In general, refugees from Ukraine are to register at the National Arrival Centre. It is also possible to register in a few other locations in Norway if there is enough capacity at the time to register you there. Contact your local police for help with transportation so that you can register your application.

You must be in Norway or on the Norwegian border to apply for protection (asylum).

Norwegian authorities do not currently consider Ukraine a safe country.

Ukrainians will be granted collective protection in Norway. Information about who can receive collective protection is available here.

Yes, you must apply for protection (asylum) for UDI to assess your application for collective protection.

Read about how you can apply for protection (asylum) here.

The police have published a questions and answers page with information about what to do if you do not have a card for asylum seekers or D number. (external website), look in the "After registration" section.

What a card for asylum seekers is (description).

What a D number is (description).

Temporary collective protection

Collective protection means that UDI does not assess the need for protection individually but gives Ukrainians fleeing the war in Ukraine and their family members collective protection. This ensures that Ukrainians fleeing the war will get the help they need faster.

The permit is limited and is granted for one year at a time, for up to three years. The permit does not form the basis for a permanent residence permit during these three years. After three years, it is possible to obtain a new temporary permit forming the basis for a permanent residence permit. UDI must make an individual assessment of who this applies to.

Ukrainians who receive collective protection do not receive refugee status and refugee travel documents.

More information about your rights and obligations when you have received collective protection is available here.

Individual protection (asylum)

Usually, all applications for protection (asylum) are processed individually. This means, among other things, that everyone must have an asylum interview for UDI to process their application for protection. If the application is granted, the permit will usually form the basis for a permanent residence permit.

It is also common to obtain refugee status and travel documents with individual protection.

You are not eligible for collective protection if you:

• were a resident in a country other than Ukraine or Norway up until 24 February 2022.
• stayed illegally in Norway or had a duty to return on 24 February 2022.
• have another residence permit in Norway that you may continue to have. A supplementary list of eligibility requirements for collective protection is available here.
• are not a Ukrainian citizen, but have had a residence permit in Ukraine. Please note that you may be entitled to collective protection in Norway if you had protection in Ukraine. If so, you must provide documentation confirming that you have residence for protection there.

If the list above applies to you, you may still apply for protection by individual assessment. If so, UDI will consider whether you meet the requirements for obtaining a permit as a refugee.

You must contact your home country for help, unless you fear persecution in your home country.

If you are ineligible for collective protection, you may still apply for individual protection, and your application will be assessed individually. You will find an overview of who can apply for collective protection here.

If you apply for protection in Norway and meet the conditions for collective protection, we will process your application in Norway.

If you are not eligible for collective protection, you may apply for protection and individual assessment of your application. However, if you have already applied for protection, or have a residence permit in another European country, then that country may still be responsible for processing your application, and you may be required to return there. This is covered by the Dublin Regulation. You can read more about how the Dublin Regulation works here.

Example of when the Dublin Regulation applies: You have a residence permit in another European country and left Ukraine long before 24 February 2022. As a result, you are not eligible for protection in Norway.  We will then contact the country you received your resident permit from so that your application for protection is processed there.

With a permanent residence permit or permanent right of residence, you can reside and work in Norway indefinitely. Collective protection is a permit that does not form the basis for permanent residence. You can therefore not apply for permanent residence after three years. 

If UDI decides that you still need protection after three years, you can get a new temporary permit. UDI will assess the application on an individual basis. If you receive a new permit after three years of collective protection, the new permit will provide a basis for you to later apply for a permanent residence permit.

You have the right to be safe in Norway. You can get free help if:

• you feel unsafe where you live and need a new place to live
• someone pressures you to do something you don't want in return for travel or housing
• someone exploits or pressures you sexually
• someone forces or pressures you to do work, favours or a criminal act
• you are a victim of violence or abuse

Are you in danger? / Is your life at risk in Norway?

Please call the police at 112 if you need immediate help. If there is no urgency, you can call 02800.

When you register, you will have rights as an asylum seeker.

You must register with the police (external website) to obtain legal residence and access to rights. You have the right to a safe place to live for free, and you will receive financial support to live on.

You may be entitled to collective protection

If you are from Ukraine, you may be entitled to collective protection. Collective protection grants you a residence permit and the right to a place to live in a municipality in Norway.

Do you live in a private residence and need a new place to live?

Contact UDI's Information Service by phone: (+47) 23 35 16 00.
Open Monday to Friday from 10:00—14:30.

Is someone acting violent or pressuring/forcing you to do something you do not want to do?

Talk to us – we can help you: 

• Healthcare professionals
• UDI or the police when you register (external website) as an asylum seeker
• Staff or volunteers at the reception centre where you are staying
• The refugee service or others who work in the municipality where you are staying

Orientation videos from the police:

• Welcome to Norway! (Available in Ukrainian) -  (external website)
• Not everyone who helps you has good intentions (available in Ukrainian) -  (external website)
• Welcome to Norway! (Available in Russian) -  (external website)
• Hi and welcome to Norway! (available in Russian) -  (external website)

Do you want to talk to someone who is not from the government? Do you want to speak anonymously?

You can call these helplines and talk with volunteer organisations. You do not have to give your name.

• Caritas helpline is available free of charge in Ukrainian and Russian  through WhatsApp. Open Monday-Thursday (10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m). Please call (+47) 31 40 23 00.
• ROSA helpline on human trafficking available in Norwegian and English. Always open. They can assist with an interpreter. Please call: (+47) 22 33 11 60.

Are you a child or a youth?

You can call Alarmtelefonen (emergency phone service) for children and young people at 116111. It is a 24-hour telephone and chat service in Norwegian and English. They can assist with an interpreter.

Do you need health care?

After arriving in Norway, you have the right to health care if you need it. Find out more about health services and your rights here: Health care for asylum seekers and refugees in Norway - helsenorge.no (external website).

Are you experiencing violence or abuse?

Find information on how to get help at www.dinutvei.no (external website). The site is available in many languages, including Russian and Ukrainian.

Do you want to know more about working in Norway and what rights and obligations you have?

Information from the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority is available at www.knowyourrights.no (external website). You can select from a variety of languages ​​on the webpage, including English, Ukrainian and Russian.

Do you want to help others who may be vulnerable?

See UDI's refugee-crisis webpage for resources for authorities and others interested in helping.

If both parents have been granted collective protection

When a child of foreign parents is born in Norway, the parents must apply for a residence permit for the child. This is to be done as early as possible following the birth.

Protection (asylum)

You may apply for protection (asylum) for your child.

If the child is eligible for collective protection, we will grant collective protection to the child. Read more about applying for protection. 

If you are living in an asylum reception centre you must present the confirmation of birth document you received from the hospital to those working at the centre. The asylum reception centre will send it to the UDI regional office in charge, and UDI will register an application for the child.

If you do not live in an asylum reception centre, you are to visit the local police station where you live to hand in the confirmation of birth document you received from the hospital. The police will then register an application for the child.

Family immigration

You may apply for a family immigration residence permit for your child.

If a child is granted a family immigration residence permit, its parents will normally have to obtain a passport for the child from their home country in order to travel outside Norway. The child can use the passport to visit its parents' home country.

If contacting the authorities or the embassy of the parents' home country in order to obtain a passport puts the parents at risk, it is possible to apply for a Norwegian immigrant passport (blue) for the child instead.

If neither the mother nor the father hold a residence permit that forms the basis for a permanent residence permit, then the child's permit will not form the basis for permanent residence either.

If one parent has been granted protection (asylum), and the other parent has been granted collective protection

When a child of foreign parents is born in Norway, the parents must apply for a residence permit for the child. This is to be done as early as possible following the birth.

Protection for family members of refugees (derived refugee status)

You may apply for protection for family members of refugees (derived refugee status) on behalf of the child.

Children who are granted derived refugee status will be issued a refugee travel document (green). Children cannot visit their parents' home country using a refugee travel document.

If the parents lose their refugee status at a later point in time, the child will lose its refugee status as well.

Protection (asylum)

You may apply for protection (asylum) for your child.

If the child is eligible for collective protection, we will grant collective protection to the child. Read more about applying for protection. 

In order to apply you must visit the local police station where you live and hand in the confirmation of birth document you received from the hospital. The police will then register an application for the child.

Family immigration

You may apply for a family immigration residence permit for your child.

If a child is granted a family immigration residence permit, its parents will normally have to obtain a passport for the child from their home country in order to travel outside Norway. The child can use the passport to visit its parents' home country.

If contacting the authorities or the embassy of the parents' home country in order to obtain a passport puts the parents at risk, it is possible to apply for a Norwegian immigrant passport (blue) for the child instead.

If one of the parents has been granted protection (asylum), and the other parent is an EU/EEA citizen:

When a child of foreign parents is born in Norway, the parents must apply for a residence permit for the child. This is to be done as early as possible following the birth.

Protection (asylum)

You may apply for protection (asylum) for your child.

If the child is eligible for collective protection, we will grant collective protection to the child. Read more about applying for protection. 

In order to apply you must visit the local police station where you live and hand in the confirmation of birth document you received from the hospital. The police will then register an application for the child.

The registration scheme for EU/EEA nationals and applications for a residence card for family members of EU/EEA nationals

Because one or both parents hold citizenship in an EU/EEA country, you do not need to apply for a residence permit for the child, but you must register the child with the police or apply for a residence card on the child's behalf. This applies also even if the child was born in Norway and has been issued a Norwegian national identity number.

• If the child is a citizen of an EU/EEA country, you can register the child via the registration scheme for EU/EEA nationals. Please note that the child must have its own passport before you can attend an appointment with the police.
• If the child is a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA, you may apply for the child to receive a residence card as a family member of an EU/EEA national. Please note that the child must have its own passport before you can attend the appointment with the police.

There is no deadline for registering your child/applying for a residence card for children under the EU/EEU regulations. UDI recommends registering children or applying for a residence card on their behalf as soon as they have a passport.

Family immigration

You may apply for a family immigration residence permit for your child.

If a child is granted a family immigration residence permit, its parents will normally have to obtain a passport for the child from their home country in order to travel outside Norway. The child can use the passport to visit its parents' home country.

If contacting the authorities or the embassy of the parents' home country in order to obtain a passport puts the parents at risk, it is possible to apply for a Norwegian immigrant passport (blue) for the child instead.

If one of the parents was granted collective protection, and the other parent has permanent residence (on the original basis of refugee status):

When a child of foreign parents is born in Norway, the parents must apply for a residence permit for the child. This is to be done as early as possible following the birth.

Protection for family members of refugees (derived refugee status)

You may apply for protection for family members of refugees (derived refugee status) on behalf of the child.

Children who are granted derived refugee status will be issued a refugee travel document (green). Children cannot visit their parents' home country using a refugee travel document.

If the parents lose their refugee status at a later point in time, the child will lose its refugee status as well.

Protection (asylum)

You may apply for protection (asylum) for your child.

If the child is eligible for collective protection, we will grant collective protection to the child. Read more about applying for protection. 

In order to apply you must visit the local police station where you live and hand in the confirmation of birth document you received from the hospital. The police will then register an application for the child.

Family immigration

You may apply for a family immigration residence permit for your child.

If a child is granted a family immigration residence permit, its parents will normally have to obtain a passport for the child from their home country in order to travel outside Norway. The child can use the passport to visit its parents' home country.

If contacting the authorities or the embassy of the parents' home country in order to obtain a passport puts the parents at risk, it is possible to apply for a Norwegian immigrant passport (blue) for the child instead.

If the parents are granted permanent residence
If both parents:

• have been granted a permanent residence permit or Norwegian citizenship before the child reaches one year of age, or
• fulfil the requirements for permanent residence or Norwegian citizenship and submit their applications for a permanent residence permit or Norwegian citizenship to the police before the child reaches one year of age

it is also possible to apply for a permanent residence permit for your child. You must submit your child's application before the child reaches one year of age.

If one of the parents was granted collective protection status, and the other parent has permanent residence (not on the basis of refugee status):

When a child of foreign parents is born in Norway, the parents must apply for a residence permit for the child. This is to be done as early as possible following the birth.

Protection (asylum)

You may apply for protection (asylum) for your child.

If the child is eligible for collective protection, we will grant collective protection to the child. Read more about applying for protection. 

In order to apply you must visit the local police station where you live and hand in the confirmation of birth document you received from the hospital. The police will then register an application for the child.

Family immigration

You may apply for a family immigration residence permit for your child.

If a child is granted a family immigration residence permit, its parents will normally have to obtain a passport for the child from their home country in order to travel outside Norway. The child can use the passport to visit its parents' home country.

If contacting the authorities or the embassy of the parents' home country in order to obtain a passport puts the parents at risk, it is possible to apply for a Norwegian immigrant passport (blue) for the child instead.

If the parents are granted permanent residence

If both parents

• have been granted a permanent residence permit or Norwegian citizenship before the child reaches one year of age, or
• fulfil the requirements for permanent residence or Norwegian citizenship and submit their applications for a permanent residence permit or Norwegian citizenship to the police before the child reaches one year of age

it is also possible to apply for a permanent residence permit for your child. You must submit your child's application before the child reaches one year of age.

If the mother has been granted collective protection and the father is either unknown or not staying in Norway:

When a child of foreign parents is born in Norway, the parents must apply for a residence permit for the child. This is to be done as early as possible following the birth.

Protection (asylum)

You may apply for protection (asylum) for your child.

If the child is eligible for collective protection, we will grant collective protection to the child. Read more about applying for protection. 

If you are living in an asylum reception centre you must present the confirmation of birth document you received from the hospital to those working at the centre. The asylum reception centre will send it to the UDI regional office in charge, and UDI will register an application for the child.

If you do not live in an asylum reception centre, you are to visit the local police station where you live to hand in the confirmation of birth document you received from the hospital. The police will then register an application for the child.

Family immigration

You may apply for a family immigration residence permit for your child.

If a child is granted a family immigration residence permit, its parents will normally have to obtain a passport for the child from their home country in order to travel outside Norway. The child can use the passport to visit its parents' home country.

If contacting the authorities or the embassy of the parents' home country in order to obtain a passport puts the parents at risk, it is possible to apply for a Norwegian immigrant passport (blue) for the child instead.

If the mother's residence permit does not form the basis for a permanent residence permit, then the child's permit will not form the basis for permanent residence either.

As long as the duty to return to Ukraine is suspended, you as a Ukrainian citizen may apply for all types of permits from Norway. UDI will process all applications that Ukrainians submit from Norway due to the situation in your home country. Usually, applying from Norway will not be taken into consideration.  

If you have a valid residence permit in another safe country, where it is possible to return, we will not accept your application for a residence permit from Norway now.  

If you apply for protection and are granted collective protection, you can still apply for other types of residence permits.

Please consider which residence permit may be relevant for you to apply for. If you have family here, you may apply for family immigration. Another option may be a work permit. Please consider what you want to apply for.  

You will find an overview of all residence permits you may apply for here.

You cannot work while we process your application for collective protection. You can also not apply to work while we process your application.

You are only allowed to work if you are granted collective protection in Norway.

Here you can find information from the Tax Administration (external website) about what you must do if you want to work in Norway after being granted collective protection.

Here you can read more about what you need to know if you want to travel outside Norway or move from Norway.

Emergency accommodation is made available when many asylum seekers arrive at the same time. It is of a modest standard and intended to meet your basic needs. 

The following is provided in an emergency accommodation facility: 

• a bed (not in a tent) - you may be sharing a room with others
• some pocket money
• food, or money for food
• food for young children and babies, or money for food
• equipment for young children and babies such as feeding bottles
• access to facilities for washing and drying clothes
• personal hygiene items as needed, including diapers
• internet access
• access to primary school for children aged 6-16 years

The emergency accommodation personnel can provide practical information about settlement, leisure activities, health care and services in the local community.

You will be notified about when you will be moving from emergency accommodation and where you will be going. We do not know how long you will be staying in emergency accomodation.

You will find more information about emergency accommodation here 

Velkommen til akuttinnkvartering (norsk) (pdf, 261 kB)

Ласкаво просимо в центр термінового розміщення (ukrainsk) (pdf, 253 kB)

Добро пожаловать в место экстренного размещения (russisk) (pdf, 240 kB)

An asylum reception centre is a facility with modest accommodation where you can stay while waiting for an answer to your application for collective protection. It is voluntary to live in an asylum reception centre.

When you arrive at the asylum reception centre, you will receive information about:

• house rules
• safety, such as fire prevention/security
• practical aspects concerning the reception centre, including resident acitivities
• money/basic benefits
• the local community and services, including transport, shops and other services and amenities

Personnel at the asylum reception centre will provide guidance and help if needed. They will also guide you to obtain relevant information from public agencies and volunteer organisations.

At the asylum reception centre, you will get:

• a bed (you may be sharing a room with others)
• kitchen access
• equipment you can loan for young children, including carriages, beds etc. 
• access to facilities for washing and drying clothes
• internet access
• access to a pc/tablet at the reception centre
• money (basic benefits) for food, clothing, personal hygiene items, transport
• access to primary school instruction for hildren aged 6-16 years
• offering for adapted school instruction for youths aged 16-18 years
• leisure activity offerings
• opportunity to take part in the information programme on Norwegian society

Some asylum reception centres also offer:

• childcare for children aged 0-6 years
• kindergarten for children aged 1-6 years

We do not know how long it will be before you can move from the asylum reception centre to a municipality.

An alternative to reception centres means that you can live in a standard home, instead of in a reception centre or an emergency accommodation offered by UDI.  

UDI has expanded the scheme for an alternative to reception centres for Ukrainians in the target group for temporary collective protection who live privately or in other temporary places until they are settled.

To apply for an alternative to reception centres, you must have registered with the police and received a DUF number and D number. You also must have found a place to live in a municipality. Examples of different housing solutions can be 

• living with family members in a municipality 
• other people who have offered housing provided by voluntary organisations, or  
• the municipality, which is not a part of the reception system.  

Unaccompanied minors are not covered by the extended scheme for an alternative to reception centres. If you are an unaccompanied minor asylum seeker, you can apply for an alternative to a reception centre according to the usual (ordinary) scheme. 

How to apply for the extended scheme of an alternative to reception centres 

Here you can find information on how to apply for an alternative to receptions centres.

The municipality must agree that you settle there. When UDI has received the application, we will contact the municipality and ask if they will accept the application for an alternative to reception centres. If you already have contacted the municipality in advance and the municipality has approved and signed the application form, UDI will approve the application immediately.  

The municipalities choose whether they give people permission to live in an alternative to a  reception centre or not. If the municipality does not accept the inquiry, you will have your application rejected. You will still have the right to stay in an emergency accommodation or an asylum reception centre. If you are granted an alternative to a reception centre by UDI and the municipality, you can receive money for housing expenses and subsistence from the municipality. 

UDI offers everyone who applies for protection in Norway a place to live. Asylum reception centres and emergency accommodations are simple and temporary accommodations where you can stay while you wait for an answer to your application for collective protection. Many people are arriving from Ukraine now, and we can therefore not process applications for relocation between asylum reception centres and between emergency accommodations.

You can live privately

Even if we do not process relocation applications between asylum reception centres and emergency accommodation, you can still choose to live elsewhere. You can move, for example, to friends or family.

Are you going to stay privately after registering at the National Arrivals Center?

If you are moving to a private address after registering at the National Arrivals Center, please notify LINK of the new address you are moving to. You must do this before moving. LINK then notifies the police and UDI of your new address. UDI must know where you are when we send out the decision letter granting protection and other important information. If we do not know where you are, we will not process your application for protection.

Are you moving from an asylum reception centre or an emergency accommodation to a private address?

Suppose you live in an asylum reception centre or an emergency accommodation and move to a private address. In that case, you must report your new address to the reception centre and the police where you will live. UDI must know where you are when we send out decisions on protection and other important information. If we do not know where you are, we can not process your application for protection.

If you live in private housing, you can apply for an alternative to reception centres.

If you bring a pet with you from abroad, the animal must be inspected 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 ID measures, rabies vaccination, blood testing, tapeworm treatment and health certificates.

You will find more information about the requirements (external website) on the Norwegian Food Safety Authority's website.

If your pet has not been checked at the border when you arrived, you must immediately contact the Norwegian Food Safety Authority by telephone: +47 22 40 00 00.

You can read more about bringing pets from abroad on the Norwegian Food Safety Authority's website (external website).

Here you can find information in English and Ukrainian about financial help from the Norwegian Society for Protection of Animals (pdf, 2,3 MB).

You are responsible for your own pets under almost all circumstances.

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 held in quarantine.

Your pet might clear quarantine before you leave the reception centre. In such case, your pet may stay with you at the centre for a short period of time if the centre allows it. Certain reception centres have made preparations for pets to be accommodated at the centre. It is the decision of the reception centre whether or not to allow animals in.

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.

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 may apply for alternative to reception centre (external website). 

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. 

• 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. 

Your children have the right to go to school when you have applied for asylum in Norway. The right to go to school applies to your children from the age of six until they are 16 years old.

If you are a parent to a child under 16, you must send your child to school. The right to go to school applies as long as it is a high possibility that you will stay in Norway for more than three months. Talk to the municipality where you live regarding help sending your children to school.

You have the right to the same health care as everyone in Norway, such as going to the doctor or hospital and receiving certain types of medication. The right to health care applies when you come to Norway and ask for protection (asylum).

You can get a GP. Meaning that you can go to the same doctor every time. To get a GP, you can call the GP phone, +47 810 59 500.

How to get in touch with a doctor

• Contact a doctor where you live if you need health care.
• If you have an urgent need for medical help, you can contact the emergency room.
• Call telephone number +47 116 117 to contact the nearest emergency room.
• You can ask for help from the staff at the asylum reception to book an appointment.

When granted collective protection, you have the right to follow an introduction programme, which includes Norwegian and social studies training.

You must contact the municipality where you reside to get information about your rights to participate in the introduction programme. The municipality will give you guidance on this.

You can find information about the introduction programme in English, Ukrainian and Russian on IMDi's website (external website).