No Number, No Pay: International Students Locked Out of Norwegian Society

 – You don’t exist in Norwegian society without this number, says Eloise Rae Hammermeister-Smith (19). 

Eloise arrived in Norway last August to study Art at Strykejernet Kunstskole. It was their first time living abroad, and their first encounter with foreign bureaucracy.

They booked their initial Tax Administration appointment months in advance.

– My first appointment was confirmed in June, then I moved here at the end of August, and the appointment was in September. 

– After that, I had to wait a couple of weeks to register with the police, and then two or three more weeks to finally get my ID number. 

Eloise now considers themself one of the lucky ones. In total, they only had to wait a couple of months before finally getting paid for their part-time job.

– I got lucky, and I don’t know why.

– A friend of mine from work can’t get paid. She still doesn’t have the number. 

From Waiting to Living

Receiving their ID number marked a turning point for Eloise.

– It was a big day when I got my personal number. It came in the mail, and then I had a «pils» to celebrate. 

– Because you can’t do anything without this goddamn number!

While some students receive a temporary D number, it often offers limited help. D numbers are given to those residing in Norway for less than six months and are meant to provide short-term access to certain services. They do not provide the full rights of a permanent ID number, which for Eloise showed up in small but frustrating ways.

– I couldn’t even go thrifting with my friends, because I couldn’t pay with Vipps!

Not having an ID number significantly restricts daily life in Norway. Without it, most experience:

– If I can’t work, I can’t use Vipps, and I can’t even get a library card, then what am I even doing in this country? Hammermeister-Smith asks aloud. 

– And in the meantime, you’re just waiting. You’re stuck in a waiting space.

Appointment Limbo

Aileen Visser (22), a Master’s student in Art History at the University of Oslo, had a similar experience. 

– It was a lot of figuring things out at the start, she says. Mostly, I learned that I had to register with the police to basically show up and say, ‘Hi, this is me, and I’m real.’ 

Booking that initial appointment, however, proved difficult. As new time slots appeared sporadically, she had to check for available appointments daily.

– I arrived in May, but it took me until July to confirm an appointment. Checking every day between May and July was just exhausting.

From start to finish, getting her ID number took roughly six months. In the meantime, Aileen was issued a D number, which she says did little to help.

– With a D number, you don’t get BankID, and BankID gives you access to everything. It was even hard to get a phone number.

Into the Void

Aileen was also told at work that she couldn’t get paid without a Norwegian bank account. As a result, her salary was sent to her Norwegian boyfriend’s account.

– It felt wrong, and I didn’t want that, Aileen says. But I didn’t really have a choice.

Asked what would have happened without someone Norwegian to help, Aileen laughs.

– No clue. I honestly don’t know. 

For Aileen, however, the most difficult part was not the paperwork itself, but the silence.

– It was scary waiting for Skatteetaten, she says. They told me it could take six months, and I kept thinking, what if I sent something wrong? Do I have to wait another six months?

She wishes there had been more information throughout.

– They really just need to update people more. Even something on their website showing where your case is in the process. It personally just felt like I threw my application into the void.

Taxing Beginnings

Both students describe their overall experience with Norwegian bureaucracy as mostly positive. Still, they were surprised by the initial tax rate applied before receiving their ID numbers.

– As a foreigner, you’re automatically charged 25 percent tax unless you opt out. And the information about that is super iffy, Eloise says. 

– If I didn’t educate myself, or if I didn’t have roommates who had gone through the same thing, I wouldn’t have figured this out.

Aileen applied for a tax exemption card with her D number, but it made little difference.

– I applied for a «Frikort», but I still got the 25 percent tax. And it was only now, after I got my ID number, that they stopped taxing me. So I don't really know how that works. 

PAYE (Pay As You Earn) is a voluntary tax scheme which foreign workers automatically join when applying for a tax deduction card in Norway. Under this scheme, workers are taxed a fixed percentage, and will not receive a tax return or a tax assessment notice. 

If your income is below the taxable threshold and you plan to reside in Norway for a full year, you can apply for a tax exemption card. The Norwegian Tax Administration explains in an email to Universitas that they do not have a specific obligation to inform students about this compared with other groups, but ensures that any excess tax will be refunded.

– If too much tax is withdrawn, and the person is in PAYE, the excess tax will automatically be refunded the following year. If said person leaves PAYE, a regular tax assessment will be carried out, and any overpaid tax will be refunded then.

Speeding Up the Process

Jørgen Sperle, Deputy Director at the Norwegian Tax Administration, says preparation can reduce your wait for an identification number.

– The better informed your case is, the faster it will proceed, Sperle informs.

He explains that a common mistake is submitting incomplete addresses.

– We need a verifiable, reliable address. Not just a postcode.

Sperle’s main advice to international students is to read up on the process ahead of your initial meeting, and make sure you provide any documents confirming the legitimacy and duration of your stay. 

– Preparing all of your documents ahead of time gives you more control over the situation and can speed up the process significantly. By also preemptively uploading what we need from you, any gaps in documentation can be spotted early.

He adds that you are free to contact them while waiting for your results.

– If the processing takes a long time, which sometimes is bound to happen, you can always contact the Tax Administration online or by phone. After the initial meeting, you will be given a case number to refer to.

– There’s good information about this on our website, too, he adds.

The main advice for both Eloise and Aileen to other students is to get started as early as possible. 

– I ordered the appointment months before moving here, and that was smart on my behalf, Eloise says.

– And then definitely look into taxation! they add.

Aileen, however, recommends taking a breather.

– Once you’ve gotten the appointment, there’s no need to stress that much. Because in my case it was handled properly, it just took a while.