The information on this page was collected from public resources and does not constitute legal advice.

General information on border crossing?

If your purpose for travelling to Norway is to apply for protection, you can apply for protection when you reach the Norwegian border.

If you do not have a passport, biometric passport, visa or other ID documents, you can still apply for protection in Norway if you are already in Norway or have reached the Norwegian border. Without a biometric passport, you can only enter Norway by land or sea. Air travel will not be possible.

Norwegian authorities no longer consider Ukraine a safe country. Due to the situation in Ukraine, Norway may grant people fleeing the war in Ukraine temporary collective protection.

If you are not planning to apply for protection in Norway, the usual entry rules apply to you.

Chatbot to help Ukrainians around the world from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

The chatbot can simultaneously serve several users and provide advice on the most common questions, namely:

  • rules of entry to a foreign country;
  • registration of temporary protection;
  • social security;
  • return to Ukraine;
  • consular services.

You can get help through the chatbot at the link mceclip0.png.

In addition to the chatbot, citizens can also contact the call center at +38 (044) 224-57-20.

What documents do I need to enter?

You can enter Norway with any of the following documents:

  • A biometric passport.
  • Ukrainian ID. According to the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service (DPSU), the citizens of Ukraine who can leave Ukraine with an internal passport are currently only those evacuating from occupied territories or territories where hostilities are taking place, the list of which is approved in accordance with the Order of the Ministry on Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine of December 22, 2022 No. 309 mceclip0.png. Citizens from other territories must have a biometric passport to travel abroad.
  • Children under the age of 16 traveling with their parents must have a birth certificate. Children have the right to cross the border with one parent (without the official permission of the other parent). If the child is traveling with acquaintances or relatives, she/he needs to have a travel permit from one of the parents, certified by a notary.

In order to prove family/marital status, birth certificates and a marriage certificate are required.

The telephone number of the DPSU hotline ("Trust" Service) is 1598. You can use it for questions of a consultative nature within the competence of the State Border Service of Ukraine.

For more information about the documents with which you can cross the border, and about the categories of citizens who are allowed to travel outside Ukraine, see here mceclip0.png.

What happens after a border crossing?

In Norway the process for temporary settlement will be as followed:

  • Arriving in Norway
  • Registration
  • You can stay in a reception centre or with family or friends
  • After a few weeks you will get temporary shelter

People who have fled Ukraine may be granted temporary collective protection for one year. Your protection permit may be extended.

Collective protection means that UDI does not assess the need for protection individually but gives Ukrainians fleeing the war in Ukraine and their family members collective protection. This ensures that Ukrainians fleeing the war will get the help they need faster.

You can apply for protection in Norway at the refugee center in RaฬŠde or at police stations. In most cities, before visiting the police station, you need to call in advance and arrange a check-in time mceclip0.png.

At the immigration office, they will take your fingerprints and help you fill out the form (the whole process will take 3-4 hours). The application review period may take several weeks.

How can I get from the border to the capital (a certain town)?

You can get to your desired city by train or bus. Previously, there was a free train ride, but now it has already been canceled.

If yiu have a drivers licence, you can also drive mceclip0.png as your licence will be recognized.

How can I travel to another (specific) country?

Ukrainians planning to travel to Norway are entitled to free travel. However, the service is only available on VY mceclip0.png trains and express buses. The rule applies only to arrival in Norway - there is no free passage further across the country.

Public transport in Norway is very modern and comfortable. Represented by buses, trams and metro. A monthly pass costs โ‚ฌ75-80 (750-800 crowns), a one-time ticket costs โ‚ฌ4.5 (44 crowns). To save money, you can buy a bicycle, Norway has all the necessary infrastructure for moving around the city by bicycle.

How long can I stay?

Displaced people from Ukraine who apply for protection in Norway will receive temporary collective protection for one year. The protection permit may be extended for up to three years. Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) has decided that Ukrainian citizens who are in Norway on permits or visa-free visits that expire can continue to be here if they apply for collective protection. This is a temporary scheme due to the situation in Ukraine. The scheme will be terminated if the situation changes in a positive direction and the general need for protection disappears.

The EU migration calculator mceclip0.png helps to calculate the number of days of stay in EU countries for those who do not apply for temporary protection.

Where can an unaccompanied minor get help?

If you are under 18 and come to Norway without parents and apply for protection (asylum), you are called unaccompanied minor asylum seekers. Anyone who registers as a sole minor will receive a representative.

You can contact the local police where you are. The police will tell you if you can register there or if you have to register at a police station somewhere else.

Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) will offer you a place in a separate reception centre for unaccompanied minors. If you are under 15, you will be provided with the right to live in a care centre mceclip0.png.

Are there any Covid-related requirements and if yes, what are they?

There are no longer special requirements for entry into Norway in connection with the COVID-19 situation.

Where do I register for temporary protection?

The EU Temporary Protection Directive does not apply in Norway. However, temporary collective protection for one year can be offered to people displaced from Ukraine. Collective protection means that UDI does not assess the need for protection individually but gives Ukrainians fleeing the war in Ukraine and their family members collective protection. This ensures that Ukrainians fleeing the war will get the help they need faster.

To get temporary collective protection, it is necessary to submit an application. There are three ways to register your application for protection:

  • inform the border police that you want to apply for protection
  • show up at the National Arrivals Centre located at Mosseveien 58, 1640 Rรฅde
  • contact the police where you are to schedulde an appointment for registration.

For you to be granted collective protection, the Norwegian authorities must know who you are. To prove your identity, you can provide, for example, one of the following documents:

  • Your passport (both biometric and non-biometric passport)
  • National ID card from Ukraine
  • Other documents, such as a birth certificate or expired passport.

If you do not have any identity documents, the police must conduct additional investigations to establish your identity.

If you have protection in Ukraine, you must show documentation confirming that you have residency for protection there, in addition to identifying yourself.

At the immigration office, they will take your fingerprints and help you fill out the form (the whole process will take 3-4 hours). The application review period may take several weeks.

Temporary protection is limited in time: it is granted for one year and can be extended up to three years. It entitles you to health care, employment, education, social support and Norwegian language courses.

You can find out more about the temporary collective protection here mceclip0.png or here mceclip0.png.

NOAS responds to questions regarding procedure changes at the email address: info.ukraina@noas.org.

If you believe that there are grounds for additional assessment of the case after the decision on granting protection, you can submit documents and a power of attorney (fullmakt) to the address: post@noas.org.

You can ask questions about obtaining protection by phone: 22 36 56 60 (we speak Ukrainian).

Answers to questions that are not related to the change in the application review procedure can be obtained at the address: ukraina@noas.org or in the Facebook chat mceclip0.png (we answer in Ukrainian).

Information on the NOAS website in Ukrainian mceclip0.png.

How to extend the status of temporary protection?

The Norwegian Government is extending its temporary collective protection scheme for displaced people from Ukraine. Those who have already been granted a residence permit under the scheme will have it automatically extended for one year and they will not need to apply for an extension. Source mceclip0.png.

What are my rights while I wait to get temporary protection?

Upon arrival, you will need to go to the closest police station or border control office or contact the police via email sou.sorvest@police.no. You will be provided accommodation in a reception centre and any necessary first aid assistance.

When you have received collective protection, you will have access to the following for a year (up to 3 years):

  • The permit for collective protection is limited and is granted for one year at a time, for up to three years.
  • You are entitled to healthcare through public health services.
  • You have the right to work in Norway.
  • Your children have the right to attend school and kindergarten.
  • If you are between 18 and 55, you have the right and obligation to follow an introduction program, including training in Norwegian and social studies. If you are over the age of 55, you may still have the right to participate in an introduction program. The municipality in which you reside may answer questions about this.
  • Your family members who are not covered by the scheme for collective protection may apply for family immigration to Norway according to the usual rules.
  • For the first three years, collective protection does not form the basis for permanent residence. However, you may obtain a temporary residence permit that forms the basis for permanent residency after those three years.
  • You are obliged to tell the truth. If your application contains false information, your protection status may be revoked.
  • You have the right to travel in and out of Norway, as long as you are equipped with all necessary travel documents. You may also travel to and from Ukraine.

If you have a valid residence permit in another safe country, where it is possible to return, we will not accept your application for a residence permit from Norway now.

You can find out more about the temporary collective protection here mceclip0.png or here mceclip0.png.

What documents will I receive once I get temporary protection?

If your application for collective protection is granted, you will receive a decision letter in the mail with information about the residence permit you have received. You will also receive a letter in Ukrainian explaining your rights and obligations. In the letter, there will be a QR code that links to a film in your language explaining your rights and obligations.

If you do not live in an asylum reception centre or emergency accommodation, you must give your address toโ€ฏthe police where you live.

Your name must be on the mailbox for you to receive the letters we send you. It is very important that you update the authorities if you change your home address.

May I temporarily return to Ukraine? What will happen to my protection status?

Having collective protection in Norway, you can leave, in particular, to Ukraine. Please note that you must stay in Norway for at least half of the time you have a residence permit. If you are granted a permit for one year, you must stay in Norway for at least six months. If you stay outside Norway longer, you will lose your residence permit. When traveling abroad, you must have a valid passport and a valid Norwegian residence permit.

If you are a participant in an integration program or receive financial support from NAV or other government agencies, you must contact the municipality or NAV and inform them that you intend to leave Norway. They can tell you about the implications for your financial aid and the steps you need to take. If you decide to permanently return to Ukraine, you can apply for repatriation assistance from the Norwegian Immigration Office UDI. Source mceclip0.png.

Norway provides a grant for arranging life in Ukraine (the cost of travel is not included) - 15,000 Norwegian kroner. Link to the application mceclip0.png.

What should be done before coming to Ukraine?

Relinquish temporary protection status:

Regardless of the country of residence, temporary protection must be waived. Your status will be revoked by the state body or institution where you issued the documents. However, citizens of Ukraine can re-obtain this status if they decide to return abroad.

Make sure your documents are valid:

Citizens who left Ukraine with a valid foreign passport will not face any difficulties. The expired document can be extended in diplomatic institutions for another five years - this decision was made by the Cabinet of Ministers, because it is not possible to issue biometrics abroad. You can also add a child's data to an adult's passport.

Ukrainians who have only an internal passport or who left Ukraine without documents should also contact the embassy or consulate. Employees of the institution will issue a special document - an identity card for returning to Ukraine (it is not necessary to pay the consular fee during martial law).

Cancel receiving cash assistance abroad:

When returning home, refugees cannot receive state benefits. If you do not notify the relevant institution about your departure from the country, it will be considered an offence. In such a case, a Ukrainian may be fined or even banned from entering the country.

By the way, it is not necessary to declare cash payments received abroad in Ukraine.

Can I move around the country and the European Union freely while under temporary protection?

Yes. If you have a passport or other travel documents, you may travel out of Norway while under collective protection. You may even travel to and from Ukraine. It is important that you are able to identify yourself once back at the Norwegian border. Also note that you must reside in Norway for at least half the time you have a permit.

Please note that itโ€™s important that the UDI and the police know where you live while your application is being processed. If you move, you must tell the police. If you donโ€™t tell the police, you may lose your possibility to get protection in Norway.

You may apply for assisted return to your home country, or another country where you have a residence permit, at any time.

Can I apply for asylum while under temporary protection? What is the difference?

You do not need to apply for individual protection (asylum) to benefit from collective protection.

Temporary collective protection

Collective protection means that UDI does not assess the need for protection individually but gives Ukrainians fleeing the war in Ukraine and their family members collective protection. This ensures that Ukrainians fleeing the war will get the help they need faster.

The permit is limited and is granted for one year at a time, for up to three years. The permit does not form the basis for a permanent residence permit during these three years. After three years, it is possible to obtain a new temporary permit forming the basis for a permanent residence permit. UDI must make an individual assessment of who this applies to.

Ukrainians who receive collective protection do not receive refugee status and refugee travel documents.

Individual protection (asylum)

Usually, all applications for protection (asylum) are processed individually. This means, among other things, that everyone must have an asylum interview for UDI to process their application for protection. If the application is granted, the permit will usually form the basis for a permanent residence permit.

It is also common to obtain refugee status and travel documents with individual protection.

How and where can I apply for the residency?

UDI has an application scheme for Ukrainians who want to live in a temporary alternative to an asylum reception centre or emergency accommodation. You can apply if you:

  • are a Ukrainian national who can receive, or has received temporary collective protection;
  • their families and persons who have protection (asylum) in Ukraine, and have already been registered by the immigration authorities in Norway, and have found a place to live, and have not been settled as a resident yet.
How long I need to wait to get the residency?

If you have applied for private housing (alternative to reception centre), you will receive an answer when your application has been processed. Unfortunately, UDI cannot predict the waiting time until you receive a response.

What if I don't have the international passport?

If you do not have a passport, biometric passport, visa or other ID documents, you can still apply for protection in Norway if you are already in Norway or have reached the Norwegian border.

If you do not have any identity documents, the police will conduct additional investigations to establish your identity at the registration point.

Without a biometric passport, you can only enter Norway by land or sea. Air travel will not be possible.

How to issue a foreign passport while abroad?

In order to issue a foreign passport, you need to contact the Ukrainian Embassy mceclip0.png.

A foreign passport is issued to a person who has reached the age of 16 on the basis of an application-questionnaire submitted by him personally. At the same time, the issuance of a foreign passport to a person who has been recognized by the court as having limited legal capacity or incapacity is carried out on the basis of an application-questionnaire of the guardian or other legal representative.

The following are attached to the application:

  • previous passport to be exchanged (if the passport is not issued for the first time);
  • internal passport in the form of a booklet (if available);
  • or ID card (if available);
  • a document confirming permanent residence or temporary stay abroad (if available);
  • certificate of registration of the place of residence in Ukraine / certificate of registration of the place of residence of a temporarily displaced person (if available);
  • a certificate of assignment of the registration number of the taxpayer's registration card (RNOKPP; if available).

In case of loss or theft of the previous passport, a document (report, certificate, etc.) issued by the competent authority of the state in which the passport was lost or stolen is attached to the application, confirming the fact of the owner's application regarding its loss or theft. Such a document is submitted without legalization and translation into Ukrainian.

In the case of issuing a passport in connection with a change in personal data (surname and/or first name), a document confirming such a change (marriage certificate, divorce certificate, court decision, etc.) is attached to the application. When issuing a foreign passport with a new surname and/or first name, the "domestic" passport (ID card) must be reissued.

In the event that the applicant has not previously been issued with an identity document, confirming Ukrainian citizenship and/or granting the right to leave Ukraine and enter Ukraine, a certificate of registration of the person as a citizen of Ukraine is provided (with the exception of cases when the person's parents at the time of his were citizens of Ukraine at birth).

How can a Ukrainian refugee register a newborn in this country?

You can register the birth of a child only at the consulate. There, the determination of his origin and the assignment of his surname, first name, and patronymic are carried out.

The application for registration must be submitted immediately, but no later than one month after the birth of the child, and in the case of a stillborn child - no later than three days.

The registration process takes place at the place of birth or at the place of residence of the child's parents or one of them (with a written application). At the same time, in case of illness, death of the parents or for other reasons it is impossible to register the birth - the application can be submitted by relatives or other persons authorized by the representative of the health care institution in which the child was born or is currently.

What is required for registration?

  • a document from a medical institution about the birth of a child, passports certifying the identity of the parents;
  • application (written or addressed orally) to enter information about the father.

Registration is free, and based on its results, parents are issued a birth certificate.

How to return to the homeland with a child born in the Norway?

In order for Ukrainians to return home with a child born in the Norway, they must have with them:

  • a document certifying his identity;
  • a child's birth certificate issued by a consular institution.

Is the status of a citizen of Ukraine preserved during the birth of a child in the Norway?

A newborn Ukrainian in the Norway retains the status of a citizen of Ukraine. Data on citizenship and nationality in the act record of birth and certificate are not filled in, which is why a corresponding entry is made in the column "For marks".

In addition, a person whose parents or one of his parents were citizens of Ukraine at the time of his birth is a citizen of Ukraine. The place of birth of the baby does not affect the possibility of him acquiring Ukrainian citizenship.

Where to apply in case of death of a Ukrainian abroad? How to repatriate the deceased to their homeland?

There are several steps involved in the process of body repatriation from abroad to Ukraine:

1. Notify the authorities.

The first step of body repatriation from abroad to Ukraine is to contact the local authorities in Norway, so you can register the death. Ukrainian embassy mceclip0.png should also be able to help you in the process of registering the death abroad.

2. Arrange the correct documents.

Youโ€™ll need to have all the right paperwork before you can repatriate your loved one home from abroad to Ukraine. If you are repatriating a body to Ukraine for burial or cremation, the documents you will need include:

  • Death Certificate.
  • Certificate or Affidavit from the local health authorities stating that the cause of death of the individual to be shipped to Ukraine was not a communicable disease or infections.
  • A Document about the absence of any excessive objects inside the casket or urn with the ashes.
  • The Certificate of Cremation issued be the Funeral home or Cremation office.

All the mentioned documents should be authenticated, legalized and translated into Ukrainian by the certified translator. The originals of abovementioned documents and notarized translations, must accompany the casket containing the deceased, or urn with ashes, to Ukraine.

The passport of the deceased person should be sent to the Embassy of Ukraine along with a notarized and authenticated copy of the Certificate of Death, and a translation from Norwegian to Ukrainian. The Embassy is to make correspondent procedures with the passport and can forward it back if it is required to accompany the casket containing the deceased, or urn with ashes, to Ukraine.

The Embassy is to be informed of the date, time, and the place of delivery of the casket containing the deceased, or urn with ashes, to Ukraine. Only the next of kin relatives of the deceased, or persons correspondingly authorized by them, can receive the casket or urn.

3. Transport the deceased to Ukraine.

The casket containing the body, or urn with ashes, must be sealed by the Funeral Home. There are no strict requirements with respect to the urn with ashes; however, the body should be transported in a metal casket, made of zinc-plated steel or tinplate not more than 0,4 thick.

For the air cargo transportation, it is necessary to specify a cemetery in Ukraine as well as Ukrainian Funeral Home which will take care of the casket, or the urn with ashes, in Ukraine. Both are a subject of private choice by the relatives or friends of the deceased person. Source mceclip0.png.

Where can I take a photo for my documents?

Photos can be taken at a photo boothof a service officeof the police or you gan go to a photographer.

Where can I translate my documents?

You can translate your documents at any translation agency in your city. Search for ยซoversettelse av dokumenterยป on Google.

How do I get Mobile phone/internet services?

Telenor provides free calls to Ukraine and free roaming in Ukraine to customers of all its Nordic operations (Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland). More informtion mceclip0.png.

Telia provides free calls and SMS to and from Ukraine and free roaming in Ukraine for Telia customers. More information mceclip0.png.

Sub-brand Mycall provides free SIM cards to Ukrainian refugeeswith free calls to Ukraine and 100 GB of data. More information mceclip0.png.

Do you have a legal question that you canโ€™t find an answer for in our FAQs?

Please write to us so we can provide you with legal support. Our pro-bono legal partners will try to respond to your legal request to the best of their ability and knowledge. Please note that due to a high volume of requests, you will receive an answer in a few days after submitting the request at the earliest. Thank you for your patience.