D-nummer or fødselsnummer? Let’s start with the simplest answer
You come to Norway, start working and suddenly everyone asks for a Norwegian identification number.
Some say: D-nummer.
Others: fødselsnummer.
Someone else says you must first "get a D-nummer".
And here the unnecessary confusion begins.
The most important thing is this:
you do not choose the number yourself.
Your situation decides whether you will receive a fødselsnummer or a D-nummer.
Skatteetaten explains that you do not submit a routine application for one of these numbers simply because you want to have it. A number is assigned when you meet the relevant conditions or when a specific institution needs it to handle your case.
First check the official explanation of both numbers:
Skatteetaten: identification numbers in Norway
If you only have 30 seconds
Fødselsnummer usually applies to you if you are actually moving to Norway, will live here for at least 6 months and will be registered as a resident.
D-nummer may apply to you if you do not meet the conditions to receive a fødselsnummer but need a Norwegian identification number, for example for taxes, work, a bank or another specific matter.
So don’t start with the question:
“How to get a D-nummer?”
Start with:
“Why do I need a Norwegian number and how long will I live in Norway?”
Step 1. Will you stay in Norway for at least 6 months?
This is the first thing you need to establish.
Skatteetaten states that if you will live in Norway for at least 6 months or are moving here permanently, after proper registration as a resident you will receive a fødselsnummer.
The fødselsnummer consists of 11 digits and serves as your primary Norwegian identification number.
If you are moving to Norway for more than 6 months, check the moving notification procedure:
Skatteetaten: reporting a move to Norway
If the notification is approved, you will be registered as a resident in Folkeregisteret and receive a fødselsnummer.
Step 2. Do you not meet the conditions for a fødselsnummer? Then a D-nummer may appear
A D-nummer is intended for foreigners who need a Norwegian identification number but do not meet the conditions to receive a fødselsnummer.
This may apply, for example, to a person who:
comes to Norway to work for a few months,
has to pay tax in Norway,
needs a tax card,
receives a benefit,
needs a number for a specific banking matter,
owns property in Norway,
holds a position in a Norwegian company.
Skatteetaten states outright that you cannot simply apply for a D-nummer yourself. The number is ordered by the agency or another authorized institution if it is needed to handle a specific matter.
Check the exact rules for D-nummer:
Skatteetaten: who can receive a D-nummer
Step 3. Starting work? Do not submit a separate application for a D-nummer
This is one of the most common mistakes.
You arrive for work and someone says:
“First you have to get a D-nummer.”
In practice you should handle the matter for which the number is needed.
If you start working in Norway, that matter will most often be the skattekort.
Skatteetaten states that most people working in Norway need a skattekort and a Norwegian identification number. If you do not yet have any number, Skatteetaten can order a D-nummer in connection with the skattekort issuance procedure.
If you start work, you handle the correct matter here:
Skatteetaten: application for skattekort for a foreign employee
If you do not yet have a Norwegian number or electronic identification, you usually need to arrange an identity check and prepare form RF-1209.
Step 4. Check whether you need to undergo an identity check
An identity check may be required when issuing a D-nummer.
The agency or institution ordering the D-nummer determines whether a check is needed in your case. The check itself is conducted by Skatteetaten.
If you must appear in person, you need to book an appointment in advance.
Here you will find offices performing ID checks:
Skatteetaten: book an identity check
Do not go without booking an appointment.
Skatteetaten clearly states that you must reserve an appointment before coming to the office.
Step 5. You already have a D-nummer, but are you moving to Norway permanently?
This is a very common situation.
Someone comes for a short contract, gets a D-nummer, and later stays in Norway for longer.
A D-nummer does not mean you are “stuck” with it forever.
If you later meet the conditions for registration as a resident, you can receive a fødselsnummer.
Example:
You have a D-nummer, but now you intend to live in Norway for at least 6 months.
You do not then submit an application for a “conversion of D-nummer to fødselsnummer”.
You report a move to Norway. If the notification is approved, you are registered as a resident and receive a fødselsnummer.
You start the procedure here:
Skatteetaten: notification of moving to Norway
Step 6. Do you have a residence permit for at least 6 months? Some people are registered automatically
This applies especially to people from outside the EU/EEA who hold certain residence permits.
Skatteetaten states that for some residence permits issued for at least 6 months, information from the immigration administration is passed to Folkeregisteret and a person may be automatically registered as a resident and receive a fødselsnummer.
However, not every permit works in the same way.
Therefore, with a residence permit check whether in your case registration happens automatically or whether you must report your move yourself.
Skatteetaten: residence permit and registration as a resident
D-nummer does not mean that you are registered in Norway
This must be said very clearly.
D-nummer is an identification number.
By itself it does not mean that you are registered as a resident of Norway.
Skatteetaten points out that the status in Folkeregisteret matters for rights and obligations. If the notification of a move is accepted, the status changes to 'resident' and you receive a fødselsnummer.
Therefore:
D-nummer ≠ being registered as a resident
and at the same time:
fødselsnummer ≠ automatic tax residency
Skatteetaten reminds that being registered as a resident in Folkeregisteret is not the same as being a tax resident of Norway.
Who actually can order a D-nummer?
Not only Skatteetaten.
Depending on the matter, authorized institutions can order a D-nummer, among others:
Skatteetaten,
NAV,
banks and some financial institutions,
Brønnøysundregistrene,
Kartverket,
HELFO,
UDI and the immigration administration.
You can find the full current list here:
Skatteetaten: institutions that can order a D-nummer
This is precisely why there is no single universal procedure for 'obtaining a D-nummer'.
First you have a specific case.
Only within that framework does the relevant institution initiate the procedure to assign the number.
What if the D-nummer is already several years old?
Here is another thing that many people only learn when they get the next skattekort.
After 5 years from being assigned, a D-nummer receives the status inactive. However, this does not mean that the number has been deleted or ceased to exist.
The number is still yours.
You do not get a new D-nummer.
Some institutions may, however, require the number to be active.
For example, if you need a new skattekort, the D-nummer must be active.
If your number is inactive and you start working again, check the procedure here:
Skatteetaten: how to reactivate a D-nummer for a skattekort
Reactivation may require a new identity check.
Can you have BankID with a D-nummer?
Here, too, it's not worth assuming "D-nummer = impossible".
Skatteetaten states that many digital services are also available to people holding a D-nummer, including the possibility of obtaining electronic identification. At the same time, specific requirements depend on the service provider and the bank.
Therefore we leave the topic of the bank and BankID for a separate guide.
We won't mix three different issues here.
Most common mistakes
"I have to apply for a D-nummer first"
Usually not.
If you need a tax card, you get a tax card. If the authority requires a D-nummer for that case, the number will be ordered as part of the procedure.
"I have a D-nummer, so I am registered as a resident"
No.
A D-nummer is an identification number, and resident status is a separate piece of information in Folkeregisteret.
"The D-nummer disappears after 5 years"
No.
It receives inactive status. The number is not deleted or invalidated.
"If I have a D-nummer, I cannot get a fødselsnummer"
You can, if you later meet the conditions for registration as a resident.
It's not about swapping one number for another on request. It's about changing your situation and status in Folkeregisteret.
"A fødselsnummer means I am a tax resident"
Not necessarily.
The population register and tax residency are determined according to different rules.
D-nummer or fødselsnummer? A simple example
Example 1
You arrive from Poland for a 3-month contract.
You need a tax card and a Norwegian identification number.
You are not moving to Norway for at least 6 months.
In that situation you may receive a D-nummer.
Example 2
You move to Norway with your family and plan to live here permanently.
You report your move.
If you are registered as a resident, you receive a fødselsnummer.
Example 3
You already have a D-nummer from a previous short contract, but now you are moving to Norway permanently.
You do not apply for a new D-nummer.
You report the move to Norway. After approval you may be registered as a resident and receive a fødselsnummer.
What to do now?
If you already know which number may apply to your situation, the next step in our path is:
Folkeregister: when and how to report a move to Norway?
There we will focus only on reporting the move.
We will show:
what to prepare,
where to start the procedure,
when an identity check is necessary,
what happens after the notification is approved.
Official sources
Skatteetaten: identification numbers in Norway
Explanation of the differences between fødselsnummer and D-nummer, the way numbers are assigned and the meaning of status in Folkeregisteret.
Skatteetaten: D-nummer
Who can receive a D-nummer, who can order it, when an identity check is required and what inactive status means.
Skatteetaten: fødselsnummer
Official information regarding the Norwegian identification number of a person registered as a resident.
Skatteetaten: moving to Norway
Procedure for reporting a move when staying for at least 6 months.
Skatteetaten: tax card for a foreign employee
Procedure for obtaining a tax card and identification number when starting work.
Skatteetaten: identity check
List of offices performing ID checks and the option to schedule an appointment.
Information verified: 19.09.2026
