Frequently asked questions

A background check verifies information a candidate has provided in connection with hiring, for example identity, employment history, education and finances. The goal is to give employers a safer and more accurate basis for decisions before hiring, and to reduce the risk of bad hires.

A background check helps to:

• confirm that information in the CV and application is accurate
• reduce the risk of bad hires and breaches of trust
• protect the organisation's values, customers and reputation
• provide a more objective and fair hiring process for all candidates

It is not the job title that determines the need, but how much trust, access and responsibility the role involves. In practice, it is therefore relevant for most positions, not just leadership roles. Typical examples include roles with access to money, customer data or sensitive information, as well as management positions and roles with extensive customer contact.

Yes. Background checks are legal in Norway when the candidate has given consent and the checks carried out are relevant and proportionate to the role. Credit checks additionally require a legitimate reason, typically for roles with financial responsibility. Approof always obtains explicit consent from the candidate before any check starts.

A background check is carried out by the employer, or a provider such as Approof, in an ordinary hiring process based on the candidate's consent, and verifies information relevant to the role (identity, education, employment history, finances and more). Security clearance is different: it is required only for access to classified information, is carried out by the authorities (for example the Norwegian National Security Authority) and is regulated by security legislation.

All background check subscriptions with Approof include every check type, including digital reference checks. Only volume (number of candidates per month) determines which plan you need. Checks include:

• Identity verification (BankID)
• Employment verification
• Education verification
• Credit check
• Digital reference check
• Open-source intelligence (OSINT)
• Security declaration
• Business interests (Norwegian business registry)

Identity is confirmed through BankID with explicit consent from the candidate. We verify that full name and national identity number match public registers, so you can be confident that the person you hire is who they claim to be.

We contact previous employers directly to confirm employment, job title and period of employment, up to 4 positions and 10 years of history. This provides documented confirmation that dates and roles on the CV are accurate.

Education is verified primarily via Vitnemålsportalen, where the candidate shares a link and security code. Where this is not possible, we perform manual verification or contact the educational institution directly to confirm degree, institution and year of completion.

The credit check provides insight into payment remarks, debt collection cases, credit blocks and general creditworthiness, and is relevant for roles with financial responsibility.

The candidate provides references, who are invited to respond via a secure link. The referee is BankID-verified and answers a structured questionnaire with scores and free text. You can use ready-made templates or create your own.

A check that cross-references the candidate's CV against open, public sources such as news, social media and professional platforms, and highlights relevant information not apparent from the CV. Findings are included in the final report.

A self-declaration based on the NSM personal data form, where the candidate states citizenship, any residence outside Norway, right to work, and PEP status (politically exposed person) and sanctions status. Approof performs a manual review of the declaration.

We retrieve the candidate's registered roles in Norwegian companies from the Brønnøysund Register Centre, such as board positions, CEO roles and ownership interests.

Create an account, sign the agreement and register your company. Then upload a CV or connect your ATS, choose which checks you want (all are included in the subscription) and place the order. Approof keeps both HR and the candidate updated throughout, and delivers a consolidated report when the check is complete.

Approof offers volume-based subscriptions. See the full overview on the pricing page.

Background check subscription:

• Start: NOK 9,000/month, up to 5 candidates/month, up to 2 users
• Growth: NOK 16,000/month, up to 10 candidates/month, unlimited users
• Enterprise: more than 10 candidates/month, contact sales for pricing

Digital reference check only:

• Start: NOK 500/month, up to 5 checks/month, up to 2 users
• Growth: NOK 1,200/month, up to 15 checks/month, unlimited users
• Enterprise: more than 15 checks/month, contact sales for pricing

All tiers include all check types and ATS integration. Growth and Enterprise include unlimited users. If you exceed your plan, you are upgraded to the next tier for that month. Two consecutive months of overage permanently updates your subscription to the new tier.

Identity and credit checks are completed immediately. Employment and education verification normally takes 1 to 5 business days, depending on how quickly previous employers and educational institutions respond.

Yes. Approof has a live integration with Teamtailor (see integrations), where background checks can start automatically when a candidate reaches a selected hiring stage, with automatic CV import and candidate notification. We also build integrations for other ATS systems — contact us and tell us which one you use.

Yes. Contact us via the website or team@approof.no for a no-obligation walkthrough of the platform.

Yes. All processing of personal data at Approof complies with GDPR and Norwegian privacy legislation. We only collect what is necessary to carry out the check, and the candidate can at any time request access to or deletion of their data.

Approof never starts a check without the candidate's explicit consent. The candidate is informed about what will be checked and why, and must actively approve this, including through BankID authentication, before the process begins.

Yes. Consent is always voluntary, and a candidate can say no at any time. However, this may affect the further hiring process, depending on the employer's requirements for the role.

Only authorised users at the employer and necessary Approof staff have access to the reports, in line with the principle of least privilege.

BankID confirms your identity in a secure and legally binding way. This protects both you and the employer against identity fraud, and ensures that it is your identity, education and employment history that are verified.

Information is stored only as long as necessary for the purpose, and in accordance with what is agreed between Approof and the employer. You can at any time request access to, correction of or deletion of your information.

Approof always contacts you from an @approof.no address, and all login happens via app.approof.no. If you are unsure about a message, contact us directly at team@approof.no before sharing information or logging in anywhere.

Approof is a Norwegian company (Approof AS, org. no. 936 446 043) that delivers automated background checks for safer hiring. We combine BankID verification, direct contact with third parties and automated case handling to give employers fast and reliable answers.

Approof is used by companies including Coop, Amby and Kvant.

Email: team@approof.no Phone: +47 416 52 272 Address: Grefsenveien 69, 0487 Oslo