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DIGITAL ID

How do Norway’s new e-ID plans affect foreign residents?

The Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development has presented a new national strategy for the secure digital ID system e-ID. Here's how it could affect foreigners living in Norway.

Published: 1 May 2023 10:07 CEST
Bank ID
People living in Norway can usually choose between different electronic IDs to log on to online public services. Pictured is a BankID token. Photo by: The Local Norway

Norway is a highly digitalised society, and most interactions with state entities (such as health services, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, and the Tax Administration) and banks can be carried out online.

However, to access the aforementioned services, users must first prove their identity via an electronic ID (e-ID).

Different electronic IDs can be used to log on to online public services, including MinID, BankID, BankID app, BankID on mobile, Buypass ID, or Commfides.

However, if you don’t have an e-ID, life in Norway can quickly become complicated.

New efforts aimed at those who can’t get BankID

Generally speaking, foreigners living in Norway shouldn’t – and usually don’t – have problems getting an e-ID.

“International citizens in Norway can, for the most part, use an e-ID with a high level of security – BankID is the most widely used – or an e-ID with a substantial security level – MinID – which is publicly issued,” State Secretary Gunn Karin Gjul at the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development told The Local.

No system is perfect, however, and some people always fall through the cracks, which means they encounter trouble getting an e-ID that meets their needs.

This is something that the ministry says it is trying to address in its new e-ID strategy.

“For those who cannot be issued a BankID, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, together with the Norwegian Digitalisation Agency, will investigate whether there is a need for a new e-ID means.

“If a new e-ID means, or an existing e-ID means with expanded functionality, is proposed for further development, one of the most important aspects will be digital inclusion for groups of people that have issues acquiring or using an e-ID today. Another important measure in the strategy is investigating solutions for representing others digitally,” Gjul said.

No new e-ID for public services – for now

At the moment, no new e-ID for accessing public services is being launched, but Norwegian authorities want to ensure that everyone who needs an e-ID with a high level of security can get one in the future.

“Currently, there is no new public e-ID. One of the measures in the new strategy is to investigate how we can ensure that everyone who needs it can obtain an e-ID with a high level of security.

“In the further process, it may therefore be an alternative to regulate the current e-IDs in a different way, or that a new e-ID is created under public authority, or by the market actors in cooperation with relevant public authorities,” Gjul said.

Action plan

When it comes to the timeline for preparing the new e-ID strategy and its potential implementation, the first step is expected to be an action plan.

“The Ministry is now working on an action plan, which is scheduled to be published in the second or third quarter of 2023. The action plan will further detail measures that will be prioritised and the public and private actors involved.

“This will be done in collaboration with the relevant parties. We will also take into account the proposed amendments to the e-IDAS regulation and the e-ID Wallet (EUID Wallet),” Gjul said.

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DIGITAL ID

EXPLAINED: The issues with Norway’s electronic ID system

Electronic IDs in Norway are used for everything from logging into to your tax return, confirming online transactions, and more. While the system is quick and efficient – there are some issues.

Published: 16 May 2024 12:40 CEST
Updated: 17 May 2024 10:25 CEST
EXPLAINED: The issues with Norway’s electronic ID system

 Electronic IDs have been in use in Norway for around 20 years now, with the most prominent – BankID – being launched in 2004.

The Norwegian state launched its own digital ID, MinID, in 2008 to allow people to access public services online.

In the years since, electronic IDs have become a huge part of everyday life, whether its renewing prescriptions, filing tax returns, making online purchases, putting in offers on homes, or sending over some cash to a friend to split the cost of a dinner.

READ ALSO: Everything foreigners in Norway need to know about electronic IDs

However, for foreigners in Norway the world of electronic IDs is not always plain sailing. Public broadcaster NRK recently reported on a case where it took a Czech national three years to receive a BankID.

We have posted a survey at the end of the article to ask about your experiences with obtaining an electronic ID in Norway. If you want to reach out directly you can email us at [email protected]

While it is relatively straightforward for Norwegian nationals to get an electronic ID, the process can be confusing and frustrating for foreigners.

Lack of clarity over who can get BankID

It could be argued that BankID is the most useful and versatile digital ID, however the rules for obtaining one aren’t always clear.

One of the requirements for getting an electronic ID in Norway is to have a national identity number. However, there is a two-tiered system to national identity numbers.

Essentially foreigners who aren’t expected to stay in Norway for long are given what’s known as a “D-number”. Meanwhile, Norwegian citizens and those expected to live in Norway for a while are given what’s known as a “birth number” or fødselsnummer.

A large number of banks in Norway will not issue a BankID to a customer who does not have a birth number, which means some foreign residents have to go through the process of changing their D-number into a birth number.

Some banks do accept D-numbers, although some foreigners have experienced receiving two different answers from the same bank.

This all happens despite their being no regulations stating that banks cannot issue a BankID to customers with a D-number.

The electronic ID offered by the state has a lower security clearance

Electronic IDs have different security levels. MinID, issued by the Norwegian state, has a medium security clearance.

This means that while MinID is accessible for foreigners, what you can actually do with it is quite limited.

So, while, its government approved, and it allows you to do the bare essentials like use public services or sign into the country’s tax portal, you can’t use it to download the mobile pay service Vipps, for example.

It would probably be more useful for foreigners if the electronic ID had a higher security level.  

If you need to compromise, it won’t be great

Say, for example, you can’t get a BankID, there are ways you can get around it. Both Commfides and BuyPass ID come with the same security clearance as BankID.

They do, however, cost money to obtain. At the time or writing, it costs 989 kroner for a Buypass ID and a Commfides ID costs 1,180 kroner.

Costs aside, they don’t offer the same amount of applications, and come with other limitations such as needing to use a usb stick rather than an app.

Not having full access can actually leave you locked out of essential services, and having to rely on work arounds can be frustrating.

Have your say

Please take a few minutes to fill out our survey on using electronic IDs in Norway. We will try and include your experiences in future articles. If the survey doesn’t appear, you can use this link to submit your answers.

 

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