Norway - Retirement pension
This section provides information about who is entitled to a retirement pension (alderspensjon), and what conditions apply to the benefit.
Regarding the UK the EEA/EFTA-UK Separation Agreement or the Convention on Social Security between Norway and the UK is applied.
In what situation can I claim?
If you have reached the age of 67, or 62 if you have enough accruals, and have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme for at least 1 year between the ages of 18 and 66. If you are not an EEA citizen, the requirement is at least 5 years.
What conditions do I need to meet?
You must have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme for at least 5years. If you are an EEA citizen, have been in active work and have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme for at least 1 year, your pension accruals in other EEA countries may count towards this assessment.
Old retirement pension
This applies to people born up to and including the year 1962. For people born between 1954 and 1962, the retirement pension is made up of proportional shares of the old and the new retirement pensions.
Basic pension (grunnpensjon)
In order to receive a full basic pension, you must have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme for 40 years. If you have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme for less than 40 years, the pension will be reduced accordingly.
Minimum pension level (minste pensjonsnivå)
In order to receive a full minimum pension level, you must have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme for 40 years. If you have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme for less than 40 years, the pension will be reduced accordingly.
Supplementary pension (tilleggspensjon)
In order to receive a supplementary pension, you must have had pension points in Norway for at least 3 calendar years.
In order to receive a supplementary pension, you must have worked in Norway for at least 40 years. If you have worked in Norway for less than 40 years, the pension will be reduced accordingly.
Your income must have been higher than the Basic Amount to be classed as pensionable.
New retirement pension
This applies to people born in 1954 and later. For people born between 1954 and 1962, the retirement pension is made up of proportional shares of the old and the new retirement pensions.
Guarantee pension (garantipensjon)
In order to receive a full guarantee pension, you must have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme for 40 years. If you have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme for less than 40 years, the pension will be reduced accordingly.
Earnings-related pension (inntektspensjon)
The earnings-related pension is based on accrued pension savings and reflects your income over your lifetime. Pension accruals are equivalent to 18.1% of income up to 7.1 G, accrued between the ages of 13 and 75.
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
Basic pension
For unmarried persons, or married persons whose spouse is not receiving a pension or does not have an annual income higher than 2 G, NOK 212 798 at the current Basic Amount, the basic pension is 1 G, NOK 106 399.
If you have a spouse or a cohabitant who is receiving a pension or an income higher than 2 G, the basic pension is equivalent to 90% of the Basic Amount, NOK 95 759 at the current Basic Amount.
If you are providing for a spouse, you may receive a supplement of 25% of the minimum pension level with a high annual rate, NOK 50 618.
If you are providing for a child under the age of 18, you may receive a supplement of 20% of the minimum pension level with a high annual rate per child, NOK 40 494.
If you have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme for less than 40 years, the pension will be reduced accordingly.
Minimum pension level
The full minimum pension level comes to NOK 223 717 for single pensioners. If the spouse has a retirement pension, the minimum pension level comes to NOK 166 242 (low rate). The standard rate of NOK 192 408 is paid to persons who have a spouse with an annual income of more than 2 G.
If you have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme for less than 40 years, the pension will be reduced accordingly.
Read more about the minimum pension level here.
Supplementary pension
The supplementary pension is calculated on the basis of the 20 years in which you had the highest income or highest pension points.
Income must be higher than the Basic Amount in order to be classed as pensionable.
The maximum supplementary pension is NOK 419 212 at the current Basic Amount, with full accrual in accordance with the 1992 rules. If you have worked in Norway for less than 40 years, the pension will be reduced accordingly.
Guarantee pension
Single persons receive the high rate, NOK 201 356, and married persons receive the standard rate, NOK 186 263.
Earnings-related pension
The earnings-related pension is based on accrued pension savings and reflects your income over your lifetime.
If you are resident in Norway, you can use NAV's online service 'Your pension' in order to calculate your pension.
If you live in Norway and want to apply for a pension, you must submit a claim to your local NAV office. If you have earned the entitlement to a pension from Norway, but live in another EEA country, you should contact the social security authorities in your country of residence.
Jargon busters
- G: Abbreviation for National Insurance Basic Amount (see Basic Amount below). 1 G = 1 x Basic Amount, 2 G = 2 x Basic Amount, etc.;
- Basic Amount: A standard amount that is used to calculate benefits and pensions, and which is set on 1 May each year. As of 1 May 2021, the Basic Amount is NOK 106 399, or about EUR 10 672;
- Minimum pension level: A guaranteed minimum retirement pension benefit from the National Insurance Scheme. You must be drawing 100% retirement pension and have at least 3 years of national insurance cover in order to be entitled to the minimum pension level. A condition of drawing your retirement pension before the age of 67 is that you must have accrued a pension that is at least equivalent to the minimum pension level. In practice, therefore, you will only be entitled to a minimum pension level when you reach the age of 67.
Know your rights
The links below direct you to websites that describe your legal rights, but they are not part of the EU Commission's websites. The Commission is therefore not responsible for the content.
- Retirement pension - welfare and migration (in Norwegian only)
- Your rights as a member of the National Insurance Scheme
The Commission's publications and websites:
Who do you need to contact?
If you are resident in Norway, you must contact NAV: Either via NAV's website https://www.nav.no/en/Home, or at your local NAV office.
If you live in another EEA country, you must contact the social security authorities in your country of residence.