Retirement pension in Norway

Norsk alderspensjon
Here you can read about the regulations for receiving Norwegian retirement pension, how to apply for your retirement pension, tax and pensions, and taking the Norwegian retirement pension to another country.

In Norway, there are different pension schemes. The information in this article concerns the Norwegian retirement pension. It is the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) that is responsible for retirement pensions in Norway.

Are you entitled to a Norwegian retirement pension?

You are entitled to a retirement pension from the National Insurance Scheme (folketrygden) in Norway if you have lived or worked in Norway for at least five years after your 16th birthday. This means that you can receive retirement pension from Norway if you have been covered by national insurance or have received pensionable income in Norway for at least five  years. Norway has several national insurance agreements, so the requirement can be fulfilled by combining with periods of national insurance in other countries. Generally, you must continue to be a member of the National Insurance Scheme to be entitled to a retirement pension from Norway, but there are several exceptions from this requirement.

Even if you have not been active in working life, you may still be entitled to a basic pension from Norway.

There are no special regulations for people who are self-employed, students or cross-border workers. If you have lived in Norway and been a member of the National Insurance Scheme for at least five years, you are entitled to a retirement pension. If, in addition to this period, you have had pensionable income, you receive a higher retirement pension based on your income. Pension is then calculated in the same way as for employees.

Norway has implemented a pension reform that came into force in 2011. After the reform, earning of retirement pension from the National Insurance Scheme varies for different age groups. Contact NAV to find out what applies to you. The size of your retirement pension depends on how many years you have worked and how much you have earned in these years. You receive a retirement pension from the National Insurance Scheme for as long as you live, and the pension ceases when you die. Consequently, this pension is not inherited.

If you have been a member of the national insurance scheme in another Nordic country through residence or work there, you may receive retirement pension from that country, depending on how long you were a member of the national insurance scheme and the size of your pensionable income. Pension earned in another country is paid by the country in which the income was earned.

When can you receive a Norwegian pension?

In Norway, the retirement age is 67. It is up to you to decide when and how you wish to draw your retirement pension, and how much you want to work in parallel. In some cases, you may start to draw your retirement pension from the month after your 62nd birthday. If you want to draw your retirement pension before your 67th birthday, you must have earned sufficient pension.

How do you apply for a Norwegian retirement pension?

If you live in Norway

If you live in Norway, you apply for your retirement pension through NAV. The fastest way to apply for the pension is electronically, via the online service ‘Din pensjon’. You then receive an answer within a few minutes. If NAV cannot process your application automatically, you will be notified. You can also apply for a pension by completing and submitting a printed application form, but this can take slightly longer.

If you have worked in another Nordic country, and you have brought earned pension from there, you should contact NAV. If you notify time spent abroad on the application form, NAV will contact you.

If you live in another Nordic country

If you live in another Nordic country, and know or think that you are entitled to pension from Norway, you must apply for the pension yourself. Contact the pensions agency in the country where you live. You should apply in good time, as it can take time to process such applications.

Can you take a Norwegian retirement pension to another Nordic country?

If you move from Norway to another Nordic/EEA country, you can generally take your Norwegian pension with you. However, there are some groups of retired people whose pension payments may be limited when they move. Find out from NAV what applies in your case. If you spend more time abroad than in Norway, you lose your membership of the Norwegian national insurance system. This can affect, for example, your right to healthcare services.

Where can you find information about earned pension in Norway?


If you have Norwegian electronic ID (eID) you can check your pension earnings in Norway on Din Pensjon. If you do not have electronic ID, contact NAV.

Tax when you receive Norwegian retirement pension abroad

If you live in Norway and receive pension from another Nordic country, or live in a Nordic country and receive pension from Norway, you can check the regulations regarding tax on the Nordic tax portal, Nordisk eTax.

What applies for older people who want to continue working?

You are free to combine work and pension. You can earn pension up to and including the year of your 75th birthday. You can also choose to draw a certain percentage of your pension, and save the rest for later.

Who should you contact if you have questions?

Contact NAV, or check on Din Pensjon (nav.no).

Ask Info Norden

Please fill in our contact form if you have any questions or if you have encountered an obstacle in another Nordic country.

NB! If you have questions regarding the processing of a specific case or application, or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority directly.

Info Norden is the information service of the Nordic Council of Ministers. Here you can find info and tips if you wish to move, work, study, seek support or start a business in the Nordic region.