EXPLAINED: Can you move to Norway to retire?
Don't underestimate the legal hurdles of immigrating to Norway as a pensioner or a worker approaching retirement age if you're not a Norwegian citizen or don't already live in the country. Here are the key things you need to know for the process to be as smooth as possible.
While there is a number of benefits to living in Norway as a pensioner – from the country's welfare and healthcare systems to the overall safety its citizens enjoy – there are also some serious downsides that come with living in this Scandinavian country, such as the costs of living or, depending on the part of the country you end up in, weather conditions.
Before looking into the practical aspects and challenges of living in Norway, you should study all the relevant regulations that apply to people moving to the country.
In this article, we will cover the key things you need to know about immigration requirements for pensioners or workers approaching retirement age who are considering Norway as the country where they want to retire.
Residing in Norway legally
Before you carefully examine the practical aspects of retirement (and life) in Norway, you should focus on the legal aspects of the relocation.
Norway doesn't have a retirement visa program in place. That means you will need to have - or qualify for – the right of residence to live in Norway.
If you already have a permanent residence permit or are a citizen of the country, then you're covered, as both grant you the right to live in Norway.
If you want to live in the country as a citizen of a European Union or European Economic Area member state without having an active income in Norway, you'll need a permanent residence permit or enough funds to be able to live in the country (authorities will ask you to provide proof of your financial status in the latter case).
You'll need to meet multiple requirements to get a permanent residence permit in Norway, including Norwegian language skills and sufficient income. You can find the list of these requirements on the webpage of the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), here.
Make sure to use the UDI's online wizard to figure out the rules that apply in your particular case. You can find it here.
Once you get a permanent residence permit, you'll be free to reside in Norway indefinitely.
If you don't have a permanent residence permit, but you're an EU country citizen, you'll have to register under the EEA registration scheme and prove that you meet the set requirements (once again, expect authorities to ask for proof that you can financially sustain yourself in the country).
You can find the registration wizard on the UDI's website, here.
Furthermore, know that you will also need to have a valid EU Health Insurance card or be covered by private insurance to live in Norway.
How to retire to Norway as a non-EU/EEA citizen?
Things get a little tricky if you're not an EU/EEA state citizen.
There are no specific residence permits for this group of people, so they can resort to family immigration (joining a partner or close family living in Norway) or getting a work permit in Norway and holding it until they meet the permanent residence requirements - to mention just a few options.
Remember, in order to apply for a permanent residence permit, you must have held a residence permit (for example, the work permit) for at least three years – as well as meet other requirements. So, make sure to plan ahead so that you get the required years in before you need to retire. This UDI wizard will help you figure out the requirements for work permit holders that apply in your individual case.
On the other hand, family immigration allows people working in Norway to have their partner or closest family join them and get a residence permit – other, more distant family usually doesn't qualify.
If your partner or close family already lives in Norway, this could be a good option for joining them and securing residence rights. As is the case with all residence permit types in Norway, there are additional (regulatory) requirements involved, and you can find out more about them in our deep-dive article below.
The circumstances and requirements for moving to Norway from a non-EU/EEA country vary based on your country of citizenship, so if you're not an EU/EEA state citizen, we recommend that you reach out to the UDI directly and ask for more information on the rules that apply in your case.
A final piece of advice: Don't underestimate the complexity of the legal aspects of the relocation to Norway, and reach out to the competent Norwegian authorities (most likely, the UDI or an embassy in your area) if you have any doubts or queries.
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While there is a number of benefits to living in Norway as a pensioner – from the country's welfare and healthcare systems to the overall safety its citizens enjoy – there are also some serious downsides that come with living in this Scandinavian country, such as the costs of living or, depending on the part of the country you end up in, weather conditions.
Before looking into the practical aspects and challenges of living in Norway, you should study all the relevant regulations that apply to people moving to the country.
In this article, we will cover the key things you need to know about immigration requirements for pensioners or workers approaching retirement age who are considering Norway as the country where they want to retire.
Residing in Norway legally
Before you carefully examine the practical aspects of retirement (and life) in Norway, you should focus on the legal aspects of the relocation.
Norway doesn't have a retirement visa program in place. That means you will need to have - or qualify for – the right of residence to live in Norway.
If you already have a permanent residence permit or are a citizen of the country, then you're covered, as both grant you the right to live in Norway.
If you want to live in the country as a citizen of a European Union or European Economic Area member state without having an active income in Norway, you'll need a permanent residence permit or enough funds to be able to live in the country (authorities will ask you to provide proof of your financial status in the latter case).
You'll need to meet multiple requirements to get a permanent residence permit in Norway, including Norwegian language skills and sufficient income. You can find the list of these requirements on the webpage of the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), here.
Make sure to use the UDI's online wizard to figure out the rules that apply in your particular case. You can find it here.
Once you get a permanent residence permit, you'll be free to reside in Norway indefinitely.
If you don't have a permanent residence permit, but you're an EU country citizen, you'll have to register under the EEA registration scheme and prove that you meet the set requirements (once again, expect authorities to ask for proof that you can financially sustain yourself in the country).
You can find the registration wizard on the UDI's website, here.
Furthermore, know that you will also need to have a valid EU Health Insurance card or be covered by private insurance to live in Norway.
How to retire to Norway as a non-EU/EEA citizen?
Things get a little tricky if you're not an EU/EEA state citizen.
There are no specific residence permits for this group of people, so they can resort to family immigration (joining a partner or close family living in Norway) or getting a work permit in Norway and holding it until they meet the permanent residence requirements - to mention just a few options.
Remember, in order to apply for a permanent residence permit, you must have held a residence permit (for example, the work permit) for at least three years – as well as meet other requirements. So, make sure to plan ahead so that you get the required years in before you need to retire. This UDI wizard will help you figure out the requirements for work permit holders that apply in your individual case.
On the other hand, family immigration allows people working in Norway to have their partner or closest family join them and get a residence permit – other, more distant family usually doesn't qualify.
If your partner or close family already lives in Norway, this could be a good option for joining them and securing residence rights. As is the case with all residence permit types in Norway, there are additional (regulatory) requirements involved, and you can find out more about them in our deep-dive article below.
The circumstances and requirements for moving to Norway from a non-EU/EEA country vary based on your country of citizenship, so if you're not an EU/EEA state citizen, we recommend that you reach out to the UDI directly and ask for more information on the rules that apply in your case.
A final piece of advice: Don't underestimate the complexity of the legal aspects of the relocation to Norway, and reach out to the competent Norwegian authorities (most likely, the UDI or an embassy in your area) if you have any doubts or queries.
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