Turn the checklist into a record of appointments, documents and follow-ups that fit your household.
Eight practical tasks after arrival
Check your residence registration and ID number
Start with your residence basis. Police registration, the Population Register and an ID number are different things.
Check in your first days. EU/EEA workers staying over three months normally register with the police within three months; Nordic citizens use separate moving rules.
Check your residence registration and ID number
Set up digital ID: MinID and BankID
ID-porten is a login gateway. MinID and BankID are electronic IDs you can use through it, with different access levels.
Start after your ID number and registered postal address are ready. Digdir normally quotes 3–6 working days for the MinID letter; contact support after 10 working days without it.
Set up digital ID: MinID and BankID
Open a bank account
Arrange an account for salary and bills, and ask separately about a debit card, online banking and BankID.
Contact a bank early. There is no single guaranteed opening time: appointments, identity checks and missing documents affect the bank’s assessment.
Apply for a tax deduction card
A skattekort tells your employer how much tax to withhold. It is electronic and is separate from permission to work.
Apply before the first salary payment. Skatteetaten normally issues the card within five working days; an ID appointment and missing evidence can add time.
Apply for a tax deduction card
Find out how to get healthcare and a GP
Check your right to a fastlege and how to get care while waiting. Urgent help should not wait for administrative steps.
Identify your local healthcare contact on arrival. GP availability and waiting lists vary; this checklist does not promise an appointment within a week.
Find out how to get healthcare and a GP
Check your Norwegian-language training rights
Ask the municipality’s adult education service which training rights, duties and payment rules apply to you.
Contact adult education early. For people covered by the relevant training scheme, IMDi describes an offer as soon as possible and within three months of registration or a request to participate.
Check your Norwegian-language training rights
Arrange school or kindergarten for your children
Contact the municipality about school immediately. Apply for kindergarten separately; its admission rules and deadlines differ.
Do not wait for the next school year to ask about school. Kindergarten application deadlines are set locally. Check the municipality’s current intake and supplementary admission.
Arrange school or kindergarten for your children
Understand how it works
Your first week is a starting point, not an official deadline for completing every task. Some steps can run in parallel. Healthcare or school may need attention before a bank account is ready. Your route also matters: work immigration, family immigration, EEA residence and protection have different requirements.
When and how long?
Review the plan weekly at first. Record permit expiry and renewal instructions now; waiting for another application does not automatically extend your current permit.
Have these ready
- Residence decisions and expiry dates
- Appointment and application receipts
- Copies of correspondence, contracts and certificates
What to do
- Keep a private document folder and note what each authority is waiting for.
- Separate a legal deadline from a processing estimate or your own target date.
- Read the relevant residence guide and return to official sources before applying.
Make the first week a realistic plan
Prioritise urgent healthcare, children's schooling and permission to work over a fixed checklist order. Tax-card arrangements should start before salary is paid. Some residence permits lead to automatic Population Register registration, so check your correspondence before booking an extra ID appointment.
Keep a separate record for each family member: registration, permit expiry, appointments and documents may differ. A citizenship application does not extend a residence permit. Follow renewal instructions well before expiry, and use UDI's personal application guide instead of treating a calculator date as permission to apply.
Keep in mind
The checkmarks stay in this browser and are not an official application record. Do not upload passports or personal case details to this checklist.
Next steps and related guides
- Use the interactive checklist
- Check your residence registration and ID number
- Arrange school or kindergarten for your children
