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 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

UDI cannot answer questions about waiting time and appointments with the police or application center/embassy.

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 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). 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 you have received a letter stating that your permit may be revoked, this may mean that you have to wait longer than usual to receive a response to other applications you have with UDI. You can read about what it means to have a permit revoked here.

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.