UDI receives many inquiries from people who want to help Ukrainians in Poland, for example, by travelling to Poland and transporting refugees to Norway by bus. Even if your intention is good, transportation of people who do not have the correct documents allowing legal entry can be considered human trafficking, which is a criminal offence.

You must check the rules that apply for border crossings for Ukrainian citizens without a biometric passport or ID documents in other countries you have to go through on your way to Norway. Unfortunately, the Norwegian authorities and UDI cannot answer questions about rules outside Norway's borders. 

We encourage you who want to help refugees to see what the established, voluntary organizations write on their websites about what kind of help they organize and whether they need help from private individuals.

Legal entry to Norway

All foreigners travelling to Norway must enter Norway legally. This also applies to Ukrainians. There are several ways to travel legally into the country. Examples of this could be persons who:

• already have obtained a valid residence permit in Norway, or
• already have a valid visitor's visa to Norway, or
• can travel visa-free to Norway (applies if they have a biometric passport)

If you are on the Norwegian border, you can apply for protection regardless of whether you have travelled here legally or not.

Where should Ukrainian refugees register?

If you drive Ukrainian refugees to Norway, you must report to the National Police Immigration Service by email pu.desken@politiet.no or telephone 22 80 66 00 before the bus arrives in Norway.

Please register your pet if you come from Ukraine (external website)

We plan for possible increases in arrivals of asylum seekers and appreciate the offer of suitable accommodation.  

As far as possible, we will use our established framework agreements on center operations and emergency accommodations to meet the need for reception centres. If necessary, we will announce new contracts.  

We recommend that you contact the operators. They usually have a high interest in vacant buildings to deliver offers for operation. You will find a list of these operators on our website (information only available in Norwegian). 

Alternatively, we would encourage you to contact your municipality to see if the municipality may need rental properties for persons who have been granted a temporary residence permit and who will be settled with public assistance in the municipality in question. 

UDI only uses qualified interpreters registered in the National Interpreter Register  (external website)to register refugees from Ukraine. 

You can find information about how you can qualify as a public interpreter on IMDI's website. (external website) 

If you want to qualify, you must, as a minimum, conduct a bilingual test at OsloMet. In addition to speaking fluent Ukrainian, you must at least have a level B2 or Bergen test in Norwegian. You will find information about the bilingual test at OsloMet. (external website) 

If you want to study interpreting, OsloMet offers a bachelor's program in interpretation in the public sector.  (external website)  

If you do not qualify as an interpreter but still wish to contribute with your language skills, you can check if local organizations or your municipality needs any language help. 

To work as a volunteer at an asylum reception centre, you must be in an organisation or association with which UDI or the asylum reception centre has a collaboration. Those who work as volunteers in asylum reception centres must have a police certificate of conduct. This is an absolute requirement from which no exceptions are made.

No, unfortunately, UDI and the hotels that recevies refugees in collaboration with the municipalities cannot accept gifts for regugees.

We encourage you who want to help refugees to see what the established, voluntary organizations write on their websites about what kind of help they organize and whether they need help from private individuals.  

We experience a vast commitment from private people who want to help. We appreciate the dedication. However, we want your help to be useful in the best possible way.   

Those who apply for asylum in Norway get the essentials they need at the National Arrival Center: A package with clothes and shoes for all seasons, bedding and hygiene packages for adults and children (diapers etc.).   

At the National Arrival Centre, we have to spend our time taking care of those who have arrived, and unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to receive and hand out gifts. 

If the child applies for protection (asylum) in Norway without the parents, the child will be registered as an unaccompanied minor asylum seeker.

You can find information for children applying for protection without their parents here (external website). The child will get a representative who will help the child through the asylum application process. You must contact the police together with the child as soon as possible.

You must tell the police about your relationship with the child, where the parents are, why the child came to Norway alone and how the child came to Norway.

Depending on the child's age, the child will be offered to live in an asylum reception centre or in a care centre. If the child wants to live with you in your home, it is possible to apply for an alternative to a reception centre. Local child welfare will always be notified in such cases.

Please note that there may be changes in the process. In that case, we will update the information on this page.

Other information about protection and residence in Norway for people affected by the crisis in Ukraine also applies to children.

 Please register your pet if you come from Ukraine (external website)

On arrival, all pets going to Norway from Ukraine must be registered and controlled by the Norwegian authorities (Norwegian Food Safety Authority). This is done to minimize the risk of spreading serious and deadly diseases, such as rabies, to humans and other animals in Norway.

• If the pets are not controlled at the border, you must immediately contact the Norwegian Food Safety Authority by telephone: +47 22 40 00 00 when you arrive at your first stop in Norway.
• If possible, arrival with pets must be notified in advance to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority to carry out the control at the border. (BIP.gardermoen@mattilsynet.no).

You will find information about the exceptional rules for Ukrainian refugees who arrive in Norway with pets (external website) on the Norwegian Food Safety Authority webpage.

Information on rules that apply for bringing exotic pets into Norway can be found on the Norwegian Environment Agency's website (external website)