The HMS-kort (formerly called «byggekort», construction card) is mandatory on all building and construction sites and in the cleaning industry. Your employer must order it – not you. There is only one official place: hmskort.no. The card costs 139,10 kr + VAT and is valid for two years.
What is the HMS-kort, and who needs it?
The HMS-kort is a personal ID card showing that you have legal, paid work in a business registered in public registers. HMS stands for health, environment and safety. The purpose is to make it easy to see who is actually working at a workplace, and to fight undeclared work and social dumping. Many still call the card «byggekort», because the scheme started in construction – but the official name is HMS-kort.
Today the card is required in several industries:
- Building and construction sites – everyone doing work on a site, even for a short time.
- The cleaning industry – everyone working in cleaning. The cleaning business must also be officially approved by Arbeidstilsynet (the Labour Inspection Authority).
- Car care, wheel changes and wheel storage – manual car-care and tyre work.
- Goods transport by car or van – a new requirement from 1 January 2026.
You must wear the card visibly while you work, and be able to show it to Arbeidstilsynet or the client on request. The card documents who you are and who you work for – it does not replace requirements for training or safety courses.
Who orders the card – and what does it cost?
This is the key thing to understand: it is your employer who must order the HMS-kort, not you. The employer logs in with an electronic ID (for example BankID) and orders cards for the employees. You should normally not pay anything yourself – the cost is the employer's responsibility.
If you are self-employed with a sole proprietorship (enkeltpersonforetak, ENK) without employees, you order the card for yourself. Read more about registering a sole proprietorship.
The price is fixed and low: 139,10 kroner + VAT per card (as of 2026). That is the entire official price. If you are told to pay several hundred kroner, you have probably landed on a copycat site.
Beware of expensive copycat sites
There is only one official ordering site: hmskort.no, operated on behalf of Arbeidstilsynet. Even so, many private websites appear with similar-looking names – often with words like «byggekort», «hms-kort» or «jobbkort» in the address. These are usually middlemen who charge several hundred kroner extra for a service you can do yourself.
| Official: hmskort.no | Copycat / middleman | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 139,10 kr + VAT | often 500–700 kr + VAT |
| Who is behind it | Arbeidstilsynet | private company |
| Necessary? | Yes | No |
It is not illegal to use a middleman, but you pay far too much. Always check that you really are on hmskort.no before you place an order.
How the ordering works
The employer needs a few details to order:
- Full name and the national identity number or D-number of the employee.
- A passport photo of the employee.
- That both the business and the worker are registered in the necessary public registers.
Here is how it then proceeds:
- The employer orders at hmskort.no using an electronic ID.
- When the card is ready for production, you immediately receive a temporary card by email. It works as valid documentation while you wait.
- The physical card is sent by post and should normally arrive within 14 days.
The card is tied to your job
The HMS-kort is not yours forever. It is valid for two years from the date of issue, but only as long as the employment relationship and the business actually exist. If you leave the job, or the business closes, the card becomes invalid – even if the date has not passed.
That is why the card is closely linked to having a genuine, registered job. A written employment contract and correct minimum wage belong to the same picture.
Special notes if you work in cleaning
For cleaning, the HMS-kort requirement applies in addition to a separate approval scheme. The cleaning business itself must be officially approved by Arbeidstilsynet and listed in the public register of approved cleaning companies. It is not allowed to offer or to buy cleaning services from a business that is not approved. You can look the company up yourself in the register at arbeidstilsynet.no. If you are new in Norway and have not yet received a national identity number, the card can be ordered on a D-number – you do not need your own BankID, because it is the employer who logs in and orders for you.
When the card expires or is lost
An HMS-kort is personal, and the card shows your name, a photo, who you are employed by, a card number and the date until which it is valid. You must never lend out your own card or use someone else's – that counts as cheating and can be punished. When the two years are up, the employer must order a new card. Ask for this to be done in good time before expiry, so you are not left without a valid card at work. If you lose the card, or it is stolen, the employer orders a new one in the usual way at the same price, and the old one must no longer be used.
What are you entitled to as a worker?
As a worker you must not be pressured to pay for your own HMS-kort, and it must not be deducted from your pay. The card is part of the employer's responsibility for a legal and safe workplace. If you are told to «arrange the card yourself» for a fee before you have started the job, or you are asked to work without a card while it «is on its way», you should be sceptical. A serious employment relationship sorts out the HMS-kort at once, and it costs you nothing.
What does a missing or fake card mean?
Working without an HMS-kort where it is required is a clear warning sign. It may mean that the employer has not registered you correctly, does not pay tax and duties, or is engaged in undeclared work. A fake or «borrowed» card is even more serious and can have consequences for both you and the employer.
For you as a worker this matters because:
- Without a registered employment relationship you lose rights such as sick pay, holiday pay and pension.
- You may be left without insurance if you are injured at work.
- The employer more easily gains power to pressure you on pay and terms.
So insist that the employer orders an HMS-kort for you from your first day on a building site or in cleaning. It is free for you, and it is your proof that the job is real and legal.
