Yes, most people must be in quarantine when traveling to Norway. There are a few exceptions, and you can read about quarantine at helsenorge.no (external website). 

UDI cannot answer any questions related to quarantine on entry.

Unfortunately, UDI cannot assist you in getting an appointment with the police.

• Most of you must book an appointment in the application portal
  Most people book their appointment with the police through the application portal. The police have limited service because of the corona situation, and many people try to get an appointment, so finding available appointments may be difficult. The police are making new appointments available regularly, so you have to keep trying.
  
  If there is no booking button visible on the receipt page when you are logged into the application portal, it is currently impossible to book appointments at the police station where you have sent your application. Then you must check again later for available appointments. 

• If you have received an email
  If you have received an email from the police, follow the information you have received by email.

You can find information about police services on their website (external website). 

You cannot contact the UDI to get an appointment from the police. If you call us, you will get the same information as given above.

We understand that many of you would like to know, but unfortunately, we do not know how the situation will evolve. We will update the information here when we know more.

Likely, several of the regulations that have been introduced due to the corona situation will change at some point. However, we do not know when this will happen or whether the rules will go back to being as they were before.

It is the government that decides which changes will happen and when they should take effect, but right now, the government will not be able to tell how the regulations will change. The best advice we can give you is to follow the information posted here, which will be updated as soon as anything changes. This is the advice you will also get if you contact the Ministry or us to ask how the regulations will change. 

If you are wondering about the possibility of meeting with the police to submit an application or order a residence card, you can find information on the police website (external website). You cannot contact UDI for an appointment.

If you are wondering about the quarantine rules when entering Norway and any changes to this, you will find information at helsenorge.no (external website).

As a result of the corona situation, the rules for who can travel to Norway have changed. This will also affect foreign citizens who stay or reside in Svalbard and want to go to mainland Norway (external website). The rules for entering mainland Norway is the same for you who live/stay in Svalbard, as to all others who live outside mainland Norway.

Norwegian authorities notified on 28 May 2020 that it will be easier for foreign citizens who are permanently staying at Svalbard to travel to main land Norway after 1 May 2020. (external website, opens in new window) We will update this page as soon as we get more information. Until then, this is what the regulations are:

Travel to mainland Norway
In general, foreign citizens who stay or reside in Svalbard cannot travel to mainland Norway even if you have a valid Schengen visa, are a visa-free citizen, or are a citizen of an EU/EEA country.

Travel to home country via mainland Norway
If you are traveling to your home country, or a country other than Norway, you can travel in transit through mainland Norway. You must then present your ticket to the country you are going to. 

There are some exceptions where you can travel from Svalbard to mainland Norway
To find out what applies to you, we recommend reading the questions and answers on UDI's corona information pages. They provide answers to the rules that apply in different situations. The rules can change quickly, and we post new information on the corona information pages as the rules change. 

• If you are a citizen of an EU/EEA country, you will find answers to frequently asked questions about entry to mainland Norway for EU/EEA citizens here.
  
  Note that when the rules apply to EU/EEA citizens and their family members residing or working in Norway, they apply to EEA citizens or family members living or working on the mainland of Norway and not on Svalbard.
  
  
• If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU EA, you will find answers to frequently asked questions related to entry to mainland Norway here.

UDI cannot say anything about when the rules regarding entry will change. It is the government that decides the changes and when they will take effect.

If you belong to one of the groups that can travel to mainland Norway, you must adhere to the authorities' quarantine rules, which you can read about at helsenorge.no. (external website) UDI cannot answer questions related to quarantine regulations when entering Norway. 

It is the tax administration that issues D number, National identity number and tax cards. If you have any questions about this you must contact the tax administration. (external website, opens in new window)

We know that it may be difficult to get an appointment from the police to order a new residence card. When you have a permanent residence permit, you still have the same rights even if you do not have a valid residence card. For example, you still have the right to work, you have the same rights to support from NAV, and you are still registered as a resident of Norway in the National Register. The police also have access to systems where they can see that you have a permanent residence permit. You should not travel out of the country without a valid residence card, but for most, it is nevertheless not relevant to go abroad now.

Regarding booking a new appointment, you have to just check regularly on the application portal if new appointments have been made available. You cannot call the UDI to get an appointment at the police office.

You may stay on the same terms if you register an application for renewal or permanent residence permit and pay a fee no later than seven calendar days before the permit expires.

If your case is not urgens, you have to wait for the police to make new appointments available in the application portal (external website). You cannot contact UDI to book an appointment. 

If you are applying for the renewal of a permit you have obtained for protection, you cannot register your application electronically on our application portal. Instead, you must send the application by mail to the police.

March 20, 2020

You must try to leave as quickly as possible, but it will not have any consequences for you if you unable to leave Norway before your residence permit expires as the situation is now.

You also do not need to notify the UDI, or the police, that you will not be able to leave Norway before the residence permit expires.

You must check whether your plane is leaving as scheduled or not. If your plane is cancelled, you must try to book a new flight. 

Yes, you can keep staying with your host family. 

You must try to leave as quickly as possible, but it will not have any consequences for you if you unable to leave Norway before your Au-pair permit expires as the situation is now.

If you have registered an application for renewal or permanent residence permit and paid the fee on time (within seven days before the permit expires), then you can continue to work as before even if you are now not able to meet with the police.

If you are going to apply for a renewal of a permit which you were given after applying for protection, you cannot register your application electronically on our application portal. Instead, you must send the application by mail to the police.

You can still continue to work under the same conditions until you are able to meet with the police. You need to call the police to get a new appointment when it becomes possible to meet with the police again.

You must try to  (external website)make a new appointment once the Police opens for booking for your type of case. (external website)

You must try to leave as quickly as possible, but it will not have any consequences for you if you unable to leave Norway before your visa expires as the situation is now.

You also do not need to notify the UDI, or the police, that you will not be able to leave Norway before the visa expires.

Updated March 20, 2020

You must try to leave as quickly as possible, but it will not have any consequences for you if you unable to leave Norway before your visa expires as the situation is now.

You also do not need to notify the UDI, or the police, that you will not be able to leave Norway before the visa expires.

Yes, if you were resident in Norway before 16 March 2020, your child may travel to Norway to visit you here. Please note that it is currently not possible to apply for a visit visa to Norway from VFS or from Norwegian embassies.

You can apply for family immigration permit renewal as "other family member".  

You must register the application on the Application Portal at least 7 days before your fiancé permit expires.  

Procedures on the Application Portal:  

• Log in to the Application Portal, select "Want to renew", then "Family Immigration".   (external website)
• Under " What kind of family member are you (the applicant)?", Select "Other family members".  
• Under the question "Please explain your relation to the reference person", give a reason why you did not have the opportunity to marry before your fiancé permit expires.  
• Pay the fee of NOK 2,600.  
• Book an appointment to deliver documents to the police when possible. Submit documents if you are told by the police.  

Although the UDI has previously granted you a fiancé permit to get married, you are responsible for checking with the Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten) if you need new and updated documents from your home country to be able to marry in Norway, for example if you need an updated certificate of no Impediment to marriage. See the information about marrying in Norway. (external website) 

You should get married as soon as the marriage authority is available.  

If you get married before the UDI finalizes your application, you must let us know and send the marriage certificate to us. Then we will be able to treat your application as a spouse application. 

If you came to Norway before March 16 at 08:00 

Some applicants can submit an application for a residence permit in Norway while they are here on a visa-free visit or on a visitor's visa. If you are in this group, you usually need to register your application in the Application Portal and then meet with the police to submit the application documents to the police before the 90 day visa-free period or your visitor's visa expires.

Since the police have limited service and it can be difficult to make an appointment, you can continue to stay in Norway even if you have attended an appointment with the police yet. You must register your application in the Application Portal before the 90 day visa-free period or your visitor's visa expires. As soon as the Police make available appointments for your type of case, you must book an appointment in the Application Portal and meet with the police as soon as possible (external website). You can then continue to stay in Norway until you have received an answer to your application.

You can check if you are in the group that can apply for a residence permit in Norway while here on a visa-free visit or on a visitor's visa, or if you have to submit the application from abroad, by selecting the type of application and proceed to information on how to apply.

If you came to Norway after March 16 at 08:00

It is not yet clear what rules will apply to people who came to Norway after March 16 at 08:00 and who are unable to hand in the application documents to the police before the 90 day visa-free period or your visitor's visa expires. The UDI is working to resolve this as quickly as possible.

If you were to submit an application from abroad, you must contact the embassy to which the application should be sent. If you were to submit the application from Norway, you must contact the police office where you were to submit the application. In both cases, you will be able to get a refund.

There is no other way to get a residence card other than attending an appointment with the police. Follow the police website (external website) for information on when the police offices will open.

Because it is now not possible to meet with the police to order a residence card, it will not have any consequences for you if you start working before you have met with the police. The condition for this is that you have obtained a residence permit that gives you the right to work and that you have booked an appointment with the police to order a residence card (either via the Application portal or otherwise).

If it is not possible to book an hour with the police, you must contact the UDI by phone or e-mail to report that you are in Norway and that you start working. You still have to meet with the police to order a residence card when this becomes possible.

The above also applies to you if you are going to start as an au pair in Norway. 

You can read more about tax cards and D-numbers on the Tax Administration's website (external website).

I have planned to apply
If you have a temporary residence permit that is about to expire and are not given final exams in Norwegian and social sciences to meet the conditions for applying for a permanent residence permit, you must apply for the renewal of your temporary residence permit. 

I have applied
If you have applied for a permanent residence permit, you must sign up to take a test as soon as you have the opportunity. Once you have passed the test, you must submit documentation to the UDI.

I have applied for protection and am waiting to be called in for an interview. What will happen to the interview now?

On waiting time:

Information on change in waiting times in English (pdf, 53 kB).

Information on change in waiting times at Tigrinja (pdf, 48 kB).

Information on change in waiting times in Turkish (pdf, 85 kB).

Information on change in waiting times in Arabic (pdf, 148 kB).

Yes, you can get a renewed permit if you are going to do seasonal work in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, fishing or the fishing industry. You can work for the same employer as before, but you can also work for a new employer.

A new temporary regulation has been introduced, which is valid until 31.12.2020.

This provision allows people who are here for seasonal work and who want to work with seasonal work beyond 6 months to apply for a renewed seasonal work permit.

If you have a valid residence permit as a self-employed person, you do not need to report to the UDI or the police if you have lost all or part of your income.

You can stay in Norway for as long as your residence permit is valid.

At the moment we do not know what significance it will have on an application for renewal of your residence permit, or an application for a permanent residence permit, if you have lost all or part of your income. We will update this answer as soon as we have more information.

With regards to the requirement for the income, you had last year (the year before you apply and until UDI makes a decision), the unemployment benefit is counted as income.

With regards to the income you have now, and which income you are likely to have for at least one year to come (future income), unemployment benefit is not counted as income.

Regarding the requirement that you cannot have received financial assistance from NAV, it does not matter that you have received the unemployment benefit. Social security is not social assistance.

There may be reasons for making exceptions to the income requirement due to strong human considerations if you:

• no longer meet the income requirement due to the layoffs and loss of income caused by the corona situation, but you
• submitted an application for family immigration before 16 March 2020, and
• you fulfilled the requirements when the application for family immigration was submitted (registered online and fee paid).

We have yet not decided how we will evaluate applications that are submitted after these conditions arose so that the ability to earn an income has lapsed, and which did not fulfill the conditions when the application was submitted. We must look into the consequences in the long run for these applicants before we can decide this.

See updated information about the income requirement.

Please stay updated at nav.no (external website)

Unemployment benefit can be counted towards the requirement to support yourself. Therefore, as long as you get paid enough to meet the minimum requirement, the fact that you have been temporarily laid off (permittert) will not affect your application.

If you had enough income when you applied for permanent residence and all other conditions were met at the same time, it does not matter if you lose income before we process your application.

See up-to-date information on the requirement to financially support yourself.

Please stay updated at nav.no (external website).

It will not have any consequences for you that you work somewhat reduced, as long as you continue to work in a position that is at least 80%.
You do not need to report this to the UDI or the police.

Pay and working conditions must not be under Norway standards, the position must provide a salary of at least NOK 246 246 annually before tax, and you must fulfill the other requirements for your residence permit as a skilled worker.

You can later apply for a renewal of your residence permit or for a permanent residence permit.

If you are laid off

If you have a valid residence permit as a skilled worker with an employer in Norway, you do not need to report to the UDI or the police if you are fully or partially laid off. We do not revoke your residence permit based on that you have been laid off fully or partially.

You can stay in Norway as long as your valid residence permit is valid.

We do not know now what significance this could have on an application for renewal of your residence permit, or an application for a permanent residence permit, if your residence permit expires while you are on leave. We will come back with more information when we know something more.

If you lose your job

If you who have a residence permit as a skilled worker with an employer in Norway and lose your job, you have to report to the police where you live within seven days.

If the Police are not open for any appointments , it is enough that you contact the police when this is possible again. You can then stay in Norway to apply for a new job for up to six months. Your residence permit must still be valid throughout this period.

If you then get a new job

• If you who have a residence permit as a skilled worker with an employer in Norway then get a new job, but are going to work in the same type of position as before, you do not need to apply for a new residence permit, but you have to report to the police where you live within seven days of that you start in the new job. If the Police are not open for any appointments , it is enough that you contact the police when this is possible again..
• If you get a new job where you will have a different type of position than before, you must apply for a new residence permit. You cannot start in another type of position until you have been granted a new residence permit.

To renew your residence permit to study in Norway, you must show that you have sufficient means to cover your living expenses.

We know that many students have lost their part-time jobs because of the corona situation and thus also lost part of their income source to cover the cost of living and studying in Norway. To give you some extra time to find a new job or to raise enough funds to meet the requirement, we will wait to process your application until 1 October. Note that this only applies if you meet all other requirements for a renewed study permit.

If you find a new job or get enough funds by 1 October, you must send us documentation. If you are unable to document that you have sufficient funds by 1st October, your application will be rejected.

It is still important that you register a renewal application online and pay the fee well in advance before your current permit expires.

If you are delayed in your studies due to the coronavirus outbreak, we will take this into account when we process the renewal application.

It is important that you explain the reason for the delay and document this in your application.

Your application can unfortunately not be moved to the front of the queue (prioritized) even though there are important reasons why you need to travel. The reason for this is that it is necessary to meet with the police in order to be issued a residence card and/or travel document.

The police have limited service because of the corona situation. Unfortunately, since there are restrictions on who can get an appointment now, we do not know when it will be possible for you to book an appointment. The police update the status of their services on their website (external website)

We will make a new assessment when the police offer is less limited than now. You need a valid travel document and residence card in order to travel. 

If you have been in quarantine and do not show any signs of illness, you can continue to be in Norway for the period your visa is valid.

We recommend that you follow the travel advice of Norwegian health authorities. You should travel as soon as advisable. If your immigrant's passport is no longer valid when traveling, you can apply for a new immigrant's passport. It is important that you, as far as possible, document and explain the reason why you did not travel during the period when the immigrant's passport was valid.

UDI will wait to process applications for immigrant passports for single journeys. The reason we wait to process these applications is that the police have limited service now and because there are currently travel restrictions that can make it difficult to use the travel document. If you have applied for an immigrant passport for individual travel, you must count on the waiting time to get your application answered will be longer than we have previously informed.

If you have applied for an immigrant travel passport for a journey that has been canceled, you can notify the UDI by sending us a letter. Then we will close your case.

UDI will continue to process ordinary travel visa applications. Even if you get a decision from the UDI, you still have to wait to get your travel document until you can get an appointment with the police. Since the police have limited offers, it may take time.

Currently, we do not know the impact this will have on waiting times for applications we are processing, but it is likely that it will lead to longer waiting time for some cases. Here, you can find updated information on waiting times for the various applications.

For asylum applications: It is very likely that the waiting time will be longer than what we have stated in most cases.