BankID Norway: How Foreigners Get It (2026 Guide)

To get BankID in Norway as a foreigner, you must be a customer of a Norwegian bank and hold a Norwegian identification number — either a national identity number (fødselsnummer) or a D number. You then contact or visit your bank, present your passport in person, and the bank helps you set up BankID. You can get BankID from the age of 12.

BankID is your personal electronic identification (eID) for secure authentication and signing online. Once you have it, you use it to log in to thousands of websites and public and private digital services across Norway. It is operated by Stø AS (organisation number 927 611 929), based in Oslo. This guide walks through exactly what you need, in the order you will actually do it.

What BankID Is and Why You Need It

BankID is a personal eID used to prove who you are and to sign documents online. In practice it is the key that unlocks day-to-day life in Norway — logging in to your bank, public services, and countless private services all run through it.

BankID also includes an ID card feature that lets you leave your physical passport or ID at home for identification in stores and at post offices.

BankID is not the only electronic ID in Norway. It is one of several eIDs for accessing public services, alongside MinID, Buypass ID and Commfides. For most newcomers, BankID is the one issued through their bank, so it tends to be the first eID people set up.

The Identification Number You Need First

Before you can get an eID such as BankID, Skatteetaten (the Norwegian Tax Administration) requires you to have a Norwegian identification number — either a national identity number or a D number.

• A national identity number (fødselsnummer) can be issued to both Norwegian and foreign citizens. If you plan to reside in Norway for six months or more, you receive one when you are registered as resident in the National Population Register.
• A D number is an identification number for those who do not meet the requirements for a national identity number. Only foreign citizens are issued D numbers.

Crucially, you cannot apply for a D number yourself. An enterprise or authority requests one on your behalf when it needs you to have a Norwegian identification number — and banks, financial institutions and insurance companies are among the enterprises that can order a D number for you. When they do, you usually must provide a certified copy of your passport or national ID card that includes your photograph, full name, date of birth, gender, expiration date, citizenship and a machine-readable zone (MRZ). The copy must be in colour, show both sides, and be no older than three months.

For the full picture on identification numbers, see our separate guides on getting a D number in Norway and on registering with Folkeregisteret (the National Population Register).

How to Get BankID: Step by Step

The core process is short, but each step depends on the one before it:

1. Hold a Norwegian ID number. You need a national identity number or a D number before an eID can be issued.
2. Be a customer of a Norwegian bank. You get BankID from your bank, so you must have a banking relationship first. To start, you contact or visit your bank.
3. Visit your bank in person with your passport. To get BankID you need to attend in person and present your passport. The bank then helps you set up BankID.
4. Choose your variant. BankID comes as BankID with a code device and BankID with an app. Note that it is no longer possible to create a new "BankID on mobile" — that older option has been discontinued.

You can get BankID from the age of 12. If you have not yet opened a Norwegian account, our guides on opening a bank account in Norway and the best bank accounts for expats cover that step, which is the practical gateway to BankID.

Confirming Your Identity in the BankID App

BankID has introduced stricter security. If you have not previously scanned a passport or national ID in the app, you must re-identify yourself by scanning your passport or national ID card and then scanning your face. The app compares the document and your face to reduce identity theft and fraud.

If you have a foreign passport or a machine-readable ID document, you can scan it in the BankID app by selecting "Check only". If the scan fails, you do not need to do anything else — you can carry on using the app as before.

People under the age of 18 do not need to carry out the BankID app ID check at this time; a technical solution for this group is being developed.

If BankID notifies you that you must re-identify yourself, contact your bank — that is the correct channel to resolve it.

Using BankID with a Foreign Phone Number

A common worry for new arrivals is whether BankID works before you have a Norwegian mobile number. It can. You can activate the BankID app with a foreign phone number, but two conditions apply: the number must be registered as your contact information with your Norwegian bank, and you must have a BankID agreement from a Norwegian bank. The app supports phone numbers from many countries across Europe, plus countries such as the USA and Australia.

The ID Check for New Residents

If you intend to stay in Norway for at least six months consecutively or more permanently, you must report a move to Norway, undergo an ID check, and provide documentation that you will live in Norway for at least six months. If approved, you are assigned a national identity number and your status becomes "resident".

The ID check is an in-person identity and identification check for which you must book an appointment in advance. Skatteetaten offers ID checks at 42 selected tax offices. Which documents you bring depends on your citizenship:

• Non-EU/EEA/EFTA citizens need a passport.
• Nordic and EU/EEA/EFTA citizens need a passport or national ID card showing photograph, citizenship and gender.

Your ID status — recorded as "checked" or "not checked" — is registered in the National Population Register and can be decisive for your access to a number of rights. Completing the ID check early therefore matters well beyond BankID alone.

If BankID Is Not an Option Yet: MinID

If you cannot get BankID immediately, remember it is not the only route to public services. MinID is an electronic ID giving access to most public services. To get MinID you first order an activation letter, which takes a couple of days to arrive by post to the address registered for you in the National Population Register. If you have a D number but no registered Norwegian postal address, the activation letter is sent to your address abroad — useful if you are setting things up before you move.

Staying Safe with BankID

A short but important warning: your bank, the police or any legitimate entity will never ask for your BankID codes or password by phone, SMS or email. Any message or call asking you to hand over those details is a scam. If you are ever told to re-identify yourself, do it through your bank directly rather than through a link someone sends you.