Can a family member living in Norway hand in my family immigration application for me?
No. People living in Norway are not normally allowed to apply on behalf of a family member. There is currently only one exception: If you are staying in Gaza or Afghanistan, members of your family (reference persons) may hand in an application for family immigration in Norway.
In certain cases, UDI will also accept applications from parents settled in Norway on behalf of their children abroad. UDI will assess your specific case to determine whether we can accept the application even though it was submitted in Norway. We can only make such an assessment if one of the following criteria is met:
- Both biological parents reside in Norway, have residence permits and parental responsibility.
- One of the biological parents lives in Norway with legal residency, and there is no doubt about the parent having sole parental responsibility.
The above may also apply for an adoptive parent in the same way as for a biological parent. If the adoption was finalised after you, as the adoptive parent / reference person, settled in Norway, then the adoption must have been approved by Norwegian adoption authority, the Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir).
If the child is a foster child, the application must generally be handed in at a Foreign Service mission.