What is social security?
Social security, often also referred to as national insurance, is a set of health- and pension rights you are entitled to in the country of membership.
Which healthcare rights you are entitled to will depend on the rules of the country in which you are a member. You may find an overview of health rights for members in the Norwegian social security scheme here.
The same applies to pension rights. It is the rules of the country of social security membership that dictate which pension rights you are entitled to. You may find an overview of the Norwegian pension scheme here.
For non-members of Norwegian social security, UiO only makes the minimum mandatory contributions towards the country in which you are compulsory insured. You should investigate your options for private pensions savings.
Membership
UiO employees, who are EEA/EU citizens, are considered civil servants for social security purposes. As a main rule, civil servants are members of the Norwegian social security scheme regardless of where work is performed, and regardless of what country you live in.
Important exceptions may for example, apply for:
- UiO employees who work and reside within the Nordic countries and are non- EEA/EU citizens
- UiO employees who are also considered civil servants in another country, for example due to employment at a public university in another country.
If you are unsure about your membership status you should apply for a membership decision from Nav. See below regarding documentation of membership.
You can find general information about cross border social security membership and international treaties on social security here.
How do I know if I am a member in the Norwegian social security scheme?
Norway does not have a register of membership. Norway only has an Exception Registry (Unntaksregisteret). That is a register of those who have been registered as not members in the Norwegian social security scheme. Therefore, the most practical way of establishing whether you have rights in Norway is to apply for confirmation of membership. See below regarding documentation of membership.
Documentation of membership
When you perform work outside of Norway, it is very important to hold valid documentation of country of social security membership.
If you believe you are a member in the Norwegian social security scheme, you can apply for valid documentation of membership at Nav.
Valid types of documentation of membership are one of these document types, issued based on the correct factual circumstances as presented by you to the social security authority issuing the documentation:
- Certificate of Coverage according to a social security treaty to which Norway is a member.
- Certificate A1 issued by Nav to an EU/EEA citizen.
- Certificate A1 issued by Nav to an third country citizen
- Confirmation letter by Nav documenting your Norwegian social security scheme membership
Confirmation of non-membership from Nav is valid confirmation for avoiding social security contributions in Norway but does not say anything about where you have rights. It may however be a practical solution to avoid double contributions where you have problems obtaining valid documentation from social security schemes outside of Norway.
Paying contributions
UiO employees, who are not registered as non-members in the Exemption Registry, will have the obligation to pay social security employee contributions to Norway. Social security contributions are calculated as a fixed percentage of your total gross salary (salary before any deductions).
You can find the applicable rate here.
Most commonly, taxes and social security contributions are collected by the tax office. If you have a tax deduction card, UiO will deduct your social security contributions together with the tax and