Transferring unemployment rights from Norway as non-EU citizen?
As you probably know, for non-EU citizens without permanent residence permit in Norway, it is not possible to grant for any of the unemployment benefits even if you have been working in Norway for couple of years.
With permanent residence permit, non-EU citizens are entitled to get unemployment benefit if they have been working in Norway.
Question is:
Am I allowed to transfer all unemployment benefits from Norway to Denmark and to be entitled to use them in a case if I lose my job in Denmark?
Of course, this could be related to the visa expiration date in Denmark and if I'm entitled to stay longer than 3-6 months after I lose my job in Denmark.
What in a case if I have to leave Denmark after 3-6 months after I lose my job what will happen with unemployment benefits from Norway (if they can be transferred to Denmark)?
Is there any specific form that has to be fulfilled about transferring unemployment benefits from Norway to Denmark for non-EU citizens?
Thank you in advance!
1 Answer
Hi,
According to the Nordic convention on social security (from 2014), Denmark is committed to use the rules for EU Nationals also on non-EU Nationals coming from one of the other Nordic countries who have been subject to the legislation in that country (normally you are when you have been living in that country).
This means that you have the same rights as an EU National regarding right to transfer periods of work and insurance obtained in Norway to Denmark.
"The same rights" mean that you must meet the requirements for transfering periods of work/insurance like other EU Nationals:
We have an article about theses requirements - but in Denmark this means
- you must apply for membership of an danish A-kasse within 8 weeks after you ceased to be insured in Norway AND
- within the 8 weeks you must begin work in Denmark of at least 296 hours over 12 weeks / 3 months.
The 296 hours requirement is special for Denmark, and is not seen in other EU Countries. (only Finland has also additional requirement of some period work before you can transfer rights).
If you within the last 5 years been entitled to Unemployment benefits in Denmark, or have received Unemployment benefits in Denmark you dont need to meet the 296 hours requirement. (this is also part of the Nordic Convention on Social Security).
All this mentioned above is only of relevance for you if you have pemit to work fulltime and stay in Denmark. So if you have working permit connected to specific job, and you loose this job you can not get unemployment benefits because you dont have right to work and stay in Denmark. It must be stated in your permit-document if you have right to work in the 3-6 months period after you loose job.
If you have meet the requirements for transfering rights, and you should decide to move to another Nordic country then you will be able to transfer your rights again to the new Nordic Country.
Your danish A-kasse, which you should be member of already if you have been in Denmark for more than 8 weeks, can tell you if any forms needed to transfer rights.
Hope it helps, otherwise please post a comment.
Best regards,
Anders, www.a-kasser.dk
I'm checking details and all options before I accept job offer and one of them is unemployment benefit from Norway.
As I'm non-EU citizen, legal right to stay in Denmark beside working visa, is permanent residence. To get permanent residence in Denmark I'll have to wait 6 years and to fulfill other requirements. That means, if I lose my job before I get permanent residence I will have to leave country in 3-6 months and I will not be able to grant for unemployment benefit brought from Norway where I do have permanent residence?
You are subject to the Unemployment benefits system in only 1 country at a time, and that is the country where you live/work.
Example: if my work permit was grant based on field of engineering, and if I can't find new job after I lose previous in the same engineering field I'll have to leave the country.
Within that period or after, I'm not entitled to get any unemployment benefit because my working permit will not me allow to work in grocery or some other industry.
Of course, unemployment benefit will be valid only in country of residence.