D number

There are two types of identification numbers in Norway: national identity numbers and D numbers. A Norwegian D number is an identification number that may be relevant for those who do not meet the requirements for a national identity number.  

A D number may, for example, be relevant if you’re working in Norway for a few months, are an asylum seeker, or a foreign citizen who have a board position in a Norwegian company. 

Who can receive a D number?

You cannot apply for a D number.   

An enterprise or authority can request a D number when it needs you to have a Norwegian identification number. This may be because it needs a Norwegian identification number to add you to its case processing system. 

You can receive a D number if you: 

  • do not meet the conditions for receiving a national identity number 
  • belong to a group that can be issued a D number under the regulations, for example:  
    • you must pay tax to Norway 
    • you are an asylum seeker or have another valid residence permit 
    • you receive national insurance benefits 
    • you must open a bank account 
    • you own a residential property in Norway 
  • provide a certified copy of your proof of identity when requested 
  • attend an ID check when an enterprise asks you to 

  • The Tax Administration – for persons who are liable to pay tax or contributions. 
  • Nav – for citizens of EEA countries who are applying for jobs and/or receiving national insurance benefits. 
  • Banks, financial institutions and insurance companies – for business relationships with Norwegian banks or other financial institutions. 
  • Norwegian Central Securities Depository (VPS) – for setting up VPS accounts. 
  • The Brønnøysund Register Centre – for registrations in the Register of Business Enterprises, the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities or the Register of Mortgaged Movable Property. 
  • The Norwegian Mapping Authority – as the cadastral authority for the registration of real property. 
  • The Norwegian Health Economics Administration (Helfo) – for asylum seekers and NATO personnel who need a general practitioner. 
  • The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), Police Immigration Unit and the Norwegian Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) – for asylum seekers when registering applications of protection and for other persons with a valid residence permit. 
  • The Ministry of Foreign Affairs – for foreign embassy personnel or foreign citizens of international organisations and intergovernmental convention bodies with headquarters in Norway.

Certified copy of proof of identity

When an enterprise or authority is applying for a D number on your behalf, you must usually send them a certified copy of your passport or your national ID card.

Your proof of identity must include your photograph, full name, date of birth, gender, expiration date, citizenship, and a machine-readable zone (MRZ). 

Requirements for a certified copy

A certified copy means that an independent third party has seen your identity document in the original and can confirm that a copy of the original document has been made. This must be confirmed with a signature, stamp, and date.

The copy must be in colour, and both the front and back of the identity document must be copied. 

The certified copy cannot be older than three months and must be sent by post. 

  • a notarius publicus in Norway or abroad 
  • a Norwegian public authority, for example: 
  • a tax office 
  • the police 
  • the Labour and Welfare Administration (Nav) 
  • the Brønnøysund Register Centre 
  • a Norwegian foreign mission 
  • a Norwegian court 
  • a Norwegian municipality 
  • a Norwegian authorised accountant 
  • a Norwegian lawyer 
  • a Norwegian realtor 
  • a Norwegian authorised or state authorised auditor 
  • a Norwegian bank 
  • a Nordic population registration authority 
  • Nordic police 

ID checks

The enterprise that requests a D number for you may require you to attend an ID check. The Tax Administration performs the ID check.  

You must book an appointment with the Tax Administration for an ID check.  

D numbers with the status set to inactive

Your D number will be given the status "inactive" five years after it was assigned to you. The D number is not invalid or deleted, and you can still use it for many things.  

Enterprises that use information about you from the National Population Register can require that your D number has the status "active" in the National Population Register. In such cases, your D number must be reactivated. Such a reactivation does not happen until after the D number has been set to "inactive".  

A D number can be reactivated in two ways: 

  • An enterprise that can request a D number asks the Tax Administration to activate it again
    • In most cases, you will be required to present a certified copy of your proof of identity. The enterprise can also require you to attend an ID check to reactivate your D number. If so, you must book an appointment to confirm your identity. 
  • You book an appointment for an ID check with the Tax Administration yourself and have your D number activated. 

You cannot undergo the ID check to reactivate you D number before the D number becomes inactive.

A D number that has been reactivated, will be set to "inactive " after five years. 

You can log in to check whether the status of your D number is set to inactive.

Check to see whether the information registered on your D number is correct

You can log in to check what information is registered on your D number. We also recommend that you check that you're registered with the correct postal address.

Check your information in the National Population Register 

Here you can also report changes to personal data if they are incorrect.  

The meaning behind the digits in your D number

The D number consists of 11 digits.

  • The first 6 digits show your date of birth, but the first number is increased by 4. For example, if you’re born on 1 January 1985, then the first digits in your D number would be 410185.
  • The next three digits are individual numbers, where the third digit refers to the holder’s gender: even numbers for women and odd numbers for men.
  • The two last digits are for verification.

If there is no available D number for your birth date, the registration date is used. This means that if you ordered your D number on 15 January 2020, the first digits in your D number would be 550185. Your correct date of birth will still be recorded in the National Population Register in the field for date of birth.

More about this topic