Which documents do you need to rent a flat in Norway? 

When moving to Norway, finding a flat will be one of your main priorities, along with finding a job and fixing your residency. 

Norway's rental market moves at breakneck speed, and good homes tend to only last a couple of weeks before getting snapped up in the big cities. 

This can make Norway's rental market quite competitive as landlords know there'll be plenty of suitors ready to take the flat off their hands in a flash. 

Therefore, you don't want to miss out on a place due to not having all your paperwork in place. Bringing some of these documents to viewings can also let landlords know you have everything together. 

The most important

There are no super hard and fast rules on what the landlord can and can't ask for, which will mostly come down to how thorough they are. 

The most crucial piece of documentation you will need is ID. This can be a passport, driving licence or residence card. Essentially something with your picture and name that proves you are who you say you are. 

Another piece of paperwork to have in order would be a Norwegian Identity Number. With this, the landlord will know that you are probably a legal resident and intend to stay in Norway. 

After that, your landlord may ask for proof of income or a job contract to ensure you can afford the rent. 

Something else to consider would be an electronic ID, although this may not always be crucial or important. For example, an electronic ID, like Bank ID, may be required to sign into and set up deposit holding accounts. 

A Norwegian bank account will also probably be required to set up a direct debit for the rent to be paid on time every month. 

Landlords may ask to see some, or maybe all of these, at some point while renting the flat. 

Even if the landlord doesn't explicitly ask for these details, they are all probably still required to complete the move. 

Other necessary but less common paperwork

Tenants may also be asked to provide references or a guarantor, but this will be less common than in other countries. 

One recent tip a real estate expert has given to The Local is for prospective tenants to create a mini resume that includes all the information a landlord will want to know about you, such as your profession, how long you intend to rent, whether you have pets and whether you smoke or not. 

"Go to apartment showings (visning in Norwegian). We recommend taking a resume with key information on yourself, your job, your income, how long you plan to rent, and the like," Siri Anne Bernum Halck, the regional head for the Utleiemegleren rental real estate agency, told The Local previously.

Presenting all this information on a single piece of paper will save you from carrying around a binder full of documents to each viewing. 

However, while it may give you an edge over the competition, a mini-resume shouldn't be considered a key piece of paperwork required to rent in Norway.