about moving to another country with these devices. 

Many municipalities have their own services for elderly people, such as social meeting places, training groups, and courses. Various pensioner organisations also arrange activities such as trips and hobby facilities. The municipality or elderly organisations can often provide information about inheritance, wills, and other legal issues.

Contact the municipality in which you live to find out more about what services are available where you live. 

People over the age of 67 and those with disability pension are eligible for discounts on public transport, giving reduced prices on buses, trains and ferries. Individual cultural services, such as museums and theatres, also offer discounts to pensioners.

Individual banks offer special services for pensioners, such as lower fees and simpler bank solutions.

You can find information about what applies in Norway regarding death and inheritance on the digital public service website, norge.no.

The municipality or elderly organisations can often provide information about inheritance, wills, and other legal issues.

If you have any questions or have encountered obstacles in another Nordic country, complete our form.

NB. If you have questions about the processing of a particular case, an application, or other personal circumstances, you should contact the relevant agency directly.