Reference persons in Norway may apply for family immigration on behalf of family members residing in Afghanistan
This is a temporary scheme that follows the security situation in Afghanistan which is making it difficult to cross national borders now.
The scheme will only apply until the security situation in Afghanistan improves, or until it is possible to cross borders again and apply the ordinary way through personal attendance.
There are no changes in the rules for who can be granted family immigration.
How to apply in Norway on behalf of a family member in Afghanistan
- Fill in the application form online (external website, opens in new window) and pay the fee. When you fill in the application, you must choose your police district in Norway as the location where you will hand in the application. The rest of the application must be filled in with the information for the applicant in Afghanistan. You are not supposed to book an appointment with the police in Norway to hand in the application. The police will contact you.
- Wait until the police have registered the application and are contacting you to request documentation on the checklist.
- Upload all necessary documentation via UDI’s website.
The application is considered submitted only when you have uploaded the necessary documentation.
Even if you have applied from Norway, we will evaluate the application in the same way as before. This means that we may ask the family member in Afghanistan or the reference person in Norway to attend an interview or a DNA testing later in the process. The waiting time for these applications will be the same as listed on our website.
Afghan citizens who are staying outside Afghanistan must apply the ordinary way by handing in the documents in person at a VFS application centre in the country of residence.
Please note that entry and stay in Pakistan or Iran must be legal to ensure that you are granted exit permit by Pakistani/Iranian authorities. The Norwegian authorities cannot assist you in obtaining an exit permit from Pakistan or Iran even if you have been granted a residence permit in Norway.
If you have already sent an application for family immigration electronically to the embassy in Abu Dhabi, but the family member is not allowed to leave Afghanistan to submit the application, you can apply again from Norway. You must then contact the embassy in Abu Dhabi and request a refund of the application fee. Then you must fill out and pay for a new application.