21-02-2025
What's happened to Norway's plan to issue ID cards to foreigners?
National ID cards were launched for Norwegian citizens in 2020 but plans to allow foreigners to carry them were first unveiled in March 2022.
The Norwegian National Police Directorate, which is responsible for issuing ID cards and passports previously told The Local that that it had planned to open a system for limited applications by the end of 2024.
However that failed to materialise and after more enquiries from The Local in February, the Norwegian Police Directorate said the system to be able to issue the cards was still a work in progress.
More news would be made available next month however.
'The police are preparing issuance of a national ID card without travel rights to foreign citizens in line with regulations on changes to the passports and national ID cards regulation, announced on August 7th, 2024' Eirik Lyngdal, a senior communications advisor with the directorate, told The Local.
The directorate told The Local that it still wasn't possible to book an appointment to order an ID card, but that the police directorate would publish more information on its website in March.
When asked when non-EEA/EU residents could be issued ID cards, Lyngdal declined to specify a date.
'It is still too early to state when the national ID card without travel rights for non-EEA/EFTA citizens will be available. We are in the process of creating a more detailed plan. Once this has been clarified, information will be made available,' he said.
These numbers are issued to those who are expected to reside in Norway for more than six months.
The Local has asked the directorate why the ID cards will be rolled out to EEA/EU nationals first.
National ID cards are optional and contain the holder's name, personal identification number and photo.
ID cards offer holders an alternative form of ID to a driver's licence or passport. Financial institutions in Norway used to provide bank cards that could act as IDs, although this was phased out a few years ago.
The directorate recently launched a survey, which can be taken in Norwegian and English, asking foreigners for their input on the cards. You can take part in the survey here.
