If you are a refugee from Ukraine in Norway, please visit the website of the Government of Norway, Directorate of Immigration, which contains important information in English, Norwegian, Ukrainian and Russian. You can also call the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (Utlendingsdirektoratet – UDI) at 📞 +47 23 35 15 00 (Mon/Fri 8 am – 3 pm)
If you fleeing Ukraine and are in Poland, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, please find on the Digital Blue Dot information about rights and services and where to find help. The site is also available in Ukrainian and Russian.
How to apply for temporary collective protection in Norway
People who have fled Ukraine may be granted Temporary collective protection for one year. Collective protection means that the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) does not assess the need for protection individually but gives collective protection to Ukrainians fleeing the war in Ukraine and their family members. This ensures that Ukrainians fleeing the war will get the help they need faster.
The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) is responsible for processing applications for temporary protection for displaced persons from Ukraine.
You can be granted temporary collective protection if you:
- Are a Ukrainian citizen and lived in Ukraine before 24 February 2022 (there is some flexibility for those who fled Ukraine shortly before 24 February)
- Are a Ukrainian citizen who was on holiday or visited outside Ukraine for up to 90 days before 24 February 2022
- Are a Ukrainian citizen and already had legal residence in Norway before 24 February 2022, and that legal residence has already expired or expires less than two months after you apply for protection
- Have been granted protection in Ukraine before 24 February 2022, for example, as a recognised refugee
- Are a close family member* of a person who qualifies for temporary collective protection, regardless of your nationality
*A close family member may be a spouse, cohabitant, children under the age of 18 and other family members who, before 24 February 2022, were part of the same household as the person receiving temporary collective protection. Examples of other family members might be children over the age of 18, grandparents or siblings.
If you do not fall under any of the above categories, you can still apply for asylum and your application will be assessed and reviewed individually.
To apply for temporary collective protection, you must contact the police to schedule an appointment for registration. You will find contact details for each police district on this website.
What happens when you register for temporary protection with the Norwegian police
- The police will electronically register information about you and take your fingerprints. If you have a passport or other identity documents, you must show those to the police.
- The police will scan your passport and identity documents and give them back to you.
- You will receive a card for asylum-seekers from the police.
- Along with your asylum-seeker card, you will also receive a D number from the Norwegian police. A D number is a temporary identification number you receive from the Norwegian Tax Administration when you need an identification number in Norway. The D number will appear in the bottom right corner of the asylum seeker card.
What happens after you have registered the application for temporary collective protection with the Norwegian police?
- You will also need to be tested for tuberculosis (TB).
- If you live in an emergency accommodation, you will be told where and when the tuberculosis test will be administered.
- If you live in private accommodation, you can contact the municipal health service for information on how to get tested for tuberculosis.
- If you need a place to stay, you can tell the police when you register your application. The police will contact the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). UDI will find a place in emergency accommodation for you.
- When you receive your D number, you can get the health services you need.
- If you register at the National Arrival Centre, the procedure is the same as the one described above
For more information about what happens when you arrive at the National Arrival Centre in Råde in the southeast of Norway, click here for information in Ukrainian, Russian, English and Norwegian.
What happens when you have completed the application process for temporary protection with the Norwegian police (all applicants)
After you have completed the registration process, the Norwegian police will send your application to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) to be processed.
UDI tries to process applications as quickly as possible so you can get an answer fast. Some of the cases are processed automatically by a robot, while other cases are processed by case officers. This helps UDI complete a higher number of cases each day.
Sometimes UDI might need additional information so that they might call you in for a conversation or interview. You will be informed if this is needed.
You cannot work or apply to work while UDI processes your application. You are only allowed to work after you are granted temporary collective protection in Norway.
What services can you access while waiting for an answer to your application?
- In case of an emergency, call the police at 📞 112. If there is no urgency, you can call 📞 02800.
- In case of a medical emergency, you can also call 📞 +47 116 117 to contact the nearest emergency room.
- If you have a Facebook account, you can check out the Facebook pages for refugees from Ukraine, available in three languages: Norwegian, Ukrainian and Russian.
- If you have applied for temporary collective protection in Norway and have been issued a Norwegian identification number can order an electronic ID for access to digital services from Norwegian public authorities, such as health and welfare services, financial support, starting and attending school, access to a digital mailbox and more. Click here for more information about electronic IDs and how to order yours at norge.no
- While you wait for an answer to your application for temporary collective protection in Norway, you can stay at an asylum reception centre. This is a simple and temporary accommodation. Click here for more information on what to expect when living at an asylum reception centre.
- Children have the right to go to school in Norway while you wait for an answer to your application. This applies to children from the age of 6 – 16 years.
- You have the right to the same healthcare as everyone in Norway.
What happens if your application is granted and you meet the requirements for temporary collective protection for persons who fled Ukraine
You will receive a decision letter in the mail with information about the residence permit you have received. You will also receive a letter in Ukrainian explaining your rights and obligations.
In the letter, there will be a QR code that links to a video in your language explaining your rights and obligations. It is important that you watch the video. To watch the video, you must either use your phone to scan the QR code or go to the link in the letter you receive.
Please make sure that you have given the police your updated address if you do not live in an asylum reception centre or emergency accommodation.
If you live in private accommodation, your name must be on the mailbox for you to receive the letters UDI will send you.
Once you have been granted a residence permit, you will receive an email. You will also receive a residence card. The residence card is different from the asylum-seeker card you received when you first submitted your application. You might need to go to the police station to take a picture and fingerprints for the residence card. If you already had your picture and fingerprints taken before, you might not need to go to the police station to get it taken again. You will be informed if you need to report to the police. After you have received your residence card, you will receive a letter stating that you have been assigned a national identity number.
➡️Click here for more information about residence cards in Norway.
The residence permit for temporary collective protection is valid for one year as a start and may be renewed for one year at a time after that.
What are your rights and obligations as a temporary protection holder in Norway?
- Your permit for collective protection is granted for one year at a time.
- You have the right to access healthcare through public healthcare services
- You have the right to work in Norway
- Your children have the right to attend school and kindergarten / pre-school
- Norwegian authorities can provide you with a residence (settlement). This means you will get help finding a place to live in a municipality. Read more about settlement here.
- If you are between the age of 18 and 55 you have the right to join an introduction programme.
- Your family members who are not covered by the rules for temporary collective protection may apply for family immigration to Norway through the usual rules.
- It is important to provide honest and truthful information throughout the process. If you have given incorrect information or if you failed to mention important information to the authorities, your permit may be revoked.
- You have the right to travel in and out of Norway with a travel document. This could be your own national passport or a travel document provided by the Norwegian Authorities. You are allowed to travel to Ukraine.
What happens if your application for temporary protection is rejected?
Your application will be immediately re-directed to be processed as an individual asylum case under the regular asylum procedure.
➡️Click here for more information on the standard asylum procedure in Norway.