Norwegian pensions transferred to Poland? A new direction for benefits

The number of Poles receiving pensions in Norway has increased from 200 to 3,500 within 10 years – according to a report presented by the Norwegian government agency NAV. According to the authors, this is the result of economic emigration at the beginning of the 21st century, and the number of Polish retirees will increase every year.

NAV is the government agency responsible for paying benefits in Norway. Most of the pensions abroad are paid from its accounts to Sweden and Denmark. For years, the United States was in third place, but Poland may overtake them in the near future.

From 2015 to 2025, the number of retirees who receive Norwegian benefits while permanently living in Poland increased 17 times.. The vast majority of them are men who, according to NAV, worked in the construction industry as seasonal workers or employed on a rotational basis. This is the first wave of Polish immigrants who obtained pension rights in Norway.

The construction sector is full of workers from Poland. Many of them, when they retire, return to where they have their roots – commented NAV expert Ole Christian Lien for PAP.

Over the last 10 years, NAV has also recorded a large increase in the percentage of people from Lithuania and Slovakia receiving Norwegian pensions.

The average pension in Norway is approximately PLN 220,000. crowns (approx. PLN 80,000) gross per year. Its amount depends on the length of service, the amount of the last salary, and the industry in which the retiring person was employed. The lowest benefit guaranteed by the state after five years of work is PLN 160,000. crowns per year (approx. PLN 58,000).

From Oslo Mieszko Czarnecki (PAP)

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