Getting started with NemId and NemKonto

When you move to Denmark, you will notice that you are depending on many services to work independently. You will start to hear words like NemId, NemKonto, Betalingsservice, and e-Boks. NemId, NemKonto, and e-Boks are the most important services throughout your stay in Denmark. It is a well-organized system but as a foreigner, it will be a frustrating experience in the beginning, if you are not aware of the flow. This is my experience of how I was getting started in the Danish system.

Sign up for NemId

In my previous post, I mentioned that I shall wait to receive my yellow health card to start the rest of the process. Well, we received our health cards exactly in 2 weeks. It’s mandatory to get the NemId. As a foreigner, if you have to get the NemId on the very same day, you need a witness who already has obtained the NemId and using it more than 30 days. When you receive the health card, you must call the kommune to make an appointment to get the NemId. If you already have a witness with you, and there’s no time slots available on the same day or next couple of days, you can always visit the kommune in person. You may have to wait maybe for an hour but you can get it even if the time slots are not available for over the phone booking. 

You must bring your yellow card and the passport and the witness should bring their yellow card as well. There’s a consent form you must read and the officer will verify your information and you’ll get the NemID information right away. 

Set up the NemId

NemID is a 2-factor authentication system for government and financial websites. The setup information will be available with the letter and a set of codes. When you log-in to any of those NemID supporting websites using your CPR number and the password that you chose when you set up your NemID, the log-in window will show a code and you have to find the matching response code in your code card and enter it in the field. The code card will consist of 150 codes and when it reaches 20 remaining codes, the kommune will send you another set of key codes to your mailbox. Alternatively, you can download the NemID app to authenticate the login, and if you are familiar with the Google authenticator, it is similar to that and it doesn’t have any code limitations. You will use the NemID not only for log-in but also for digitally signing the documents. 

e-Boks (Digital Mailbox)

Next, you can log in to e-Boks using NemID. E-Boks is a secured mailing solution in Denmark to receive mail from government institutes as well as financial companies. It’s more of a digital version of your physical mailbox. Initially, you have to set up the NemId login with your phone number to E-Boks.

I have submitted my documents to open the bank account on the same day I registered the CPR number. You need to submit a copy of the passport and the residence permit letter. Even though my account was ready, I couldn’t get access to it as I didn’t have the e-Boks. When it’s ready, I informed the bank and I received my account information within the next couple of hours. Also, I received my debit card 3 days later. I could activate my card and obtain the PIN number using the bank’s mobile app. 

NemKonto (Public Account)

You may have heard about NemKonto by this time. It’s the default bank account where you receive the payments from the government or any private organizations. It’s required for all the residents in Denmark. You can log in to NemKonto website using your NemID and assign the bank account information as your NemKonto. Your company will receive this information to send your salary. Also, any companies that you’re dealing with, if there are any payments for you, they’ll directly send to this account, which will end up in the bank account that you assigned to NemKonto. 

Betalingsservice (Payment Service)

We have a solution for recurring payment in Denmark which is called Betalingsservice. You can download the app for Android or iPhone. You shall be able to log-in using the NemID after the initial set up. Whenever you receive an invoice, it’ll have a QR code to scan in the app. The app will fetch all the information regarding the payment and you can make the first payment and subscribe to recurring payments afterward. Next time whenever there’s an invoice from the companies you have registered with, the payment will be automatically made.