Kortinnehaveren må i den forbindelse legitimere seg.

Kortinnehaveren is a compound noun:

• kort = card
• innehaver = holder / owner / possessor
• -en = the definite singular ending

So kortinnehaveren literally means the card holder.

This kind of compounding is very common in Norwegian. Instead of writing separate words, Norwegian often joins them into one noun.

Because Norwegian usually marks definiteness directly on the noun with an ending.

• en kortinnehaver = a card holder
• kortinnehaveren = the card holder

You only use den with a definite noun when there is also an adjective or when you want extra emphasis:

• den nye kortinnehaveren = the new card holder

So in this sentence, kortinnehaveren by itself already means the card holder.

Må means must or has to.

So:

• Kortinnehaveren må ... = The card holder must ...

It is the present tense form of å måtte. In many contexts, må expresses obligation, necessity, or something required by rules.

I den forbindelse is a fixed formal expression meaning something like:

• in that connection
• in connection with that
• in this regard
• as part of that

Breakdown:

• i = in
• den = that / the
• forbindelse = connection

It is a somewhat formal phrase, often used in official, legal, or administrative language.

Here den points back to something already mentioned earlier in the text or conversation.

So i den forbindelse means in connection with that — where that refers to a previously mentioned situation, event, rule, or procedure.

This is very common in formal Norwegian, where den can function a bit like that in English.

Å legitimere seg means to identify oneself or to show proof of identity.

In practical use, it often means presenting some valid ID, such as:

• a passport
• a driver’s licence
• a national ID card

So this is not just to say who you are — it usually means to prove your identity.

Seg is a reflexive pronoun, meaning oneself / himself / herself / themselves, depending on the subject.

In legitimere seg, the idea is literally identify oneself.

Since the subject is kortinnehaveren, the phrase means:

• The card holder must identify himself/herself
• more naturally in English: The card holder must provide identification

Many Norwegian verbs are commonly used reflexively in situations where English may or may not use oneself.

It is understandable and correct, but it sounds fairly formal and official.

You are especially likely to see it in:

• contracts
• banking language
• legal texts
• official instructions

In everyday speech, people might more often say something like:

• vise legitimasjon = show ID
• identifisere seg = identify oneself

But legitimere seg is perfectly normal in formal written Norwegian.

This is normal Norwegian word order.

The structure is:

• Kortinnehaveren = subject
• må = finite verb
• i den forbindelse = adverbial phrase
• legitimere seg = infinitive phrase

After a modal verb like må, the main verb comes in the infinitive:

• må legitimere seg

The phrase i den forbindelse is inserted before the infinitive phrase, which is very natural in Norwegian.

You could think of it as:

• The card holder must, in that connection, identify himself/herself.

Yes, adverbial phrases in Norwegian can often move around.

For example, these are possible:

• Kortinnehaveren må i den forbindelse legitimere seg.
• I den forbindelse må kortinnehaveren legitimere seg.

Both are grammatical. The second version gives slightly more focus to in connection with that by placing it first.

This is Bokmål.

Clues include:

• må
• den
• seg

A Nynorsk version might look somewhat different, depending on style and wording.

Yes, very formal.

Things that make it sound formal include:

• the compound noun kortinnehaveren
• the phrase i den forbindelse
• the verb legitimere seg

This sounds like something from:

• terms and conditions
• banking documents
• an official notice
• legal or administrative instructions

It is not the kind of sentence you would usually say in casual conversation.