Am I entitled to social security in Norway?
Am I entitled to social security in Norway as a self-funded researcher or a guest lecturer?
What is covered under the National Insurance Scheme (folketrygden)?
How do I know if I am a member of the National Insurance Scheme in Norway?
How can I keep the social security entitlements I have in my home country?
The National Insurance Scheme has different offices. Which office should I get in touch with?
 

What is covered under the National Insurance Scheme?

The National Insurance Scheme is administered by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV). The National Insurance Scheme includes a health section and a pension section.

Health section coverage includes:

• Health service benefits;
• Lump sum grants for births and adoptions;
   

Applications for sickness benefit and parental benefit entitlements can be linked to the health section.

Pension section coverage includes:

• Old-age pensions;
• Disability pensions;
• Benefits for surviving spouse;
• Orphan's pensions;
• Unemployment benefits;
• Single mother or father benefits;
• Funeral grants;
• Basic and auxiliary benefits;
• Medical rehabilitation and occupational rehabilitation;
• Grants to former family carers.

Read more about coverage and the National Insurance Scheme

The EU's Mutual Information System on Social Protection (MISSOC) provides detailed, comparable and regularly updated information about national social protection systems.

 

Am I entitled to coverage under the National Insurance Scheme?

 

Membership of the National Insurance Scheme is the key to your entitlements from NAV. Membership is primarily dependent on your being legally resident in Norway. If you take up employment in Norway you automatically become a member of the National Insurance Scheme. As an employee you pay national insurance contributions at a rate of 7.8 % of your gross income.

As a member of the National Insurance Scheme you are entitled to coverage under both the health section and the pension section.

Am I entitled to social security in Norway as a self-funded researcher or guest lecturer?

As a self-funded researcher or guest professor/lecturer who does not have status as an employee at a Norwegian institution you will normally be entitled to social security under the health section, but not under the pension section. You should check your status with the National Insurance Scheme in Norway and with the social security body in your home country.

Ph.D. students in Norway are considered to be employees and are entitled to full coverage under both the health section and the pension section of the National Insurance Scheme. However, you must be employed by a Norwegian institution. You may not be entitled to coverage if you are on an exchange programme or have come to Norway as a guest professor or lecturer. Please check your status with the National Insurance Scheme.

 

Exemptions:
Some employees may be exempted from the National Insurance Scheme because they belong to a social security scheme in an other country.

EU/EEA/EFTA citizens

If you are paid by an employer or receive a grant from a funding body in your home country during your stay in Norway, you will be entitled to social security coverage under the national insurance scheme in your home country.

You need to bring an E101 form to Norway if you are going to be here for less than 12 months or if you are going to work in two countries at the same time. Those planning to stay for 1-5 years should bring an E106 form. You should also bring your European Health Insurance Card. Please contact the national insurance office in your country for more information.

Bilateral agreements

Norway has bilateral agreements with several countries in and outside Europe. Citizens from these countries will receive entitlements from NAV in accordance with the relevant agreement. A list of bilateral agreements can be found on the NAV website (in Norwegian only).

Stays lasting 90 days or less
 

If you are staying in Norway for a period of 90 days or less you fall into the category of tourist. Please make sure you have proper travel insurance. Nationals from EU/EEA/EFTA countries should also bring their European Health Insurance Card.

Keeping your social security rights at home

Questions about keeping your social security rights in your home country when you are abroad should be directed to the national social security authorities in your home country.

You should check whether you retain certain entitlements, such as parental benefit and disability benefit at home, as you will need to fulfil special requirements to be eligible for these benefits in Norway. This is particularly important if you are not coming to Norway as an employee of a Norwegian research institution, but as a self-funded researcher or guest professor/lecturer.

Voluntary membership

If you do not fit into any particular category and are legally resident in Norway, you can normally apply for voluntary membership of the National Insurance Scheme by filling out the Application Form for voluntary membership (PDF-287.4 KB)
Read more about membership of the National Insurance Scheme

European Health Insurance Card

A European Health Insurance Card entitles you to health services during temporary stays in other EU/EEA countries or in Switzerland. This means that if you have a European Health Insurance Card you are entitled to the same health services in Norway and pay the same patient charge as Norwegians.

All citizens in EU/EEA countries and Switzerland may apply for a European Health Insurance Card. The scheme also covers spouses and children under the age of 25, regardless of their citizenship. Each family member must carry their own card. Read more at www.helfo.no

Checking your membership

Researchers may fall into different categories depending on how their research stay is being financed, the length of their stay in Norway and whether they are employed by a Norwegian research institution.

You may want to get a written statement from NAV confirming your membership of the National Insurance Scheme. To assess your status, NAV will need the following documents:

• Proof of citizenship
• Information about how long you are planning to stay in Norway
• Information about how your research stay is funded
• Documentation about accompanying family members
   

Contact NAV:

If you are not yet residing in Norway, questions about the National Insurance Scheme should be directed to NAV International:

NAV International
Email: nav.internasjonalt@nav.no
Tel: +47 21 07 37 00

Once resident in Norway, please contact your local NAV office with your questions:
Local NAV offices (Find your local office by typing in your Norwegian postal code) (in Norwegian).

 

See also: The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) (English webpages) The Nordic Social Insurance Portal The Norwegian Health Economics Administration (HELFO) The EU Mutual Information System on Social Protection