You must leave the country if your application for protection (asylum) is rejected and you are not granted a residence permit on grounds of strong humanitarian considerations or connection to the country. You are entitled to appeal the decision.
Right of appeal
If the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) rejects your application, you are entitled to appeal the decision. The UDI will process your appeal first, and will reconsider your case. If the UDI does not reverse its decision, the appeal will be forwarded to the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) for processing.
Legal assistance
If you want to appeal the decision, the UDI will provide a lawyer to help you. The lawyer will serve as a connection between yourself and the authorities. For example, the lawyer will ensure that deadlines are complied with and that your appeal is properly processed. The Norwegian authorities will pay for the legal assistance that you are entitled to.
Read more about the legal assistance scheme.
What must be included in an appeal?
- when you were informed of the decision
- what you want changed in the decision
- the reason you want the change made
- new information that may be of relevance to the outcome of the case (preferably documented)
In some cases, persons who appeal a rejection of an application for protection can stay in Norway while the appeal is being processed. However, you may be ordered to leave the country while you await the result of your appeal if it is the UDI's opinion that you application is clearly unfounded or if your case falls under the 48-hour procedure.
Appeal deadline
If you want to appeal a rejection, you must submit the appeal within three weeks of receiving the decision. You can request an extended appeal deadline. You must state why you want an extension.
If you fail to comply with the appeal deadline or the extended deadline, your rejection will be final and you will be obliged to leave Norway.
The UDI is not obliged to process your appeal if it is submitted too late. However, you can request that your appeal be processed despite the fact that it was submitted after the expiry of the deadline. You must explain in the appeal why you were unable to submit it on time. Strict requirements must be met in order for such an appeal to be processed.
Further information
If you have further questions on this topic, you can contact your nearest police district or the UDI’s Information Service.
