To register in the National Registry (Folkeregisteret) you must appear in person for an ID check at a selected tax office. Bring a valid passport and documentation of why you are going to live in Norway. EEA citizens must also register with the police, while if you come from outside the EEA you get a residence card from UDI.

The first days in a new country can feel overwhelming. But you do not have to do everything at once. This checklist shows what matters most in the first week, in what order, and what can wait. For most people the main task is the same: get registered and receive a Norwegian ID number. Once that is in place, the rest opens up.

What should you do first of all?

Take it calmly and do one thing at a time. For a typical newcomer, the first week looks roughly like this:

  1. Check the basis for your stay. Do you know you are allowed to be and live in Norway? That decides what you must do next (more on this below).
  2. Book an appointment for an ID check with Skatteetaten (the Norwegian Tax Administration) – this is the key to getting registered.
  3. Show up and complete the ID check with your papers in order.
  4. Wait for your ID number (a national identity number or a d-number).
  5. Get started with digital Norway: a bank account and an electronic ID.

The last two steps usually come a little after the first week, because they often need the ID number first. The most important advice is simple: start early, and have all your papers ready for the ID check.

How to register in the National Registry

The National Registry is Norway's record of who lives in the country. If you are going to live here, you usually have to register in the National Registry, and that happens through an ID check where you appear in person.

Here is how it works in practice:

  • You book an appointment and show up at a selected tax office. According to Skatteetaten, ID checks are carried out at a selection of offices (around 42 of them), not at all of them. Check the list when you book, so you go to the right place.
  • You must appear in person – no one else can do this for you.
  • Skatteetaten confirms who you are and whether you meet the conditions to be registered.

If you have already been granted a residence permit from the immigration authorities, you are in many cases registered without reporting the move yourself – your residence permit decides whether you count as resident. If you are unsure, check your own situation before you book.

Which documents must you bring to the ID check?

The key is to confirm your identity and that you really are going to live here. So bring:

  • A valid passport. A passport is the safest ID document for most people. If you come from another Nordic country or an EEA country, a national ID card with a photo, citizenship and gender may also be accepted.
  • Documentation of the basis for your stay. You must be able to show why you are going to be in Norway, for example an employment contract, a study place or a residence permit, and that you will live here for at least six months.

Different situations may require slightly different papers, so read what applies to you when you book. Bringing more than necessary rarely hurts – then you avoid having to come back.

Will you get a national identity number or a d-number?

The result of the registration is a Norwegian ID number. There are two types, and which one you get depends on how long and on what basis you will be here:

  • A national identity number (fødselsnummer) is for you if you are registered as resident – normally when you will live in Norway for more than six months consecutively, or more permanently. This is the "ordinary" 11-digit personal number.
  • A d-number is a temporary number for you if you do not meet the requirements for a national identity number but still need contact with Norwegian authorities – for example to work or pay tax for a shorter period.

To understand the distinction in detail, read the separate guide on the difference between a national identity number and a d-number. Both are assigned by Skatteetaten.

How long it takes to get the number after the ID check varies from case to case. Skatteetaten does not state a fixed deadline on its website, so expect it to take a few weeks. You will be notified when the number is ready. Use the waiting time to prepare the next step.

Do you also have to register with the police or UDI?

Registering in the National Registry is not always the only thing you must do. What else is required depends on your citizenship:

  • If you are an EEA citizen (EU/EEA), you must also register with the police under the registration scheme. You appear in person, the police do an ID check, and you receive a registration certificate. The main rule is that you register within three months of arriving. You only register once. Read more about the registration certificate for EEA citizens.
  • If you come from outside the EEA, you must have a residence permit, and you receive a residence card from UDI (the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration). The card is physical proof that you are allowed to stay in Norway, and it contains biometrics (a photo and fingerprints) taken at the police or a service centre.
  • Nordic citizens need neither a residence permit nor police registration, but must report their move to the National Registry if the stay lasts more than six months.

In short: everyone goes through the National Registry, but EEA citizens have a separate step with the police, and citizens from third countries deal with UDI. If you are unsure which group you belong to, your citizenship is the starting point: if it is from an EU or EEA country, the EEA rules apply; otherwise the rules for third countries apply. Family members can have their own rules, so check your own situation with the police or UDI.

The next tasks: bank and digital ID

Once the ID number is in place, digital Norway opens up. Two things should be at the top of the list:

  • Open a bank account. Your salary, rent and bills go through an account. The bank has to ask some questions under the rules, and it can take a little patience, so read how to go about it in the guide on opening a bank account in Norway as a newcomer.
  • Get an electronic ID. With BankID or MinID you log in to public services, sign documents and pay safely online. It is the key to the rest of the services, so see how to get started with BankID, ID-porten and MinID.

Many other things can wait. A regular doctor (fastlege), a tax card, an electricity contract and language courses are important, but not urgent in the very first week. A smart move is to write a short list and do one task a day – that makes everything more manageable. Remember too that help is available: the municipality, the library and voluntary organisations are happy to answer questions while you settle in.

In short

  • Book an ID check at a selected tax office and appear in person to register in the National Registry.
  • Bring a valid passport and documentation of the basis for your stay; you get a national identity number (resident) or a d-number (temporary).
  • Check if you must do more: EEA citizens register with the police, and citizens from outside the EEA get a residence card from UDI.

Most things sort themselves out once the ID number is in place. Start early, have your papers ready, and take one task at a time.