Evacuation from Kabul has been terminated (external website). Norwegian authorities can no longer assist with departure from Kabul. We know that it may be challenging to leave Afghanistan now. Unfortunately, UDI cannot answer questions regarding leaving Afghanistan or the situation in Kabul.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises all Norwegian citizens against travelling to Afghanistan. When the Norwegian embassy in Kabul is closed, Norwegian authorities will not be able to provide consular assistance to Norwegian citizens who experience challenges when travelling to Afghanistan.

UDI has previously decided that the reference person in Norway can submit an application on behalf of close relatives in Afghanistan. However, more examinations are often needed, such as DNA testing and interviews.

Applications may take time because

• the applicant who will be interviewed still has to meet at a VFS Application Centre in Pakistan. If the case investigations include a DNA test, the applicant has to meet in person at the embassy in Islamabad to conduct the DNA test. 
• the reference person must conduct an interview with the police in Norway. 
• applicants who have received a residence permit in Norway must meet at a VFS Application Centre in Pakistan to obtain an entry visa to Norway. 

Due to this, the waiting time will be as long as the waiting time for applicants from other countries, where similar examinations must be done. Here you will find more information regarding the estimated waiting time for applications submitted last year.

Although UDI monitors the situation in Afghanistan, no general priority has been given because the applicant is in Afghanistan. Applicants who want priority must request this, and an individual assessment will be made. 

If you have further questions regarding the prioritization of your application, you can use our guide to check if your case can be moved to the front of the queue. 

Due to the current security situation in Afghanistan and difficulties crossing national borders, it will temporarily be possible for a family member in Norway (the reference person) to apply for family immigration on behalf of a family member who is in Afghanistan.

You can read how to apply here. 

It is a requirement that the person in Norway has been granted a residence permit in Norway. There are also income requirements in family immigration cases. There are exemptions to this income requirement if the reference person has recently received protection (asylum) and the application has been registered within 6 months after the date stated in the first decision letter the reference person received.

Several requirements apply to obtain family immigration. Amongst other things, the marriage must be valid and entered into voluntarily. You will find an overview of additional requirements by answering our web page's questions, «Want to apply for family immigration».

There are no changes in which family members can obtain a family immigration permit from Afghanistan. 

Those who usually apply for family immigration are spouses or children of a person who already lives in Norway. Other examples are parents who have minor children in Norway or minor full siblings of persons residing in Norway.

Adult siblings, aunts/uncles, grandparents, nephews/nieces, cousins, or other distant relatives cannot get family immigration to Norway.

There are neither no changes in the requirements to obtain a family immigration permit. For information regarding the requirements for your case type, please follow this link and answer the questions to find the relevant information. 

If you have been granted a residence permit and cannot travel to Norway within the entry deadline, you may request to have the deadline extended. UDI will usually extend the entry deadline as long as the conditions for the permit are still valid. You may, for example, have the deadline extended if the reason why you cannot travel to Norway within the entry deadline is problems with travelling out of Afghanistan or receiving an exit permit from Pakistan. We ask that you do not contact us until you know that you are able to travel. When you are ready to travel, you can contact us by selecting the correct type of case here.

There is no change in the application process for a residence permit in Norway, and the rules for family immigration are the same. However, there is a change in how you can apply for family immigration.

To apply for protection in Norway, you must be in Norway or at the Norwegian border to apply. It is not possible to apply for asylum in Norway from a different country. Afghans who may get residence through the quota refugee scheme must have a direct or indirect connection to Norway. There is no quota for receiving refugees from Afghanistan except those who have a connection to Norway. If you are outside Afghanistan, please get in touch with UNHCR where you are staying (external website). It is the UNHCR that decides whether you can be considered a refugee.

An application scheme has been established for former local employees in the Armed Forces and at the embassy. The application scheme will be available until 1 September 2022. You can find information about the instructions at regjeringen.no (external website).

You will find information on the application process and how to apply on the websites of the Embassy of Pakistan (external website) and Afghanistan. (external website)

If you are in Afghanistan and you previously have received a final rejection on an application for protection or another residence permit, the case in which you have received a decision will not be reconsidered.

Please be aware that the Norwegian authorities have stopped the evacuation in Kabul.

We know that many experience challenges in leaving Afghanistan now. Unfortunately, UDI cannot help people to get out of Afghanistan. 

Information about the waiting time for asylum seekers from Afghanistan

The waiting time to get an interview and an answer to the application

Some applicants receive an answer to the application within 21 days of applying. Many must wait longer.

We conduct most interviews in person. We conduct some interviews online (Teams).

The waiting time for the interview

We will interview most people who applied before December 2021 by the end of January 2022. You will be notified of the date and time of the interview in due course.

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

We will process some applications shortly after the interview, while other applications must wait to be processed.

If we are waiting to process your application, you will receive a letter from us. We must put some applications on hold because the situation in Afghanistan is too unclear for us to assess the need for protection. It is unclear exactly what is happening in Afghanistan so soon after the Taliban took power. There are conflicting messages, and it is difficult for us to know which information is correct or not.

Do you have documents that you have not handed in?

You can find information on how to hand in documents here (external website)

Here you can find information in Dari / دری about the waiting time (pdf, 132 kB)

Here you can find information in Pashto about the waiting time (pdf, 127 kB)

Some of those evacuated to Norway will have their case processed as resettlement refugees (quota refugees).

Afghan citizens who were evacuated and allowed to enter Norway as a family member of a Norwegian citizen will have their case processed as an application for protection (asylum). If this applies to you, it means that you should not apply for family immigration. The same applies to other evacuees who will not be processed as transfer refugees.

The application for protection (asylum) starts with a conversation with the police and others affiliated with the Norwegian authorities. We need your explanation to start an application for protection (asylum) and further process your application. If you have registered your application but have not yet spoken to the police, you can contact the National Police Immigration Service (NPIS) at phone number 22 34 24 00.

Please note that without your explanation, the Norwegian authorities cannot process your case. If your case is not processed, your rights in Norway will be limited.

We recommend you stay where you are until the Norwegian authorities have spoken to you. You must inform the police about your address so that the Norwegian authorities can contact you. This is also important for your case to be processed.

Have you already applied for family immigration?
The UDI processes the application for protection first. If you have already applied for family immigration, the UDI will wait to process this application. We process the application for protection (asylum) first.

Before you leave the reception centre, the police and other Norwegian authorities must talk with you. Without your explanation, the Norwegian authorities cannot process your case. If your case is not processed, you will have limited rights in Norway.

We recommend that you stay at the reception centre until the Norwegian authorities have spoken to you. You will be told where and when to attend the interview.

If you have questions about the housing situation for evacuated persons in Norway, please talk to an employee where you live, or contact our Regional Office.

I have an expired Afghan passport. What do I do?

If you have a machine-readable passport

UDI is aware that it may be difficult for Afghans to have their passports renewed. If you have a machine-readable passport, you can get an extension label in your passport instead. This will be considered a valid travel document by the Norwegian authorities.

To our knowledge, you can get an extension label by travelling to one of these foreign service missions:

• the Afghan Consulate General in Munich, Germany;
• the Afghan Embassy in the Netherlands;
• the Afghan Embassy in Spain;
• the Afghan Embassy in Bulgaria;
• the Afghan Embassy in the Czech Republic.

If your passport has expired, you can apply for an immigrant's passport for a single journey so that you can travel to have your Afghan passport extended. You can read more about this here: Immigrant's passport for a single journey - UDI.

If you do not have a machine-readable passport

If you do not have your Afghan passport, or it is not machine-readable, you may be granted an immigrant's passport if you meet all the requirements. You can read more about this here: How to apply for an immigrant’s passport.