Folkeregisteret: why should you actually report your move?
You have a job, an apartment, a D-nummer and you think everything is already taken care of.
Not necessarily.
If you are indeed moving to Norway for a longer period, there is also Folkeregisteret, the Norwegian population register.
Skatteetaten states that if you intend to live in Norway for at least 6 months or are moving here permanently, you must report the move. After the report is accepted you will be registered as a resident and receive a fødselsnummer.
Start here and answer the questions about your situation:
Skatteetaten: moving to Norway
If you only have 30 seconds
First check whether you will actually be living in Norway for at least 6 months.
Then prepare an identity document, documents showing your right of residence, and evidence that you will actually live here for the required period.
If you need to go through ID-kontroll, book an appointment at Skatteetaten.
After your report is approved you will be entered as a resident in Folkeregisteret and will receive a fødselsnummer.
Step 1. Check whether the move notification applies to you
Not every person arriving in Norway is immediately registered as a resident.
If you are here on a short contract, you may have a D-nummer, a skattekort and legally work, and still not be registered as a resident.
When moving for a longer period the situation changes.
Skatteetaten states that if you stay for at least 6 consecutive months or move permanently you must report the move to Norway.
Check your situation in the official guide:
Skatteetaten: do you need to report your move?
If you are coming from Poland and intend to live and work here for a longer period, this is most often the step that will apply to you.
Step 2. Prepare the document that will confirm your identity
When registering in Folkeregisteret an ID-kontroll may be required, that is, a personal identity check.
Skatteetaten then requires you to appear in person and present the appropriate document.
For an EU/EEA citizen this can be a passport or a national identity card with a photo and information about citizenship and gender.
Here you will check the exact requirements and book an appointment:
Skatteetaten: ID-kontroll
Do not go to a random skattekontor. Identity checks are carried out only at selected offices.
Step 3. Prove that you have the right to live in Norway
If you are an EU/EEA citizen, Skatteetaten must see that you have a basis for the right of residence for the required period.
This may be work, self-employment, studies or another basis provided for EU/EEA citizens.
SUA indicates that when reporting a move you can use, among other things, an employment contract, payslips, time cards or a current police certificate. If the registration certificate is older, the office may request additional documents showing that you still meet the conditions of the right of residence.
If you are an EU/EEA citizen, check the documents before the appointment:
SUA: moving notification for EU/EEA citizens
The earlier guide on EU/EEA registration is very helpful here. Folkeregisteret does not replace this procedure.
Step 4. Show that you will actually live here
Simply saying "I'm staying in Norway" is not enough.
The office may request documents showing that you actually intend to live here for at least 6 months.
SUA lists, as examples, a lease agreement, a purchase agreement for an apartment, an employment contract, confirmation from an employment agency or a document from a school or university. If documents are older than 3 months, it is worth also having current confirmation that they are still valid.
So if you rent an apartment, bring the signed agreement with you.
If your employment contract shows that the employment will last longer, it can also be an important document.
Step 5. Fill in the move notification
Simply collecting the documents is not enough. You still need to report the move.
Skatteetaten guides the user through the appropriate procedure on the "Move to Norway" page. Depending on your situation, the way to submit documents may differ.
Start the notification here:
Skatteetaten: report your move to Norway
If you have electronic identification, some matters can be handled online. Skatteetaten indicates that an electronic user can use many services without sending documents by mail.
Don't have BankID yet? That doesn't mean you can't take care of the matter. The procedure may simply require a form, documents and a personal visit.
Step 6. Do you already have a D-number? Check when it was issued
This is an important detail.
If you previously received a D-number and are now moving to Norway permanently or for at least 6 months, you can report the move and, after acceptance, receive a fødselsnummer.
Skatteetaten has a special procedure for people who were recently assigned a D-number.
If you report the move within 30 days of receiving the D-number, you can submit form RF-1401 with documentation. If more than 30 days have passed, a new identity check may be required.
Already have a D-number? Check this procedure:
Skatteetaten: D-number and later registration as a resident
Do not try to "convert a D-number to a fødselsnummer" as a separate service. You are reporting your actual move. If you meet the conditions, Folkeregisteret will assign the appropriate status and number.
Step 7. Wait for the decision from Folkeregisteret
Sending the documents does not yet mean that you are registered as a resident.
It is Folkeregisteret that assesses whether you meet the conditions.
If the notification is accepted, you will be registered as a resident of Norway and will receive a fødselsnummer. If the conditions are not met, you will not receive a fødselsnummer just because you planned to stay in the country longer.
If you already have a D-nummer and the notification is not approved, you can still use your existing number in matters where it is accepted.
Do you have a residence permit from outside the EU/EEA? The procedure may be different
Not every foreigner has to register their move themselves.
If UDI has granted you a certain type of residence permit for at least 6 months, the immigration authority may transfer the data directly to Folkeregisteret. In such a case registration as a resident and the issuing of a fødselsnummer may take place automatically.
However, not all permits work the same way.
Check here whether your permit causes automatic registration:
Skatteetaten: residence permit and automatic registration
This is another reason why it is not worth copying a friend's procedure. You may have completely different grounds for your stay.
Folkeregisteret is not the same as EU/EEA registration
This is a very common misunderstanding.
If you are a Polish citizen and stay in Norway for a longer period, you may have several different obligations at the same time.
EU/EEA registration concerns the right of residence.
Folkeregisteret concerns whether you are registered as a resident of Norway.
Skattekort concerns the deduction of tax from wages.
D-nummer or fødselsnummer is an identification number.
These things are connected, but they are not the same. SUA confirms that an EU/EEA citizen can arrange registration with the police, skattekort and the notification of moving during service at the same centre, but these are separate matters.
Folkeregisteret is also not tax residency
This is another important point.
You can be registered as a resident in Folkeregisteret, but the rules for tax residency are determined separately.
Skatteetaten states that tax residency may arise, among other things, after exceeding 183 days of stay within a 12-month period or 270 days within a 36-month period.
If you want to check your tax situation, here are the correct rules:
Skatteetaten: tax residency after moving to Norway
However, we do not mix this with the move notification itself. Taxes will have separate guides.
And what if you later change your address in Norway?
After proper registration as a resident, you must ensure that Folkeregisteret has your current address.
If you are moving within Norway, the change can be reported no earlier than 31 days before the move and no later than 8 days after it.
Report a change of address in Norway here:
Skatteetaten: moving within Norway
This is already a different procedure than the initial registration after arriving from abroad.
Most common mistakes
“I have a D-nummer, so I'm registered in the Folkeregisteret as a resident”
No.
A D-nummer is an identification number. It does not automatically mean resident status.
“I have a one-year contract, so I will automatically get a fødselsnummer”
A contract is important evidence, but the decision is made by the Folkeregisteret after assessing the whole situation.
“I registered with UDI, so Folkeregister is already taken care of”
Not always.
For an EU/EEA citizen these are separate procedures.
“I don't have BankID, so I can't report a move”
No.
Electronic identification makes it easier to handle matters online, but its absence does not close the way to registration. Depending on the situation you can use forms, paper documents and a visit to the office.
“A fødselsnummer automatically means Norwegian tax residency”
No.
The population registry and tax residency are two different systems.
What to prepare before reporting?
It is usually worth having an identity document ready, documents confirming the right of residence and evidence showing that you will live in Norway for at least 6 months.
For an employee these can be an employment contract, payslips or a work schedule. For renting an apartment a signed rental agreement will be useful. A student may need a confirmation from the school or university.
However, it is safest not to rely on a single universal checklist.
Before your visit, go through Skatteetaten's official guide for your situation:
Skatteetaten: moving to Norway step by step
What to do now?
If you already know when to report your move to the Folkeregisteret, the next step in our path is:
SUA: what can be arranged in one place and when is it worth going there?
In the next guide we will show which matters you can combine during a single visit and when SUA really saves time.
Official sources
Skatteetaten: moving to Norway
The main procedure for reporting a move and determining whether you must register as a resident.
Skatteetaten: fødselsnummer when moving
Conditions for registration as a resident and assignment of a Norwegian identification number.
Skatteetaten: ID-kontroll
Requirements for identity documents and the list of offices performing the check.
SUA: EU/EEA citizen
Documents regarding the right of residence, employment and the intention to live in Norway for the required period.
Skatteetaten: residence permit and automatic registration
Information for people from outside the EU/EEA about when data from the immigration system are transferred directly to the Folkeregisteret.
Information checked: 20.09.2026
