Digital challenges for mobile Nordic citizens: For the most part, digital services simplify the communication of citizens with the public sector, but between countries there is a digital wall. It is virtually impossible to log on to public services with an electronic ID from another Nordic country, and even where a citizen can log on to a public authority in another Nordic country, identity matching tools are lacking that could identify a person across national systems. The consequences for citizens might for example be not having access to pension prognoses from countries in which they have worked in the past.
Opening a bank account in another Nordic country: Having the right to open a bank account is not just a consumer issue – it is also about financial and social inclusion. Anyone may need to pay bills or receive wages or benefits. However, many banks in the Nordic countries refuse to create a bank account for persons who are not registered in the civil register of the country in question. This may include people who commute across borders for work, newcomers, owners of holiday homes, or guardians residing in a different country from their family members.
Waiting times for civil registration: In several countries, persons moving to these countries can experience long waiting times to be officially registered as residents and receive a civil registration number. The long processing times can occur because of bureaucracy, a lack of resources or increased demand. This creates challenges for people who need a civil registration number in order to access important services, such as being able to rent accommodation, open a bank account or take out a loan, register with the authorities, apply for a place for children in day-care centres, kindergartens or schools, purchase important subscriptions such as insurance, telephone or Internet, or enter into an employment contract.
Lack of information exchange between national registers: When someone relocates from one Nordic country to another and is registered in the new country, several details are exchanged between the population registers of both countries involved. However, information on later relocations, name changes or life events such as marriage, divorce or parenthood are not exchanged. This information must be supplied by the citizens themselves to the national registers of their former country of residence – but many people lack information and clear instructions on how to do this. Another problem arises when people with dual nationality die: If the person concerned is a national of the country of residence, other countries are rarely informed of the death. This may mean that relatives are not informed about the death, and the deceased person’s heirs may be deprived of their inheritance.
Teleworking and uncertainty about home working rules: Employees who wish to take advantage of the opportunity to work from home for an employer in another Nordic country may face challenges, as the rules for home working can vary between countries and employers. Tax, social security, holiday rules and employment conditions all depend on where the work is carried out. These complex situations create uncertainty for both employers and employees about the applicable rules, and it can be challenging for both parties to navigate between the different sets of legislation.
Cross-border commuting for third-country nationals: Nordic citizens are free to live and work throughout the Nordic countries, and the situation is almost as simple for citizens of EU and EEA countries. However, citizens from other countries must meet several conditions in order to be allowed to work in a Nordic country. Many third-country nationals contact Info Norden because they wish to work in a country other than the one in which they live and have a residence permit, but do not have the same opportunity as Nordic citizens to take advantage of the freedom of movement in the Nordic Region.
Telephone and Internet subscriptions: People who are temporarily resident in another Nordic country, such as owners of holiday homes, often find that they cannot set up telephone or Internet subscriptions because they do not have permanent residence there. This is despite the fact that, under the EU Telecommunications Directive, providers of electronic communications services may not discriminate against end-users on grounds of nationality or place of residence, unless this is objectively justified.
Insurance for foreign-registered car: In Norway, you can apply for permission to drive a foreign-registered car for up to two years if you can prove that your stay is temporary. However, as a general rule, you will need to register with the national register in Norway if you are staying in the country for more than six months. The problem that then arises is that the car owner cannot take out the statutory car insurance in Norway, because the car is registered abroad. At the same time the owner cannot take out insurance in the country of registration, as the owner is resident in another country.
Language requirement to receive unemployment benefit in Denmark: Denmark has introduced a language requirement for recent graduates applying for unemployment benefit. The requirement can be met through a completed 6th grade in Danish primary school, or through a Danish-language-based study programme, or by meeting an affiliation requirement. In relation to the language requirement, Norwegian and Swedish do not have the same status as Danish. You do not for example meet the language requirement if you live in Denmark and have completed an education in Sweden, or an English-language study programme in Denmark. Recent graduates whose mother tongue is another Nordic language, and who have taken advantage of the freedom of movement in the Nordic region to take an education in Denmark, do not thus have the same access to unemployment benefits as recent graduates whose mother tongue is Danish.
The right to vote in Longyearbyen: Longyearbyen is the administrative centre of Svalbard. Norway has introduced new rules requiring foreign nationals to have resided in a Norwegian mainland municipality for at least three years in order to be allowed to vote or stand for election to the local government in Longyearbyen. For this reason, many Danish, Finnish, Icelandic and Swedish citizens who live in Svalbard are excluded from participating in local elections and democratic processes.