Supplementary allowance is a benefit from NAV (the Labour and Welfare Administration) for you if you are 67 years or older and have lived too short a time in Norway to qualify for full old-age pension. It ensures you a minimum income. As of 1 May 2026, the full rate is 21 149 kroner per month for single persons.
Many elderly immigrants do not know that this scheme exists. If you have lived only a few years in Norway, your old-age pension will often be very low, because the pension is based on how long you have lived and worked here. Supplementary allowance fills the gap up to a minimum level. On SamfunnPrep, we explain rights that are easy to miss – this is one of them.
What is supplementary allowance?
Supplementary allowance is a means-tested benefit that gives elderly people with short residence a guaranteed minimum income. "Means-tested" means that NAV looks at all income and assets that you and any spouse or cohabitant have. The allowance is not the same as old-age pension. It comes in addition, and fills up to the minimum level when your pension is too low.
The allowance is closely connected to the rules about pension and residence in Norway. For full old-age pension, you normally must have lived 40 years in Norway. If you have lived, for example, 8 or 12 years, you get only a small part. Supplementary allowance is the safety net for this group.
Who can get supplementary allowance?
You may have the right to supplementary allowance if you meet these requirements as of 2026:
- You are 67 years or older.
- You have a residence permit and live in Norway.
- You have received a decision on old-age pension from NAV first. That is, you must apply for old-age pension before you apply for supplementary allowance.
- You and your household have low income and low assets.
The scheme applies to both elderly immigrants and Norwegian citizens who have lived abroad for a long time. At the end of March 2026, around 3 300 persons received supplementary allowance for persons over 67 years. The scheme is small, but important for those who need it.
Why does the pension become low with short residence?
Old-age pension from the national insurance scheme is based on contribution years – how many years you have lived or worked in Norway between the age of 16 and retirement age. For a full pension, you normally need 40 contribution years. If you have lived here for around 10 years, you get only approximately 10/40 of the full minimum pension. Therefore, the pension is often very low for those who came to Norway late in life. Supplementary allowance raises your income up to the minimum level, so that you can cover ordinary expenses for housing, food and electricity.
How much can you get in 2026?
The rates apply from 1 May 2026 and follow the level for guaranteed pension. How much you can get depends on whether you live alone or together with others:
| Situation | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Single (high rate) | 21 149 kr | 253 788 kr |
| Married/cohabiting with person under 67 years | 21 149 kr | 253 788 kr |
| Married/cohabiting with person over 67 years (ordinary rate) | 19 564 kr | 234 768 kr |
| Living together with other adults (ordinary rate) | 19 564 kr | 234 768 kr |
This is the full rate. If you have other income, the allowance will be lower than the amounts in the table. The amounts are adjusted every year, so always check the updated amount on nav.no before you calculate.
How do income and assets affect the allowance?
Supplementary allowance is reduced kroner for kroner against income. That means all income that you and your spouse or cohabitant have together is deducted from the full rate. Income can for example be old-age pension, pension from abroad, work income or rental income.
Assets also count. If you and your household have assets over 68 275 kroner (as of 2026), excluding your own home, it can stop the allowance. Because the scheme is strict, it is important to provide correct information. If you give false information, NAV can demand the money back.
If your income is so low that you struggle to pay bills, you may also have the right to financial assistance from NAV as a last resort.
Important rules: travel and renewal
Two rules surprise many, and can stop payments:
- You must live in Norway. If you travel out of the country for more than 90 days during the benefit period, the allowance stops. This applies both to one long trip and to several short trips added together.
- The allowance is given for 12 months at a time. You must apply again every year. If you do not, the payment stops automatically.
The rules about staying abroad are stricter than for regular old-age pension. If you plan a long trip to visit family, you should check the rules first, so that you do not lose the allowance.
How to apply
You apply for supplementary allowance at NAV. Here is how you proceed:
- Apply for old-age pension first, and receive a decision.
- Book an appointment and meet in person at the NAV office. For this benefit, you cannot apply digitally alone – you must appear in person.
- Bring identification and documentation of income and assets, also from abroad.
- NAV usually takes around 5 weeks to process the application.
If you need help with language at the meeting, you have a right to an interpreter in the public sector. It is free, and you should ask for it in advance.
If you are unsure how many years you have lived in Norway, you can use the calculator for residence and stay duration on SamfunnPrep. Residence is important not only for pension, but also for elderly care and services in the municipality.
Many of these rules about NAV, pensions and welfare are part of the curriculum for the civics test. You can practise for free on SamfunnPrep and become more confident about how the welfare system works.
