Fødselsnummer, MinID and BankID: the Norwegian chain
Norway has two registrations: the police are done while you stand there, but the fødselsnummer from Skatteetaten can take up to twenty-five weeks — and GP, bank and BankID wait for it. This is how the chain works, what the police's ID card requires, and how MinID bridges the waiting time.
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Written and checked by Auke on , against the sources at the bottom. Is something no longer right? Report it below and I'll fix it.
Yes, as a Dutch citizen you may live in Norway without a permit. You do register twice, at two counters with a very different pace:
- With the police you register within three months as an EEA citizen. With complete papers you get the registration certificate on the spot.
- With Skatteetaten, the Norwegian Tax Administration, you report your move within eight days. Then the only real waiting time of the whole process begins: two to twenty-five weeks until the fødselsnummer arrives.
The fødselsnummer is the permanent Norwegian personal number. It is the key to the GP, the ID card, the bank and BankID. The trap is therefore the order: whoever lets the eight days slip, pushes everything back.
Who may stay, and what do I have to show?
The Norwegian Immigration Act gives an EEA citizen the right to stay longer than three months on four grounds. Which one fits you determines what you show the police:
| Ground | What you show at registration |
|---|---|
| Employee | a confirmation from your employer that you are employed |
| Self-employed | proof that you work as self-employed |
| Sufficient funds | proof of funds and health insurance |
| Student | a confirmation of enrolment at an approved institution |
Whoever does not work, like most pensioners, ends up with the third ground, and that comes with health insurance.
Helsenorge, the Norwegian government's health portal, says what that means for a pensioner from the EEA. Make sure you have the S1 form from the country your pension comes from, and send it to Helfo, the Norwegian agency for health reimbursements. For a Dutch pension or benefit that is the CAK. How that works and what it costs is in AOW, pension and tax in Norway and in healthcare in Norway.
Whoever lives legally in Norway for five uninterrupted years gets a permanent right of residence, which no longer depends on work or funds. It does lapse again if you stay outside Norway for more than two consecutive years.
Counter one: the police (fast)
Within three months of arrival you register as an EEA citizen with the police. The law says it without reservation: on showing the required documents, the registration certificate is issued immediately.
- Workers bring the employer's statement.
- Those living on their own funds bring proof of the funds and the health cover.
You book the appointment via the portal of the UDI, the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration. You must attend in person, because the police check your identity.
This counter is the formality. The police themselves call the registration a formalisation of the right of residence the EEA already gives you.
Counter two: Skatteetaten (slow, and everything waits for it)
The Population Register Act is strict: whoever moves to Norway to settle in a Norwegian municipality reports this in person to the tax office within eight days of arrival, with a passport or comparable ID. The identity check that goes with it is done by Skatteetaten at 42 offices, always in person.
If you stay at least six months, you get a fødselsnummer after approval. Until then your status in the Population Register is not "resident".
Then it is waiting. Skatteetaten gives two to twenty-five weeks for a move to Norway, and the answer comes by post. If you supplied everything needed when you reported, Skatteetaten can deal with the case quickly.
Note one thing Skatteetaten adds itself: being registered as resident in the Population Register is not the same as being tax resident. That is a question of its own, which comes back in PAYE or ordinary tax.
What is a d-nummer, and what can I do with it?
In the meantime you exist on a d-nummer: a temporary number of eleven digits, for foreigners only. You cannot apply for it yourself. An authority that needs it creates it for you. Skatteetaten does so, for example, if you need a tax deduction card and do not yet have a Norwegian number.
With a d-nummer you can work and pay tax, and apply for MinID. What you cannot do: choose a regular GP or get the national ID card. For that you need the fødselsnummer.
The Norwegian proof of identity: the national ID card
Since the police began issuing a national ID card for EU/EEA citizens, newcomers have a Norwegian proof of identity that documents their fødselsnummer. It costs NOK 840, and you apply by appointment at a passport and ID office. The police set four conditions:
- a fødselsnummer (a d-nummer is not enough);
- a valid passport or ID card with a chip;
- a name that matches the Population Register letter for letter;
- for children under 13 the consent of the parents.
It is not a travel document. What it means for your bank account is in banking and paying in Norway.
Compare your name in the Population Register with your passport before you make the appointment. A different character or spelling is enough to make the application fail, and then you start again.
The bridge: MinID and BankID
For the weeks before BankID there is MinID: the government's own eID (digital login), which already works with a d-nummer. You order an activation letter. It arrives within a couple of days at your address in the Population Register, or at your address abroad if you do not yet have a Norwegian postal address.
With MinID you can, at Skatteetaten:
- arrange your tax deduction card;
- see what your employer reports about you;
- receive your assessment digitally.
BankID you request through your bank, as soon as you are a customer there. Then you have the key that opens almost every Norwegian login screen, from the government to your bank.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 4 of 5 of the journey: the same chain, but as tickable steps for your situation — in your order and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Norway.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Immigration Act chapter 13 — § 112 right of residence, § 115 permanent residence after five years, § 117 registration within three months — lovdata.no
- Population Register Act § 6-2 — the eight-day notification deadline — lovdata.no
- Skatteetaten — the ID check in person — skatteetaten.no
- Skatteetaten — fødselsnummer and d-nummer — skatteetaten.no
- Skatteetaten — processing times, moving to Norway two to twenty-five weeks — skatteetaten.no
- Politiet — the national ID card for EU/EEA citizens — politiet.no
- Skatteetaten — becoming an online user (MinID, BankID) — skatteetaten.no
- Oslo police — frequently asked questions on EEA registration, appointment via the UDI and attending in person — politiet.no
- Helsenorge — healthcare rights of pensioners moving to Norway, the S1 form — helsenorge.no
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