UDI is closely monitoring the political and security situation in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime. The situation remains unclear. UDI has therefore decided to put applications for protection (asylum) from Syria on hold until further notice. The decision takes effect from 9 December. This means that UDI will not process – neither reject nor grant – applications for protection from Syrian citizens or stateless people from Syria who have applied for protection in Norway. Applicants from Syria who have not been called for an interview will also not be called as long as the asylum case processing is on hold. Scheduled interviews will be conducted.

This also applies to the processing of applications from unaccompanied minor asylum seekers. UDI is working to clarify whether we can resume processing these cases, and will return with information as soon as we know more about this.

All applicants from Syria who have applied for protection will receive a response to their application. We will return with more information when we start processing applications again.

We are still processing applications for renewal.

Only applications for protection and applications for a temporary work permit are being put on hold until further notice – not other types of residence permits, such as applications for family immigration, applications for permanent residency, applications for citizenship and so on. The situation in Syria is unclear, and UDI needs to make good, quality-assured assessments for all case types. Here we will return with clarifications as they are made.

This also means that there will be longer waiting times in asylum reception centres for asylum seekers from Syria. At this time, we cannot say how long it will take. People with a background from Syria who have applied for protection in Norway are still entitled to a place in an asylum reception centre. As long as the asylum applications are on hold, benefits and other rights and obligations for this group will remain unchanged.

UDI is monitoring the situation closely and will return with more information when we have it.

Applications for citizenship in Norway

The processing of citizenship applications and the waiting time is not affected by the suspension of protection applications from Syrian citizens and stateless persons from Syria.

Following the situation in Syria, only applications for protection and applications for temporary work permits have been put on hold until further notice.

Other residence permits – such as family immigration, applications for permanent residency, citizenship and so on – are processed as usual.

We are still processing renewal applications.

Yes, UDI has been asked to prioritise already submitted applications for residence permits from people who are in Palestine or Israel. 

UDI will also prioritise new applications from people who are in Palestine or Israel, but there may be practical obstacles which may mean that it takes some time before the case processing is completed. One reason may be, for example, that the application does not contain all the necessary documentation. 

Applications may be prioritised for other reasons. Applicants who want priority must request this, and an individual assessment will be made. If you have further questions regarding the prioritisation of your application, you can use our guide to check if your case can be moved to the front of the queue. 

UDI is monitoring the situation in Lebanon, Syria and Iran. The security situation does not provide a basis for a general priority of applications. If this assessment should change, UDI will publish new information about this.

Applicants may still request priority, and an individual assessment will be made. You can read more about what may provide a basis for prioritisation here.

Foreign nationals who are unable to return home before their residence permit, visa, or visa-free stay expires due to cancelled flights must either rebook their ticket or purchase a new one.

If you are unable to leave Norway before your permit, visa, or visa-free stay expires, you may be expelled or refused entry or stay. You must keep documentation showing that it was not possible for you to find alternative means of returning home. You will need to present this documentation if a refusal of entry or stay or expulsion case is initiated when you leave Norway. You will also need it if you later apply for a visa to enter Norway.

You should not send this documentation to UDI now, and you do not need to contact us. UDI cannot confirm that you are allowed to remain in Norway. If a refusal of entry or stay or expulsion case is initiated, UDI will take into account that you attempted to leave Norway in time — but you must be able to document it.

If you have an application for protection under processing, or if your application for protection has been rejected, you may apply for assisted return. 

If your application is approved, you will get help buying tickets and you will receive monetary support at the airport (Gardermoen) on the day of your departure. 

If you have a valid travel document in your possession or in the police's possession, UDI can help you with your journey. If you are uncertain whether or not you have a travel document, you can call us. 

If you do not have a valid travel document, you may still apply for assisted return and will try to help you. 

You should not withdraw your application for protection if you are applying for assisted return. 

Return decisions issued to Syrian citizens (with the obligation to leave) are still suspended, which means that the police will not escort you out of the country by force.

You can apply for assisted return here: Returning home: Apply for assisted return.

If you have questions about assisted return to Syria, you can call UDI's Information Service at 23 35 16 00 and press option 7.

If you have been granted protection or family immigration status with someone who has protection, you may apply for repatriation. 

If your application is approved, you will get help buying tickets and you will receive monetary support at the airport (Gardermoen) on the day of your departure. 

In order to be granted repatration, you must have a valid travel document. 

You can apply for financial support for repatriation here: Returning home: Apply for repatriation.

Applying for repatriation is voluntary. You may change your mind and withdraw your application at any time. 

If you have questions about repatriation to Syria, you can call UDI's Information Service at 23 35 16 00 and press option 7.  

The Norwegian authorities have very limited ability to assist Norwegian citizens or their family members who are staying in Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria or Iran. At present, there is no offer of assistance in travelling from these countries.

You can find travel advice and information from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Norwegian citizens in the Middle East here (external website) [in Norwegian only].

There are no changes in which family members can obtain a family immigration permit from countries in the Middle East. 

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. 

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».

We have now created a new guideline that changes the application process for family immigration for Palestinians who are staying in Gaza.

Due to the current security situation in Gaza and the fact that it is now difficult to travel out of Gaza, it will temporarily be possible for a family member in Norway (the reference person) to submit an application for family immigration on behalf of a family member staying in Gaza. The scheme will apply until it is again possible for Palestinians in Gaza to submit an application for family immigration in the ordinary way through personal attendance.

You can read about how to apply for family immigration here.

The new guideline applies to how an application for family immigration must be submitted, and not how an application will be processed.

We emphasise that the new guideline does not involve any changes in which family members can obtain a family immigration permit or which exceptions can be made from the ordinary rules. The humanitarian and security situation in Gaza does not provide grounds for exceptions to the ordinary rules for family immigration.

We also emphasise that persons who are granted a residence permit after submitting an application for family immigration under this temporary scheme cannot expect to receive assistance from the Norwegian authorities for assisted departure from Gaza.

If a permit for family immigration is granted, the applicant must visit one of the visa centres representing the Norwegian Embassy in Amman (located in Beirut, Amman, Cairo, Tel Aviv or Algiers) in person to collect the visa.

No. Although the UDI monitors the situation in Lebanon, as of today, it is not possible for you to apply in Norway on behalf of a close family member in Lebanon. If this should change, UDI will publish information about this when we receive the information.

If you have already been granted a family immigration permit and cannot travel to Norway within the entry deadline in your permit, you can ask UDI to extend the entry deadline. UDI can grant an extended entry deadline of up to 1 year after the date of decision. You can contact us by choosing the right case type and filling in the contact form.

If you have an uncollected passport related to an application submitted at VFS in Tehran, unfortunately, there is currently no solution. It is not possible at this time to collect passports from VFS in Tehran.

We are working on finding a solution. We are closely monitoring the situation and will update the information here if anything changes.

Norwegian authorities have very limited capacity to assist Norwegian citizens or their family members in the region.

There are no general changes to the application procedures for residence permits in Norway. The rules for family immigration remain the same as before.

To apply for protection (asylum), you must be in Norway or at the Norwegian border to apply. It is not possible to apply for protection from another country.

UDI is prioritising residence permit applications already submitted by individuals currently in Palestine or Israel.

Palestine

The duty to return to Gaza after final rejection is temporarily suspended. This means that no one is being forcibly returned to Gaza for the time being.

The Norwegian Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) and UDI have decided to temporarily suspend the duty to return to Gaza for persons with a final decision which involves a return to Gaza. For the time being, the temporary suspension lasts until 18 September 2025.

The background is the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the worsening of the security situation and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The West Bank is not covered by the suspension.

You can read more about who is covered by the suspension here.

Lebanon

From 1 May 2025, UDI and UNE lift the temporary suspension of the duty to return to Lebanon that was decided on 31 October 2024. This means that the duty to return to the home country after a final rejection now applies again to Lebanon.

You can read more about the lifting of the suspension of the duty to return to Lebanon here.

Israel

The duty to return to the home country after final rejection still applies to Israel.

Iran

The duty to return to your home country after a final rejection still applies to Iran. Norwegian authorities are closely monitoring the situation and will update the information if there are any changes.

During 2024, Norway will receive up to 20 patients from Gaza and their accompanying person(s).

Patients who are eligible for medical evacuation have serious illness or life-threatening conditions that require specialised hospital services.

UDI does not know when the first patients and their accompanying person(s) will arrive.

Each patient may be accompanied by one person

The main rule is that each patient can bring one accompanying person, but that there is flexibility to be able to include a few more, so that, for example, younger siblings are not left alone.

The accompanying person can be siblings, parents or another caregiver. In total, Norway has offered to receive up to 100 people.

UDI must grant an entry permit and provide a place to stay

To facilitate the medical evacuation from Gaza, UDI will work with hospitals and asylum centres.

UDI is responsible for issuing an entry permit to the patients and their accompanying persons.

UDI must provide a place to stay for the accompanying persons and provide a place to stay for patients when they have ended their hospital stay. Bufetat must provide a place to stay if the patient is a minor under the age of 15 and does not have an accompanying person.

You cannot apply for medical evacuation

You cannot apply or ask UDI to come to Norway through the medical evacuation scheme (Medevac Gaza). It is the World Health Organization (WHO) or one of the countries in the region that requests the evacuation of the individual patient. The various countries that are part of the Medevac scheme assess whether they can offer evacuation to the individual patient and then notify the WHO or the country that requested evacuation.

More information on medical evacuation from Gaza can be found here:

• Instructions on medical evacuation and reception of patients from Gaza for treatment in Norway within the framework (only available in Norwegian) (external website)