How do you open a bank account in Norway?

Expert Info

Posted by

on 12 May 2011

What do I need and what is the process for opening a bank account in Norway? Any branch recommendations? Is it better to stick with an international bank or to go with a Norwegian bank?

Anonymous (not verified) on 12 May 2011 - 10:38

Do you have an ID number? You'll need this to open a bank account as well as do a number of other things. If you don't have, go register at the National Population Register. Norwegian banks are great and if you're planning on staying in the country for more than six months you should definitely open an account at one of the local branches. Nordea and DNB NOR both have web sites in English, which is helpful. To open an account simply go into the bank with your passport and a passport photo and take a queue number. Banking hours are generally between 8 and 3.30pm, the earlier you go the better. It can pretty much be sorted out in a day and then once you have your card and your online banking set up there's usually very little reason to go inside a branch at all.

sally.salbee@g… (not verified) on 7 Mar 2012 - 21:40

what if i'm not coming to norway but want a savings account in Norway? Can i do that?

Anonymous (not verified) on 8 Mar 2012 - 07:18

I don't really understand why you would want a savings bank account in Norway if you're not moving there, but you could explore options with a couple of the international banks, like HSBC, that have branches all over the world.

Anonymous (not verified) on 10 May 2012 - 16:18

What is the average annual percentage yield for a savings account in Norway?

Anonymous (not verified) on 11 May 2012 - 09:01

Hi Anonymous

That's quite a broad question. The APY will depend on how much money you have in your acount and what kind of account you have. You'll need to visit a few Norwegian banks to find out what they have on offer and compare their products. I think it's usually less than 0.5 percent for a savings account.

Anonymous (not verified) on 11 Aug 2012 - 19:12

i have registered to work in norway, can i open a norwegian bank account on line from england before i go

Anonymous (not verified) on 13 Aug 2012 - 10:42

Hi Anonymous

The problem is that to open an account in Norway you'll need a Norwegian ID number, which you might not have yet, although your bank can help you get a temporary one for the purposes of opening an account. You can open an account with DnB or with Fokus, but will need to go into an international branch to do so. If there isn't one near you, you should probably just wait until you get to Norway.

DnB and Fokus are the only two banks I know of with web sites in English. See https://www.dnb.no/en/corporate/global-network.html or http://www.fokus.no/nb-no/om-fokus-bank/InEnglish/Pages/in-english.aspx for more on opening an account.

Also have a look at Banking and Taxes in Norway for more information.

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