What happens during my stay at the National Arrival Centre?

When you arrive at the National Arrival Centre, you will be greeted by staff who will inform you about what you will be doing next.

You will sleep in a tent hall in the centre. There are a few rooms dedicated for use by people in particularly vulnerable situations. 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 also receive fruit and yoghurt in between the main meals
  • Food appropriate for babies/children
  • Bed linen and 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

How long will I stay at the National Arrival Centre?

Normally, you will stay at the National Arrival Centre for a short period of time. You will stay at the National Arrival Centre until you have completed several registration activities, which are part of the process of applying for protection.

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

The police will return your passport/documents if your application is assessed for collective protection. The police will hold on to your passport if your 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 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 email informing you of this.

You do not need to be at the National Arrival Centre all the time. You will not be locked up at the National Arrival Centre. You are free to leave when you want, but you must be back by 11:00 p.m.

We recommend that you stay at the Centre until you have completed all the necessary activities. If you leave the National Arrival Centre before 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.

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 authorities pay for your journey from the National Arrival Centre to the asylum reception centre where you will be staying. We only cover the cost of regular checked baggage. If your baggage is overweight and exceeds the free baggage allowance, you must cover the extra costs yourself.