Pension rights
When retiring from employment or being unable to work due to disability, pension is available from several sources under certain circumstances.
There are three types of retirement payments available in the Faroe Islands.
The current retirement age in the Faroe Islands is 67½ years.
Work related pension
All individuals up to the Faroese state pension age of 67½ with full tax liability in the Faroes are required by law to save a portion of their salary in a pension scheme.
For most employees pensions are a built-in feature of employment contracts. The pension contribution is set according to agreements between trade unions and employers. An individual pension plan is normally set up by the trade unions. Most trade unions have an agreement with the Faroese Life Assurance Company about retirement pension.
Academic employees receive 16% of their salary in pension contribution. Their pension plan also has a built-in insurance scheme which covers serious illness, disability and death.
Pension savings are pre-taxed at 40%.
Individuals moving to the Faroe Islands to work for a limited period can achieve a pension exemption. This means that an amount equivalent to the pension contribution will be paid out together with the monthly salary. Exemptions may be granted for up to 60 months.
The work related retirement pension is inaccessible until retirement age. Up to 15 percent can be paid out in one payment when the owner reaches retirement age. At least 45 percent of the pension must be paid out as a lifelong continuous pension on a monthly basis.
Labour Market Supplemental Pension
Persons with permanent residence in the Faroe Islands who have reached retirement age are entitled to a Labour Market Supplemental Pension (Samhaldsfasti). The retirement age is currently 67.5 but will be gradually increased over the coming years.
Individuals who have resided in the Faroe Islands for at least 15 years between the ages of 15 and retirement age can receive full payment from the Labour Market Supplemental Pension fund.
Individuals who have resided in the Faroese Islands for at least 3 years between the ages of 15 and retirement age are entitled to 1/40 of the Labour Market Supplemental Pension for each year they have lived in the Faroe Islands.
The Faroese Labour Market Supplemental Pension can be paid to persons who are resident in Denmark or Greenland.
Labour Market Supplemental Pension
State retirement pension
Danish citizens residing in the Faroe Islans are entitled to a state retirement pension if they have lived in the Danish Realm for at least 3 years between the ages of 15 and 67. This also applies for foreign citizens who are married to a Danish citizen.
In order to obtain full pension rights, the individual must have resided in the Danish Realm for at least 40 years. If the period of residence is shorter, the pension is reduced. Fractional pension is calculated on basis of the number of years spent in the Danish Realm from the age of 15 to 67½.
Danish citizens who have been working in other Nordic countries may have the right to pension from several countries.
Danish citizens between 18 and 67.5 years who have lived in the Danish Kingdom for at least 3 years from the age of 15 are entitled to a state disability pension if their work capacity is permanently reduced by at least a half. This also applies for foreign citizens who or are married to a Danish citizen.
The rules on citizenship may be waived in the case of persons who have been permanently resident in the Faroe Islands for at least ten years.
Disability pension can only be granted if there is no suitable work available and it is not possible to improve the working capacity through work-improving measures.
Persons who have been resident in the Danish Kingdom for at least 4/5 of the time from the age of 15 are entitled to full disability pension if the Faroe Islands. If the period of residence is shorter, the amount of payment will be reduced accordingly.
Disability pension can be granted at three different levels depending on loss of capacity for work.