Waiting time
What kind of case do you have at the UDI?
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Information about waiting time
In our waiting time guide, you will find regularly updated information about the waiting time for your type of application. This is the most accurate and up-to-date information we have about waiting times, and you will not receive other information about waiting times even if you contact us.
The information about waiting times in this article applies to all cases except applications for protection, which have a different way of informing about waiting times.
The waiting time you find on our website is calculated from when you have submitted the documents for the application to the police in Norway or at the application center/embassy abroad.
The period you have to wait from the time you registered the application until you show up and deliver the documents is not included in the UDI waiting time. How long you have to wait to get an appointment varies, and due to the corona situation, there can be a long wait in some places.
Waiting times at the police or the application center/embassy
The UDI cannot answer questions about waiting time and appointments with the police or application center/embassy.
- I will deliver documents to the police
- Information about where to show up based on what you are applying for (external website)
- To find information from the police where you live, you must enter your municipality at the bottom of this page (external website) and then select the relevant police station in the list that appears.
- I will deliver my documents abroad
Can the waiting time for my application change?
Yes, it can. The waiting time we state will tell you what the waiting time is for the applications we process now. If it says that the waiting time is six months, then the cases we make decisions in now are approximately six months old. We update the waiting times every month.
We may have to change the waiting times. For example, this may be because we have received more applications than expected or that we must change the priority of the cases. When we change the waiting times, the new waiting time applies to new applications and the applications that have already been submitted and are in line.
So if, for example, you applied three months ago and the waiting time changes from six to seven months, then the new waiting time of seven months also applies to your case. We therefore recommend that you check on our website whether the waiting time has been adjusted for your case type before contacting us.
Can the waiting time be longer than what the UDI states?
Yes, we have to do research in some cases, and then processing the application will take longer. For example, we may have to send the case to the police or to an embassy to conduct an interview, perform a DNA test, check if a document is valid or if the information we have received from you as an applicant or from other places is correct.
The length of time that the police or embassy spends conducting interviews, recording DNA or conducting other investigations varies from place to place. You can find information about waiting times at the police on their website (external website) and about waiting times at the embassy on the embassy's website (external website). The UDI cannot answer how long you have to wait for investigations at the police or the embassy.
In some cases, we must first decide on your family member's application before deciding in your case. If there are things in your family member's case that make the case take a long time, it may mean that your case also takes longer.
If your case has taken longer than what is stated as the waiting time for your case type and you have not been notified of this, you can contact us.
- I will deliver documents to the police
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Family immigration
Please go to our guide to waiting time in family immigration cases.
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Visitor's visa (visit and holiday)
If you have not heard anything about your case, it has not been processed yet. We have many cases to process now, unfortunately affecting our waiting times. This also leads to more people calling UDIs information service desk.
The waiting period applies from the day the case is registered with the embassy. In some places, it can take up to two weeks from the time the case is sent from the VFS application centre to the embassy receiving it. If an embassy in another country processes your application, it will take a few extra days because the courier must send your application to and from the embassy. You can find information on the embassy's website about how long this takes.
How long do you usually have to wait for an answer?
If your application is processed by the embassy in the country you live in,
you will normally receive an answer within 15 days after handing in your application at the Visa Application Centre, the consulate or the embassy.If your application is processed by an embassy in another country, this will take a few more days, since your application will be sent by courier to and from the embassy. You’ll find information on the embassy’s web pages on how long this will take.
Which applications will it take longer before receives a reply?
Most cases are processed by the embassy, but if the embassy is in doubt about whether you can be granted a visa, they will forward your case to the UDI. In such cases, applicants will receive an answer within 45 days after the application is registered at the embassy.
Note that it will take a couple of days from when the case is delivered to the application center, consulate or embassy until it is registered at the embassy. The waiting time applies from the day the application is registered with the embassy.
Appeals concerning rejections
You will normally receive an answer to your appeal within 12 months of submitting your application for a visitor's visa to the Visa Application Centre, embassy or consulate.
In connection with the corona situation and the opening of the borders, UDI has been given several tasks that must be prioritised. The waiting time may therefore change and get longer while your appeal is being processed. Here you can read what can make the waiting time change and how you can stay up to date.
This information was last updated on
21 March 2023
. It will be updated again on
22 April
.
What can you do to contribute to receiving an answer as quickly as possible?
- Make sure that your application is completed correctly and in full.
- Make sure that you enclose all the necessary documents, please see our checklist.
- Make sure that your, and your sponsor’s, contact information is up-to-date.
- It is also a good idea to make sure that the person who has invited you to Norway has power of attorney from you, so that we can give important information to him or her.
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Studies
Go to our guide to waiting time for study permits.
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Au pair
Go to our guide to waiting time for au pair permits.
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Citizenship
Please go to our guide to waiting time for citizenship applications.
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Explusion and lifting of prohibition of entry
Expulsion decision
Most people will receive a decision within 10 months of the police or the UDI opening an expulsion case and sending an advance notice.
Applications for revocation of a prohibition on entry
EU/EEA nationals:
Most people will receive an answer within 6 months of the UDI receiving the application.Nationals of countries outside the EU/EEA area
Most people will receive an answer within 8 months of the UDI receiving the application.If you have also applied for a residence permit, you have to add the time it takes until you receive an answer to your application for lifting of prohibition of entry to the total time you have to wait for an answer to your application for a residence permit.
Nationals of countries outside the EU/EEA area who, after they have received a prohibition on entry to Norway, are now covered by the EEA regulations
If you have handed in all the necessary documents, and the UDI believes it is obvious that your prohibition on entry should be lifted, we will process your application within 15 days.
If the UDI has asked you to send in more documents or other information, or we need to make further investigations, you will have to wait longer for a reply. When we have received the documents from you, we will continue to process your case.
Appeals concerning expulsions
Within 3 months of the UDI og police receiving your appeal, we will either reverse the decision or send your case to the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) for consideration of the appeal.
This information was last updated on
21 March 2023
. It will be updated again on
22 April
.
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Other types of cases
Residence permit for victims of abuse
If you have applied for an independent residence permit because you have been abused by your spouse or cohabitant, you will normally receive an answer to your application within 16 months.
Residence permit for medical treatment
If you have applied for a residence permit for medical treatment for citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA area, you will normally receive an answer to your application within 12 months.
If you are going to be interviewed by the embassy or the police, it may take longer before you receive an answer to your application. You will be notified if you are going to be interviewed.
Residence permit for those who had a Norwegian mother or father when they were born
If you have applied for a residence permit for those who had a Norwegian mother or father when they were born, you will normally receive an answer to your application within 12 months.
Residence permit because of strong humanitarian considerations or because you have a special connection with Norway
If you have applied for a residence permit because of strong humanitarian considerations or because you have a special connection with Norway (humanitarian grounds), you will normally receive an answer to your application within 12 months.
Application to have your legal expenses or other necessary expenses related to an appeal covered
You will normally receive an answer to your application within 6 months.
This information was last updated on
21 March 2023
. It will be updated again on
22 April
.
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Waiting time with the police in other EU / EEA cases
If you are going to register with the police as an EU/EEA national, there is usually some waiting time to get an appointment. You have to check the waiting time in your local police district (external website, opens in new window).
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Brexit
Many persons have applied for a residence permit in accordance with the Brexit regulations. You must therefore expect to wait for an answer for quite some time. Most applicants will receive an answer by the end of August 2023.
The deadline for applying for a Brexit permit is 31 December 2021. If you have applied you do not have to leave Norway after 31 December 2021, but you can continue to live and work here until you have received an answer to your application.
