Waiting times for the interview and for receiving an answer to the application

Some receive an answer to their application within 4 weeks of applying. Many must wait longer.

Due to the corona pandemic, the UDI conducts the interviews on-screen (Teams). This applies both to you who live in an asylum reception center, and to you who live at a private address. Unfortunately, our capacity has been reduced due to practical limitations on how many on-screen interviews we can conduct at a time, and therefore there will be a longer waiting time.

Do you live in an asylum reception center and applied for protection in 2020?

You who applied for protection between 1 June and 31 December 2020 and live in an asylum reception center will be interviewed no later than 1 October 2021.

Do you live in an asylum reception center and applied for protection in 2021?

If you applied for protection in the first half of 2021 and live in a reception center, you will most likely be interviewed by 31 December 2021.

The UDI prioritizes interviewing those who live in asylum reception centers. This means that those who live in asylum reception centers can wait a shorter time than those who do not live in asylum reception centers.

Do you live at a private address?

For those of you who do not live in an asylum reception center, it is difficult to say exactly when you will be interviewed. Our goal is to interview everyone who does not live in an asylum reception center and who applied for protection in 2020, by January 2022.

We are unsure whether we will reach the goal because the corona situation and the infection control rules affect UDI’s opportunities to conduct interviews. The UDI prioritizes interviewing those who do not already have a residence permit. If you already have a residence permit in Norway, for example due to family immigration, you will have to wait longer for an interview than those who do not have a permit yet.

If you already have a residence permit, we recommend that you apply to renew it if it expires before you have been called in for an interview.

Have you been interviewed by the UDI and not received an answer?

Sometimes we must do extra research, and unfortunately we cannot say how long the wait will be. If you wait a long time for an answer after you have been to an interview, it is in most cases because we must do extra research. We will contact you if we need more information regarding your case.

Have you had your application rejected, and are waiting for the UDI to process the appeal?

The waiting time for an appeal to be processed by the UDI is normally one month. If the UDI forwards your appeal to the Utlendingsnemnda (UNE), you will find information about the waiting times here (external website).

Do you have documents that you have not handed in?

You can find information on how to forward documents here.

• Information on waiting times at Tigrinya (pdf, 131 kB)
• Information on waiting times in Turkish (pdf, 92 kB)
• Information on waiting times in Arabic (pdf, 264 kB)
• Information on waiting times in Persian (pdf, 167 kB)

This information was updated on 11 June 2021. The next update will be in early October 2021.

How long must you wait?

Before we can process your application for protection, we must interview you. If you have not attended an interview yet, you must therefore first wait for us to summon you for the interview. After you have attended the interview, you must wait for us to finish processing your application.

We understand that it can be very difficult to wat for so long for an answer, and we are working hard to process all the asylum applications.

We will notify your lawyer as soon as we have finished processing your case.

Why do some people receive an answer more quickly than others?  

When possible, we process the applications of those who have waited the longest first. However, we sometimes must make additional investigations before we can finish processing an application. Therefore, you might have to wait longer than someone from the same country as yourself, or others who live at the same asylum reception centre as you.

Can your case be moved to the front of the queue? (be given priority)

Many people want to have their case processed quickly. However, very special circumstances are required for your case to be moved to the front of the queue.

How long must you wait?

Most applications for renewal of a residence permit will be processed by the police. You can find information about their waiting times on the police website (external website).

The police cannot process all such applications, and must therefore send some applications to the UDI. For example, they must send the applications of everyone who has been given a limited residence permit to the UDI. If you have been given such a permit, this will be written in the title of the decision letter which you received.

If the police cannot process your application themselves, they will send it to the UDI. If the police send your application to the UDI, you will be notified by email or SMS. Most applications will be processed within 13 months after you handed in the application to the police, but some cases may also take longer.

Why must you wait for so long?

Before we can process the application, we assess whether there is any new information which is important to your case. Sometimes we must make new investigations, or ask other public authorities to examine your documents. These assessments and investigations can take a long time.

If you have a limited residence permit, we will assess whether we can now give you a residence permit which is not limited.

If you are a refugee from Somalia who was given a residence permit before 1 October 2014 or a refugee from Sri Lanka we must make a new assessment of your residence permit. Therefore, you should not book any tickets for travel abroad until you have received an answer to your application and got a new residence card and travel document.

Many of those whose applications have been sent to the UDI has been waiting a long time for an answer.  Even if you have waited a long time, this does not mean that we have forgotten your application. Unfortunately, we do not know when you will receive an answer to your application. We will notify you when we have finished processing your application.

How long you must wait does not have any effect on whether your residence permit will be renewed.  If you applied no later than one month before your residence permit expired, you will have the same rights as before relating to work, studies etc. while you are waiting for us to decide your application.

Can your case be moved to the front of the queue? (be given priority)

Many people want to have their case processed quickly. However, very special circumstances are required for your case to be moved to the front of the queue.

What to do if your residence card expires while you are waiting?

It is not possible for you to get a new residence card until you have been given a new residence permit. If you need a confirmation which shows that you have legal residence in Norway while you are waiting for an answer, you can order this from the UDI.

It is also not possible for you to get a new refugee travel document or immigrant’s passport until you have been given a new residence permit. 

In the cover letter that followed the decision letter from the UDI, there was a deadline for renewing your residence permit.

You will receive the answer to your application for renewal before your first permit expires if

• you apply before this deadline, and
• we have all the information we need to process your application

We will prioritise applications from those who have submitted their identity documents.

If we need to make extra investigations in your application, you may have to wait longer. Extra investigations can for example be to make additional checks of your documents or to have your identity confirmed. Sometimes we must also make other types of investigations. We will contact your lawyer or your representative if we need any more information from you.

We will notify your lawyer as soon as we have finished processing your application. 

Can your case be moved to the front of the queue? (be given priority)

Many people want to have their case processed quickly. However, very special circumstances are required for your case to be moved to the front of the queue.

How long must you wait?

We must decide whether you can be granted a residence permit as a refugee. If you are, you will also get a travel document for refugees. Such applications can take longer to process than for those who only apply for a travel document.

Most applications will be processed within 2 months, but some cases may also take longer.

The case may take longer to process if we are waiting for documentation. The case may also take longer to process if your family member with refugee status has a case in processing. This is because your family member must have a valid residence permit before we can consider if you can get a residence permit as a refugee. The case processing time depends on how many cases we have.

Can your case be moved to the front of the queue? (be given priority)

Many people want to have their case processed quickly. However, very special circumstances are required for your case to be moved to the front of the queue.

Is your family member from Somalia?

Is the family member you are applying to be united with a Somali citizen who was given refugee status in Norway before 1 October 2014 and do not have a permanent residence permit? In that case, we must first assess whether he or she still has a need for protection. We cannot process your application until after we have processed your family members' case. This means that it will take longer before you will receive an answer. 

Is your family member from Sri Lanka?

Is the family member you are applying to be united with a citizen of Sri Lanka who has refugee status and do not have a permanent residence permit? In that case, we must first assess whether he or she still has a need for protection. We cannot process your application until after we have processed your family members' case. This means that it will take longer before you will receive an answer. 

If you are in the Dublin procedure, we will need about four months to decide which country is responsible for considering your asylum application. Some cases may also take longer.