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.