Most people who return voluntarily to their home country are offered NOK 10 000 in reintegration support.
Extended reintegration support is intended to make it easier for those who do not have residence permits in Norway to return voluntarily, by giving them financial assistance to re-establish their lives in their home country.
The amount of NOK 10 000 is intended to help to ease the initial period after returning.
Who is eligible for extended reintegration support?
The support is intended for asylum seekers and persons without legal residence in Norway. They must be nationals of countries that qualify for official development assistance from Norway. With a few exceptions, this includes most of the asylums seekers who come to Norway.
Persons who return voluntarily to
Iraq and
Afghanistan will receive reintegration support through separate schemes. They will not receive this grant in addition.
Persons with 'Dublin cases' are not eligible for reintegration support.
How do you apply for extended reintegration support?
Persons who wish to receive reintegration support must apply for voluntary return through
the VARP programme (Voluntary Assisted Return Program). VARP is run by the independent International Organization for Migration (IOM) and is financed by the Norwegian authorities. Through the VARP programme, the IOM offers counselling, obtains travel documents and airline tickets, in addition to other types of assistance relating to the home journey.
Applications for voluntary return must be sent to the IOM. For further information, contact the IOM on tel. 23 10 53 20 or visit
the IOM’s website.
Once the application for voluntary return has been approved, reintegration support will be paid by the IOM. There is thus not a separate application form for reintegration support. The grant is offered to everyone in the target group who applies for voluntary return.
