Children in the care of child welfare services

A child in the care of the Child Welfare Services may apply for Norwegian citizenship.

Consent

Parents with parental responsibility must always give their consent to a citizenship application for a child under the age of 18. This applies even if:

• The child is in the care of the Child Welfare Services.
• The parents live abroad.

Foster parents, Child Welfare Services staff and guardians cannot give consent on behalf of the parents as long as the parents retain parental responsibility.

A guardian may only give consent if:

• The parents have been deprived of parental responsibility; or
• The parents are deceased.

Authorisation

Parents with parental responsibility may authorise a foster parent, guardian or Child Welfare Services employee to act on their behalf during the application process.

If authorisation has been granted:

• The authorised person will receive information about the application while it is being processed.
• The authorised person will receive the decision from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI).
• UDI will contact the authorised person if further information is required.

Please note that authorisation does not replace the requirement for parental consent. Parents with parental responsibility must still consent to the application.

Responsibility of the Child Welfare Services

The Child Welfare Services may:

• Assist with the application process.
• Help obtain the necessary consent and authorisation forms.
• Support the child throughout the application process.
• Accompany the child to appointments if required.

Application Process

1. The application is submitted to UDI.
2. The child must attend an appointment with the police in person for identity verification.
3. Required documents, consent forms and any authorisation documents must be provided.
4. The police forward the application to UDI.
5. UDI considers the application and makes a decision.

If an authorised representative has been appointed, the decision will normally be sent to that person. Children aged 15 or over will also receive a copy of the decision.

A child who is in the care of the Child Welfare Services, and who is not an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child, may in certain circumstances apply for a residence permit in Norway on humanitarian grounds.

Signing the Application

The child should sign the application if they are able to do so.

As a general rule, the parent or parents with parental responsibility must also sign the application.

If neither the child nor the parents are able to sign, the Child Welfare Services may sign on the child's behalf. In such cases, the Child Welfare Services must provide a written explanation of why the parents were unable to sign.

Responsibility of the Child Welfare Services

The Child Welfare Services are responsible for:

• Providing information about the child's current care arrangements.
• Supplying documentation showing that the child is under their care.
• Supporting the child through the application process.
• Explaining any exceptional circumstances where required documentation or signatures cannot be obtained.

Application Process

The application must be submitted together with supporting documentation, including:

• A passport and copies of all used pages (unless the child was born in Norway).
• A birth certificate.
• Documentation confirming that the child has been taken into care.
• Information from the Child Welfare Services regarding the child's current care situation.
• An explanation if any required documents cannot be provided.

The child and the parent or parents with parental responsibility will normally attend a police appointment to submit the application and supporting documents. If the parents are unable to attend, the Child Welfare Services may attend with the child instead.

A travel document may be issued to a child who needs proof of identity or is unable to obtain a passport from their country of nationality.

If it is not possible for a child to obtain a national passport, they may be eligible for a travel document issued by the Norwegian authorities.

Consent

Where the Child Welfare Services have taken over the child's care, they are responsible for giving consent to an application for a travel document.

In these cases, consent from the child's parents is not required.

Foster Parents and Authorisation

The Child Welfare Services must normally attend the police appointment with the child when the application is submitted.

However, they may authorise foster parents to submit the application on their behalf.

Where foster parents have been authorised:

• The Child Welfare Services must still consent to the application.
• The foster parents may attend the police appointment with the child and present the necessary identification documents.
• UDI may send information and the final decision to the foster parents.

Responsibility of the Child Welfare Services

The Child Welfare Services are responsible for:

• Deciding whether a travel document application should be submitted.
• Providing consent for the application.
• Supplying documentation that confirms the child is in their care.
• Providing any additional information required to support the application.

Application Process

The application is submitted to the police together with the required documentation.

Supporting documents may include:

• A copy of the care order or confirmation that the Child Welfare Services have taken over responsibility for the child.
• Updated confirmation of the care arrangement, where required.
• A completed consent form from the Child Welfare Services.
• Any authorisation documents for foster parents.
• Confirmation from the Child Welfare Services if a travel document is required for a specific journey with a foster family.

The child must normally attend the police appointment in person.

UDI will assess the application and decide whether a travel document can be issued.