Banks in Norway

In principle, basic bank services are available to everyone living in Norway. To open a bank account in Norway, you need to prove your identity with a valid document. A valid Norwegian passport serves as an approved and valid identity document, as does a valid national ID card. Contact the bank you are considering to find out if other types of identity document can be used.

You generally need a Norwegian national identity number (personnummer) or a Norwegian D number to open a bank account in Norway.

Some banks have branches in several Nordic countries, so check whether the bank in your home country can help you open an account in the Norwegian bank if you are not living in Norway.

MinID is a personal log-in to public services in Norway. With your personal MinID you can, for example, gain access to different services of the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, NAV, apply for admission to higher education, apply for a loan and grant from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund (Lånekassen), and submit your tax return electronically. Together with PIN codes and your chosen password, you can prove your identity digitally in contact with public services in Norway.  You yourself are responsible for setting up your own MinID, and you need a Norwegian national identity number or a D number to set it up.  

BankID is a personal, electronic ID that gives you access to public services at the highest level of security. To get a BankID you must contact your bank. 

Banks generally require that you are registered in the National Registry in Norway before they will issue a credit card, such as MasterCard, or grant you credit. If you apply for a credit card from a Norwegian bank, a credit assessment will be carried out and you may be asked to provide documentation about your financial position. In this way, the bank can check whether you have any record of non-payments, or if there are any other conditions they should be aware of. You always receive written notification if a party has carried out a credit assessment on you. The credit check only gives banks in Norway information about Norwegian conditions, so you should yourself obtain documentation regarding income you receive from other countries.

Banks can decide whether to issue credit cards and grant loans, so it is important that you discuss your opportunities with the bank.

If you want to transfer money to someone in another country, or receive money from abroad, the recipient’s international bank account number (IBAN) is usually used. IBAN identifies the country, the bank, the branch and the account number of the person who is to receive the money, and also makes transferring money safer. You also need the SWIFT address or BIC (Bank Identifier Code) of the recipient’s bank. Contact your bank to find out more about the fees involved when transferring money to and from other countries.