Retirement pension abroad - for you born in 1963 or later

• Opptjening i en statlig tjenestepensjonsordning i EU-/EØS-land kan telle med når vi vurderer om du har rett til pensjon fra SPK.
• Har du pensjonsrettigheter i utlandet, må du alltid informere SPK.
• Å bo eller jobbe i utlandet i mer enn 12 måneder betyr som regel at du mister medlemskapet i den norske folketrygden, men det finnes unntak.
• Det er Nav som avgjør ditt medlemskap i folketrygden.

Previously worked abroad

If you have worked in an EU/EEA country and were a member of a state occupational pension scheme there, that time may count towards your pensionable service with SPK. We do not have access to your overseas employment data, so please inform us to make sure you don’t miss out on pension entitlements.

Service in a state occupational pension scheme in an EU/EEA country may count towards the SPK minimum service requirement: for accrual up to 31 December 2019, three years may be credited; if you only have accrual from 1 January 2020 and onwards, at least one year is required.

If you were a member of a state occupational pension scheme in another EU/EEA country, you may also be entitled to a pension there. When you apply for a pension from SPK, we notify the foreign scheme, and our notification counts as a claim there.

If you have worked abroad for an extended period, you should check your pension rights in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme (Nav.no). See also guidance on membership continuity when living abroad.

Currently working abroad

If you are working abroad for more than 12 months, you generally lose membership in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme. Exceptions exist. Read more on Nav.no.

If you have previously been a member of SPK but are no longer entitled to a pension from the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme, your accrued pension is paid from your employment’s standard retirement age (for many, this is 70).

Accrual in SPK

Service in a state occupational pension scheme in an EU/EEA country may count towards your eligibility for SPK pensions. Notify us about any foreign service. The same accrual rules apply: up to 31 December 2019 counts as up to three years; from 1 January 2020 onwards, a minimum of one year is required.

Living abroad

If you reside abroad and hold a position that qualifies for SPK membership, you accrue pension rights with us. You will usually not be a member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme if residing outside Norway for more than 12 months. Read more on Nav.no.

If you are employed by an organisation with an SPK pension scheme, you may become a voluntary member—provided you previously held membership in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme through employment. Persons who have never been members cannot become voluntary members of SPK.

If you have accrual in a state occupational pension scheme in another EU/EEA country, you may also be entitled to a pension from there. When you apply for a pension with SPK, we notify the foreign scheme, and this counts as a claim there.

If there is uncertainty about your membership status in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme, Nav makes the determination.

Lifelong Contractual Pension (AFP)

Learn more about Lifelong AFP and its conditions here.

For individuals born in 1963 or later, the public-sector AFP scheme has changed. You must meet the following conditions at age 62 to be eligible:

• Employed by an employer bound by a collective agreement with the state in at least seven of the last nine years.
  • The period is measured from your 53rd birthday up to the day before you turn 62.
• This employment must have been your primary job.
  • Your position must be more than 20 percent.
  • Concurrent positions are added together.
  • Only the actual worked hours are counted.
• Your pensionable earnings must exceed your other income.

Additionally, the following must apply at the time of AFP withdrawal:

• You must have been continuously employed and a bona fide worker in an AFP-qualifying scheme for the three years preceding withdrawal.
• Your pensionable earnings, annualised, must exceed the basic amount (G) at the time of withdrawal. These earnings must be under the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme, not just SPK.
• Your pensionable earnings must exceed the average basic amount (G) in the year before withdrawal of Lifelong AFP. Again, these must be under the National Insurance Scheme, not only SPK.