Arrival in Norway
Please contact the police to apply for protection. Select which information applies to you below.
Protection (asylum) in Norway
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I am a Ukrainian citizen and want to apply for protection (asylum). What do I need to do?
As of 15 July 2024, anyone applying for protection must go to Råde to register their application at the National Arrival Centre. The Norwegian police have more information about where to register. (eksternt nettsted)
We cannot offer you a place to stay until you have registered at the National Arrival Centre.
You have to make your own travel arrangements to the National Arrival Centre, which means that you will have to pay for and organise your transportation to the centre. Children travelling alone (unaccompanied minor asylum-seekers) and others in particularly vulnerable situations will be able to get help to travel to the National Arrival Centre. Exceptions can also be made for anyone whose life or health is at risk.
If you have fled the war in Ukraine and applied for protection in Norway, it is the immigration authorities who decide whether your application is to be included in a group assessment or whether it is to be assessed individually. Applications that are assessed as part of the group assessment may grant you collective protection, while applications that are assessed individually may grant you protection (asylum) on ordinary terms.
Registration of an application at the National Arrival Centre
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What takes place when you register at the National Arrival Centre
When you arrive at the National Arrival Centre, you will be greeted by staff and informed about what you will be doing next.You will:- have an interview with the police
- provide fingerprints and a photo
- hand over your passport and other ID documents to the police
- be tested for tuberculosis
- meet with Caritas, who will inform you of your rights and obligations
- receive clothing and footwear
The police will return your passport/documents in cases where your application is included in a group assessment. The police keep the passport in those cases where the application is to be assessed on an individual basis.
You will also receive a card for asylum seeker and a D number from the police. When the police (National Police Immigration Service) at the arrival centre have registered your application, they will send your application to UDI for processing. When UDI has received the application from the police, you will get an e-mail informing you of this. -
How are the facilities at the National Arrival Centre?
At the National Arrival Centre, you will sleep in a tent hall. There are a few rooms dedicated for use by particularly vulnerable people. We evaluate individual needs for a room on a case-by-case basis.At the National Arrival Centre, the following will be provided:- 3 meals a day. Children will receive fruit and yoghurt in between the main meals
- Food appropriate for babies/children
- Package of clothing and footwear
- Personal hygiene items
- Toilet and shower access
- Access to a washing machine for clothes
- 24-hour workforce (personnel is available at all times)
- Access to healthcare when needed
- Access to a small exercise room used for training or table tennis
- Dedicated areas for children to watch cartoons, draw, do crafts or play with toys
- Volunteer organisations come almost every day to set up handicraft activities for children and adults, and Norwegian language training for those who choose to participate
Although the centre is surrounded by fences, you are free to exit and reenter as you wish; you will not be locked inside the National Arrival Centre.
Read more about the different activities you will go through at the arrival centre.
Leaving the National Arrival Centre
Once you have completed all activities required as part of the application registration process, you will move somewhere else.
The Norwegian authorities pay for your journey from the National Arrival Center to the asylum reception centre you will be staying at. We only cover the cost of regular checked baggage. If your baggage is overweight and exceeeds the free baggage allowance, you must cover the extra costs yourself.
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How long will I stay at the National Arrival Centre when I apply for protection?
When you apply for protection, you will go through multiple steps as part of the registration process. You will stay at the National Arrival Centre until you have completed several registration activities. Normally, you will stay at the National Arrival Centre for a short period of time. The registration activities are part of the process of applying for protection.
Examples of registration activities:
- registering your application
- establishing your identity
Read more about the different activities you will go through at the arrival centre.
You do not need to be at the National Arrival Centre all the time. You are free to leave when you want, but you must be back by 11:00 p.m. We recommend that you stay there until you have completed all the necessary activities. If you leave the National Arrival Centre before the finishing the process, the entire application process might come to a halt. It may then take longer for you to receive an answer to your application.
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Can I stay in private housing while registering my application at the National Arrival Centre?
It is voluntary to stay at the National Arrival Centre and in asylum reception centres. If you already have somewhere you can stay, you may choose to live there. We do recommend that you stay at the National Arrival Centre until you have completed the following activities:
- Registration of application
- Identification of identity
- Tuberculosis test
If you leave the National Arrival Centre before completing the process, the application process might come to a halt. It may then take longer for you to receive an answer to your application.
If you choose to stay in private housing
If you stay in private housing, you must apply for settlement with public assistance (external website).
Until 15 February 2024 there was an application scheme for Ukrainians who wanted to live in a temporary alternative to an asylum reception centre or emergency accommodation.
This scheme has been discontinued and it is no longer possible to apply.
It is still possible to apply under the standard scheme for alternative accommodation to reception centres, but this scheme is limited. You can apply under this scheme if you meet the requirements of the scheme and have particular needs that cannot be met in an ordinary reception centre. It is also required that a municipality agrees to be responsible both for arranging a housing offer and for following up on your needs. Municipalities are not obligated to participate in the alternative accommodation scheme.
You will find information about eligibility requirements and how to apply here.
You are entitled to health care from a doctor or hospital and the right to receive certain types of medication. If you need medical attention, you can contact a doctor where you live. If you have children, they have the right to go to school.
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Do I have to register in the same location as my family in order to stay where they live?
Where your family was registered plays no role in IMDi’s decision regarding your settlement location. When you register, it is important that you let the police know if you have any close family in Norway so that they are aware of this when finding accommodation for you in an asylum reception centre.
UDI does everything it can to make it possible for close family members to live together in the same reception centre. If there are no spots available for you where your family lives, we will try to place you somewhere nearby. When allocating accommodation, we will also try to take account of any close family members in Norway who live outside an asylum reception centre.The average length of stay in asylum reception centres for Ukrainians is currently just under 3 months.If no accommodation is available in the reception centre where your family is living, we will do our best so that you can join them there as soon as it becomes possible. -
What should I do with my pet while I am being registered?
If you have brought your pet from abroad, your pet must be checked at the border by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority must control all pets that come to Norway to minimise the risk of spreading deadly diseases, such as rabies, to humans and other animals in Norway.
As of 1 July 2023, pets brought into Norway from Ukraine are subject to the standard requirements regarding microchipping, rabies vaccination, blood testing, tapeworm treatment and health certificates.
Pets coming to Norway from 1 July that do not meet the animal health requirements must be kept in quarantine paid for by the pet owner, returned directly to Ukraine or euthanised.
You can read more about bringing pets from abroad on the Norwegian Food Safety Authority's website (external website).
If your pet was not checked at the border when you arrived, you must immediately contact the Norwegian Food Safety Authority by telephone: +47 22 40 00 00.
As a clear main rule, you are as the pet owner responsible for your own pets.
The vast majority of animals coming to Norway from Ukraine do not arrive in accordance with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority's guidelines and must therefore be quarantined.
Digital information meeting with Caritas
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Digital information meeting with Caritas Norge (Caritas Norway) for those who live privately
You who live privately are invited to participate in a digital information meeting with Caritas Norway. Caritas is an independent organisation that is not part of the Norwegian authorities. They will provide you with information about the asylum process and your rights and obligations as an asylum seeker.
At the meeting you will receive information about:
- Collective protection in Norway
- Who you meet when you apply for protection
- Life at an asylum reception centre and information for those who live privately
- Your rights and obligations as an asylum seeker
- The introduction program and what you will do if you are granted collective protection
The information is tailored to you who have applied for collective protection. You will have the opportunity to ask questions during the meeting.
The meetings are digital and conducted as a webinar by a Ukrainian/Russian-speaking adviser.
Sign up for a meeting by registering here (external website).
You will be contacted by an adviser and sent a link to the meeting.