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.
You may be granted collective protection if you*:
Please note that this also applies even if you have multiple citizenships.
If the list above does not apply to you, you may still apply for protection, but your application will be assessed individually. If you have ties to Ukraine but do not qualify according to the criteria listed above, you are not eligible for collective protection in Norway.
*Even if you meet the conditions above, you will not be granted protection if you have:
For you to be granted collective protection, the Norwegian authorities must know who you are. To prove your identity, you can provide, for example, one of the following documents:
If you do not have any identity documents, the police must conduct additional investigations to establish your identity.
If you have protection in Ukraine, you must show documentation confirming that you have residency for protection there, in addition to identifying yourself.
If you have fled the war in Ukraine and applied for protection in Norway, the immigration authorities will process your application either as part of a group assessment (collective protection) or individually (ordinary protection).
You will be granted collective protection if you meet the conditions for such a permit. If you are not among those who can receive collective protection, UDI will make an individual assessment of your application.
It is the immigration authorities who decide whether your case should be assessed as part of the group assessment, or individually. You cannot choose for yourself.
Waiting times if you are entitled to collective protection
Most applications for collective protection are processed automatically, and not by a case process worker. Some cases must however be processed by a case process worker.
Applications that are processed automatically
If your application is processed automatically, you can expect to receive an answer shortly.
Applications processed by a case process worker
If your application needs to be processed by a case process worker, the waiting time will be longer.
The vast majority of applicants in this group receive an answer within 4 months. Many applicants will have an answer earlier. Some cases may take longer.
We do not always process the oldest cases first, so you may find that someone who applied after you receives an answer before you. Having to wait longer does not mean that there is anything wrong with your case.
How do you know if your case is processed automatically or by a case manager?
You will normally not find out whether your case will be processed automatically or by a person until you receive an answer to the application.
A case process worker must assess your case if
The fact that your case cannot be processed automatically does not mean that there is anything wrong with it.
Waiting times if you are not entitled to collective protection
If your application does not meet the criteria for collective protection, the waiting time will be significantly longer.
Unfortunately, we cannot say anything about how long it will take to process such cases. The reason is that UDI is working to establish a practice. We cannot provide more information about this now, even if you contact UDI.
How do you know that you do not meet the criteria for collective protection?
If you are not entitled to collective protection, you will either be informed of this when you register with the police, or you will receive a letter from UDI once we have looked into your case. In the letter you will find information on what to do next.
If you are not entitled to collective protection, UDI will initially consider your case as a regular application for protection.
Do you have documents that you have not handed in?
You can find information on how to hand in documents at udi.no/docasylum
The waiting times were updated in December 2022. The next update will be in March 2023.
You may request to have your application for protection assessed individually at any time. If you are eligible for collective protection, your application for ordinary protection will be withdrawn, as we have assessed your need for protection and granted you collective protection. You will receive information about how to apply for individual assessment of your application either when the collective protection scheme comes to an end or three years after you were granted collective protection. You will be given a deadline for notifying the immigration authorities that you wish to have your application processed individually. You will be notified well in advance of the deadline.