The Norwegian welfare system
What newcomers need to know about social security, health care, and welfare benefits in Norway.
The Norwegian welfare system is built on the National Insurance Scheme, known in Norwegian as folketrygden. This scheme provides access to a wide range of social security and health care services for residents of Norway.
For practical information about how to access doctors, service fees, payment rules, interpretation opportunities, and child healthcare, visit our Healthcare services page.
Understanding the National Insurance Scheme (folketrygden)
The Norwegian welfare model is based on the National Insurance Scheme, known as folketrygden. This scheme provides access to a wide range of social secrity and health care services for residents of Norway.
Membership in the National Insurance Scheme is compulsory for everyone who lives in Norway for more than one year. It entitles you to social security and health care in Norway, but for certain services and benefits there might be additional requirements, such as residence status and employment, or citizenship.
The National Insurance Scheme includes a wide range of services, such as:
- Unemployment benefits
- Parental benefits
- Sickness and disability benefits
- Retirement pensions
Some benefits require that you have lived in Norway for a certain number of years. Others may depend on your employment status or contributions to the scheme.
In addition to the National Insurance Scheme, there are other related programs:
- Child Benefit Scheme
- Cash Benefit for Families with Small Children
Social security services are administered by NAV
The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) handles all social security services in Norway.
If you have any questions about social security rights and services, you can contact NAV directly. They can answer your call in Norwegian or English:
If you have children under 18 who live outside Norway, you should contact NAV to discuss your situation.
International agreements and your rights
Norway has social security agreements with a number of other countries. The most comprehensive are with the European Union and the EEA countries, but there are also bilateral agreements with individual countries. This means you should research what your particular rights are according to your citizenship and permit type.
Before applying for benefits, its important to check which rights apply to you based on your citizenship and status in the country.
If you are a citizen of an EU or EEA country, your social security rights in Norway are coordinated under European regulations. This includes access to health care and other benefits, and the use of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
- Go to ec.europa.eu (the European Comission) for information.
Foreign students may also be eligible for membership in the National Insurance Scheme, depending on the length and nature of their stay.
Your rights may differ depending on your citizenship and permit type, so it’s important to check international agreements before applying for benefits.
Key concepts and resources
To make sense of how benefits are calculated, you should understand a few important terms used in the Norwegian welfare system.
The basic amount (grunnbeløpet – 1G)
Many benefits and entitlements in the National Insurance Scheme are calculated using a reference amount called grunnbeløpet (1G). This amount is adjusted annually and used to estimate payments and eligibility thresholds.
The frikort (excemption card)
Norway uses a cost ceiling system for health services. After paying up to a certain amount (3276kr in 2025) in relevant fees within a calendar year, you receive an excemption card ("frikort"), which gives you free public health care for the rest of the year.
Learn more about the Norwegian welfare system
- Go to samfunnskunnskap.no for a general introduction to the concept of the Norwegian welfare system.
- Go to norden.org for articles about social security services: benefits, pensions, health care, and more.
- Go to nordics.info to learn about the historical development of the Norwegian welfare state.
Norwegian encyclopedia
Den Store Norske Leksikon is a Norwegian online encyclopedia. The content is in Norwegian, but can be used with a translator.
- Learn more about the National Insurance Scheme (folketrygden)
- Learn more about the Norwegian welfare state (velferdstaten)
- Learn more about the Norwegian pension scheme (pensjon)
Further resources from Welcome to Oslo:
Welcome to Oslo is a webpage provided by Oslo kommune (the City of Oslo) for anyone moving to Oslo to work, study, or join a family member, whether you're here for a few months or planning to stay long-term. Explore our other pages: