Bank problem
I walked into a DnB Nor branch to open an account a couple weeks ago. The lady I talked to actually rolled her eyes when I said I wanted to open an account like I was causing her to do extra paperwork. Or maybe it was because she had to use English with me. Not that she said much at all. She asked if I had an existing account with another Norwegian bank, I said no. She asked if I had a job, I said yes and showed her my employment contract. She asked if I wanted a debit card and internet banking, I said yes please. Then she gathered some papers and said "Sign here, and here and here" and she took my picture and that was it. "But wait," I said, "Are there any transfer fees or interest rates I should know about?" She said, "Yes, of course. You can read about that in the papers I gave you. Goodbye." Despite her rudeness, the entire process took only 5 minutes and I was on my way.
About a week later I got my card in the mail but it did not have any numbers on it! Something called Elektron. It has a microchip and magnetic stripe so I can make purchases at brick and mortar shops, but the obvious problem is that I cannot make purchases online.
I called 04800 and talked to a very friendly DnB service representative. He told me that it is the bank's policy to issue only Elektron cards (without numbers) to foreigners who have been in Norway for less than six months. But I've been in Norway for more than a year. I'm a legal resident. I'm married to a Norwegian doctor who has an account with this bank. I'm 34 years old. When I explained my situation he assured me that I was entitled to an actual visa debit card with numbers. He even checked with his colleagues and his superior, but he said I had to go to a branch in person to sign papers.
My big mistake was walking up to that same lady at the bank who opened my account. I showed her my card without numbers and explained that I've been in Norway for over a year and all the other stuff. She just said, "No. Bank policy is you must have steady income with a Norwegian bank for six months to be considered for a Visa card." Can anybody explain this? Does anybody know a Norwegian bank that will issue a debit card with numbers? I can't wait to go back to that same lady and tell her to close my account.
The first bank card I had, from Spare 1, was an Electron. When I went back, they explained that they thought I was a student (unlikely, as the account fees were negotiated on a corporate rate), but they issued me a regular Visa debit card when I agreed to pay the 200 NOK annual fee. The "we thought you were a student" thing continued with nearly every visit until I closed the account.
Skandia had some sort of hangup about a credit check, but that was dealt with through an online support inquiry. That done, they issued a regular card.
Skandia did require a permanent identity number. Spare 1 was willing to accept a temporary. Neither suggested that I needed to provide evidence of income for 6 months. I suggest you find a new bank.
My one interaction with DnB required several trips for them to figure out how to deal with opening a housing rental deposit account.