Norway: Statutory Retirement Age Raised to 72

Haneefa Ayeni
Haneefa Ayeni
  • 1m read
  • September 29, 2025

What’s new?

Norway has made an amendment to the Working Environment Act, removing the ability for employers to set internal company-specific retirement age limits below the general statutory age of 72. This means all employees will have the right to work until the age of 72, save where an exemption may apply.

This change will take effect from 1 January 2026.

What are the key changes?

  • Unified retirement age of 72: The standard statutory retirement age will be set at 72 for all sectors, aligning private and public sectors. Employers will no longer be able to impose an internal retirement age limit which was commonly set at 70.
  • Implementation Timeline: This change will apply to employees turning 70 after 1 January 2026. Existing internal age limits can only be enforced until 31 December 2025, or until 31 December 2028 if based on collective agreements made before 1 January 2026.
  • Exemption: Lower age limits may still be permitted in cases of health and safety considerations, which could justify early retirement. Employers must ensure any lower age limit for health or safety reasons is objectively justified, proportionate, and well documented.

What should employers do now?

This change shifts how retirement-based termination is managed in Norway. Employers should review internal policies governing company-specific retirement specifications and communicate forthcoming changes to employees effectively. For further information on these changes or if you require support, please get in touch with a member of the MDR ONE team.

Haneefa Ayeni Haneefa Ayeni
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