Article 4.3 provides that where the laws of either country require a person to be resident or present in that country in order to qualify for or receive social security benefits, the person may also qualify for and receive those benefits during periods of residence in the other country.  Since U.S. law, coupled with a 1968 exchange of notes between the U.S. and Norwegian Governments (see Article 18.2), authorizes payment of benefits to U.S. and Norwegian nationals residing in either country even without the agreement, the primary effect of this paragraph on U.S. law is to permit the United States to pay certain third country nationals who would otherwise be subject to the alien nonpayment provisions of section 202(t) of the Act during periods of residence in Norway.

In addition to the U.S. benefit portability guarantee provided for Norwegian residents in Article 4.3, the agreement also liberalizes a restriction on exportation of U.S. dependents and survivors benefits that would otherwise apply to Norwegian citizens and residents.  Under U.S. law, Social Security dependents and survivors benefits may not be paid to aliens who first become eligible after 1984 and who are outside the United States for more than 6 months unless they satisfy certain U.S. residency requirements or they are citizens or residents of a country with which the United States has an international social security agreement in force.  Because of the U.S.-Norwegian social security agreement, citizens and residents of Norway are exempt from this payment restriction. 

Article 4.3 also permits Norway to pay U.S. residents certain old-age, survivors and disability benefits that would otherwise be payable only to residents of Norway or non-Norwegian residents with at least 20 years of prior Norwegian residence.