Banking and paying in Norway: first a number, then an ID card, then BankID

Yes, you can open an ordinary bank account in Norway, but not on your first day. Skatteetaten gives it as an example itself: for a bank account you need a Norwegian identification number, a d-nummer or a fødselsnummer. BankID, the digital key you log in with almost everywhere in Norway, you then request through that bank. The finding is at the police: the national ID card of NOK 840 is the Norwegian proof of identity that documents your fødselsnummer, but you can only apply for it with a full eleven-digit fødselsnummer, not with a d-nummer. The trap is therefore the order, not the bank.

Which numbers and documents do I need?

Norway has two identification numbers, both of eleven digits. You get the fødselsnummer if you are going to live in Norway for at least six months and your move has been approved by the Population Register. The d-nummer is the temporary number for those who do not (yet) meet those conditions; Skatteetaten creates one, for example, if you need a tax deduction card and have no Norwegian number yet. You cannot apply for either: they are issued when you meet the conditions.

What	What it opens	What it requires	Cost
d-nummer	tax deduction card and MinID	an authority that creates it for you	none
fødselsnummer	GP, ID card, full access	notification to the Population Register and approval	none
MinID	most public services	a Norwegian number and an activation letter by post	none
National ID card	proof of identity in Norway, not for travel	fødselsnummer, chip passport, identical name, appointment	NOK 840 (from 10 years), NOK 510 (younger)
BankID	almost every login screen	an account with a Norwegian bank	via your bank

What do the police require for the ID card?

Four things, and the police are strict about them:

• a Norwegian fødselsnummer of eleven digits; with only a d-nummer you cannot apply;
• a valid, electronically readable passport or ID card from your own country, with a chip, undamaged and with a photo in which you are still recognisable;
• a name that is exactly the same as in the Population Register, down to the last letter and the last punctuation mark;
• for a child under 13 the consent of both parents with custody, in person.

You book an appointment at a passport and ID office that offers the service for EU/EEA citizens; every police district has at least one. You pay at the counter, by bank card, credit card, cash, Google Pay or Apple Pay, not with Vipps. The card usually comes by post, so put your full name on your letterbox. It is not a travel document: across the border you travel on your Dutch passport.

Check your name in the Population Register before you make an appointment. If it shows a different character or spelling from your passport, the police cannot process your application, and you must first have the registration corrected. Log in, compare letter by letter, and correct it straight away. That saves a second appointment in a period when you are already waiting for everything.

How do I bridge the weeks without a Norwegian account?

With two things you already have or will soon get. MinID already works with a d-nummer: you request an activation letter, which arrives a couple of days later at your address in the Population Register, or at your address abroad if you do not yet have a Norwegian postal address. With it you can apply for your tax deduction card at Skatteetaten and view your tax affairs. And you keep your Dutch account: your last salary, your refunds and any pension come in there, and that account is your line to the Netherlands for years to come. Why you should not close it is in keeping your bank account and DigiD.

What does the law arrange for me as a customer?

One provision of the Norwegian Financial Agreements Act is handy to know. Since 1 October 2024, in a shop that normally sells to consumers, you have the right to pay in cash if payment is also possible another way, for amounts up to NOK 20,000. Above that the obligation does not apply. As long as your Norwegian card has not arrived, that is a useful safety net alongside your Dutch card.

Why should my account number be with Skatteetaten early?

Because Norwegian refunds go to the account number the authorities know: Skatteetaten pays a PAYE refund into the account registered with them, and Helsenorge refunds excess co-payments to your registered account. If a new number is approved automatically, it is registered immediately; if it has to be done by hand, Skatteetaten gives six to twelve weeks. So register your Norwegian account as soon as you have it. Which tax scheme you choose in your first year, and what comes back then, is in PAYE or ordinary tax.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 4 of 5 of the journey, step 4.5: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Norway or go straight to step 4.5 in the open plan.