How to get a D-number in Norway

A D-number is a temporary Norwegian identification number for people who are not registered as resident. You cannot apply for one on your own initiative — an employer, bank, or public body that needs you to have one requests it for you, and the most common route is applying for a tax deduction card, which triggers a D-number automatically. You then attend an ID check in person at one of the Tax Administration's selected offices, bringing your passport. Without a D-number you cannot be paid correctly, open a bank account, or get a doctor.

NorgeStart editorial team · checked at source 2026-08-02 · Report an error

CostFree — nobody may charge you

How longWeeks, not days

Who needs itAnyone working here before they are resident

Who this applies to

You are working in Norway temporarily, or have just arrived and are not yet registered as resident.
You have been told by an employer, a bank, or Skatteetaten that you need a Norwegian identification number.
You own property in Norway, sit on the board of a Norwegian company, or otherwise have Norwegian tax liability.
Not you if you are moving to Norway for more than six months and registering as resident — you should be applying to register a move, which gives you a national identity number instead.

Step by step

Get the thing that triggers itYou do not apply for a D-number directly. Something else applies on your behalf. For almost every new worker that is the tax deduction card application, which asks for a D-number as part of the same process. Banks, NAV, the Mapping Authority and the immigration authorities can also request one.
Apply for a tax deduction cardDo this before your first day of work if you can. The application asks for your employment contract and personal details, and it is what puts the D-number request into the system.
Book an ID check appointmentThe Tax Administration verifies your identity in person. Appointments are booked through Skatteetaten's booking system, and the check is carried out at 42 selected tax offices — not every office does it, so check which one before travelling.
Attend in person with your passportBring the original document, not a copy. Which document is accepted depends on your citizenship (see below).
Wait for the number, then give it to everyoneOnce issued, send it to your employer immediately, and use it when you open a bank account. Your employer cannot deduct the right tax without it.

What you need to bring

Nordic citizens: passport, or a national ID card showing your photograph, citizenship and gender.
EU/EEA/EFTA citizens: passport, or a national ID card with photograph and citizenship.
Everyone else: a passport. A national ID card is not enough.
Asylum seekers, refugees and victims of trafficking: a Norwegian residence card, refugee travel document or asylum certificate is accepted in place of a passport.
Your employment contract, if the D-number is coming through a tax card application.
If a certified copy of your passport is requested by post instead of an in-person check, it must be in colour, both sides, no more than three months old, and certified by a notary, court, bank, the police, NAV or another authorised professional.

What it costs

The Tax Administration does not charge a fee for a D-number, the ID check, or a tax deduction card. If you are asked to pay someone for “getting you a D-number”, you are being charged for something that is free.

The only costs that can legitimately arise are indirect: travel to an office that performs ID checks, and a notary or bank fee if you need a certified copy of your passport.

How long it takes

Skatteetaten does not publish a guaranteed processing time for a D-number, and we will not invent one. What we can tell you is what determines it: how quickly you can get an ID-check appointment, which varies by office and by season, and whether your application is complete.

Plan for it taking weeks rather than days, and start before you arrive if your employer will let you. Check the current appointment availability in Skatteetaten's booking system rather than relying on what a colleague experienced last year.

Common mistakes

Waiting for your employer to sort it out: Many will, but you are the one who is paid 50% tax in the meantime. Ask on day one whether they have applied, and apply yourself if they have not.
Travelling to the wrong tax office: Only 42 offices perform ID checks. Booking confirms the location; turning up at your nearest office does not.
Bringing a national ID card when you need a passport: If you are not an EU/EEA/EFTA or Nordic citizen, only a passport is accepted. This turns a booked appointment into a wasted day.
Assuming the D-number is permanent: A D-number goes inactive after five years. If you stay, register your move and get a national identity number — do not keep using a number that is quietly expiring.
Paying an agency: It is free. Anyone charging you for the number itself is charging you for nothing.

EU/EEA citizens may come to Norway, live and work without a residence permit, and can get a D-number as soon as an employer or bank requests one. If you stay more than three months you must register with the police, which is a separate process from the D-number.

Non-EU citizens normally need a residence permit granted before travelling — usually a skilled worker permit tied to a concrete job offer. The D-number follows the permit and the job; it is not a substitute for either, and having one does not give you the right to work.

What to do next

See what your salary is actually worth after Norwegian tax →
Once you have a D-number and a tax card, this shows what will land in your account.

Every rule on this page, at its official source

Skatteetaten — D-number ↗Skatteetaten — ID check ↗Skatteetaten — national identity number ↗Skatteetaten — tax deduction cards for foreign workers ↗UDI — residence in Norway ↗

This page brings official Norwegian information together in one place and explains it in plain English. Rules and amounts change, and your own situation may differ — check anything that matters against the official source above, and treat this as general information, not legal or tax advice.

Published 2026-08-02 · last checked against official sources 2026-08-02 · how NorgeStart researches and corrects its guides