Working on Construction Sites in Scandinavia: Valtti Card, ID06, HMS-kort and RUT Rules

Planning to work on a construction site in Finland, Sweden, Norway or Denmark? The protective equipment is only half of it. Each Nordic country has its own site ID card, safety training cards and registration rules – and a worker who arrives without them can be stopped at the gate on day one. This guide explains the cards and registrations you need in each country, how long they are valid, who arranges them and what to sort out before you travel.

Quick overview: site cards and registration by country

Finland: tax number, Valtti card and työturvallisuuskortti

Tax number and photo ID card (valttikortti)

Every worker on a Finnish construction site must be entered in the tax number register (veronumerorekisteri) before starting work. On a shared construction site, everyone must also wear a visible photo ID card that shows this tax number – a requirement of section 52 a of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. In practice most workers use the Valtti card (valttikortti), issued by Vastuu Group. From 5 January 2026 a Valtti card costs €32 + VAT, plus a delivery fee of €8.20 + VAT per order. Estonian workers can arrange the Finnish tax number in Tallinn – see our guide for Estonian workers on Finnish sites.

Occupational Safety Card (työturvallisuuskortti)

The Occupational Safety Card (työturvallisuuskortti) is managed by the Finnish Centre for Occupational Safety (Työturvallisuuskeskus, TTK). No law names it as mandatory, but most main contractors and industrial clients require it before you enter the site, so treat it as a must. The course takes one day (about 8 hours) and ends with an exam. Instructors can teach it in any language they speak or through an interpreter, course material and exams exist in Finnish, Swedish, English, Estonian and Russian, and many providers run it online. The card is valid for 5 years and can be renewed with a shorter refresher course (about 4 hours) while it is still valid.

Hot Work Card (tulityökortti) and other cards

• Tulityökortti (Hot Work Card): issued by SPEK, the Finnish National Rescue Association, for anyone who does, guards or supervises hot work – welding, gas cutting, metal grinding, roofing with a torch. Insurers' safety rules require it. Valid for 5 years.
• Sähkötyöturvallisuuskortti (Electrical Safety Card, SFS 6002): for electrical work and work near live installations.
• Tieturvakortti (Road Safety Card): for work on roads and in traffic areas.

The Finnish PPE rules are covered in mandatory PPE on Finnish construction sites.

Sweden: ID06 card, personalliggare and Heta arbeten

Personalliggare – the electronic staff register

Since 1 January 2016 every Swedish construction site must keep an electronic staff register (personalliggare) of everyone who works there, and the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) makes unannounced checks. Workers check in and out every day, in practice with the ID06 card.

ID06 card (ID06-kort)

ID06 is the industry ID card used on almost all Swedish building sites. It is ordered through an employer connected to the ID06 system and links the worker to the employer, the card and the site. About 700,000 ID06 cards are valid, held by people from 129 countries. From the beginning of 2026, everyone ordering an ID06 card – Swedish citizens included – must identify with a passport or national ID card; BankID, a driving licence or a personbevis are no longer accepted. EU citizens with a Swedish personal identity number who are registered in Sweden can get a card valid for 5 years. Without an ID06 card, or registration with the main contractor, you can be refused entry at the gate.

Heta arbeten (hot work certificate)

For hot work on a temporary workplace – welding, cutting, soldering, roofing work, grinding with high-speed tools – Swedish insurers' terms require a valid Heta arbeten certificate (brandfarliga heta arbeten). It also covers those who issue hot-work permits and act as fire watch. New rules for the training apply from 1 January 2023. The certificate is valid for 5 years; without it, insurers can cut the compensation after a fire. PPE rules: PPE on Swedish construction sites.

Norway: HMS-kort (HSE card)

Everyone who works on a building or construction site in Norway must have an HMS card (HMS-kort) – employees, sole traders and workers of foreign EU/EEA companies alike. The rules are in the regulation on HMS cards for building and construction sites:

• Who orders it: the employer (only the owner or employees of the company can order cards), after checking the worker's identity. The company must be registered in the relevant Norwegian registers.
• Foreign workers: usually need an identity check at a Service Centre for Foreign Workers and a Norwegian D-number before the card can be issued, so allow several weeks.
• Validity: 2 years, and only while the employment lasts – a new employer means a new card.
• On site: the card must be worn clearly visible and shown on request to Arbeidstilsynet, the tax authorities, the police, the safety representative and the client. It shows the employer, name, photo and date of birth in Norwegian and English.

For hot work, Norwegian insurers expect a valid certificate for varme arbeider. PPE rules (verneutstyr, synlighetsklær klasse 2, vernesko): PPE on Norwegian construction sites.

Denmark: no site ID card, but RUT registration

Denmark has no national construction-site ID card. Instead, foreign companies that post workers to Denmark – and self-employed persons without employees in construction – must register in the Register of Foreign Service Providers (RUT) no later than when work in Denmark starts. The registration includes the work period, the site addresses and a contact person in Denmark; changes must be reported by the next working day. Missing the deadline can mean a DKK 10,000 fine, and the Danish client must notify the Danish Working Environment Authority (Arbejdstilsynet) if it has not received proof of RUT registration within three days of the start. For hot work, Danish insurers expect a varmt arbejde certificate. PPE rules: PPE on Danish construction sites.

Checklist before you travel

• Finland: tax number registered, Valtti card ordered, työturvallisuuskortti valid; tulityökortti if you weld, cut or grind.
• Sweden: ID06 card ordered with passport or national ID card; Heta arbeten certificate for hot work.
• Norway: company registered, D-number and identity check done, HMS-kort ordered by the employer.
• Denmark: RUT registration before the first day; ask the main contractor about their own access card.
• Everywhere: read the main contractor's site rules – they are usually stricter than the law.

The protective equipment Nordic sites expect

The cards get you through the gate; the kit keeps you on site. Typical minimums across the Nordics are an EN 397 helmet with chin strap, hi-vis class 2 clothing, S3 safety boots, EN 166 safety glasses and task-specific gloves. Compare the rules side by side in Nordic construction-site PPE rules compared, then browse hi-vis workwear, safety boots, safety helmets, safety glasses and work gloves. For welders: welding gloves and flame-resistant workwear. The quickest way to equip a crew is the workwear kit builder. We deliver across the EU in 8–16 days, so order before the trip.

Detailed guides by country

• Finland: työturvallisuuskortti, Valtti card, tulityökortti
• Sweden: ID06 card, Heta arbeten, personalliggare
• Norway: HMS-kort, D-number, varme arbeider
• Denmark: RUT register, varmt arbejde

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and prices change – check the current requirements with the authorities, the card issuer and the main contractor before work starts.