The letter UDI has sent to Somali citizens with a Norwegian immigrant's passport
Here is the letter UDI sent to Somali citizens who do not have refugee status:
Somali nationals who do not have refugee status must obtain Somali passport
Norway now recognises some Somali passports as approved travel documents. This means you must have a Somali passport. The passport must have been issued in the Benadir region or at a Somali embassy after 1 January 2014.
You must obtain travel documents
Norway will no longer be responsible for providing you with a travel document. You have to obtain it yourself at a Somali embassy.
You must travel to the nearest Somali embassy where you can apply for a passport. The nearest embassies are in Rome or in Brussels. You will have to expect to travel to the embassy twice, because you have to meet up in person both when applying for a passport and when receiving your new passport. More information on how to apply for a Somali passport can be found on the embassies' own websites.
If you have an immigrant's passport
If you have a Norwegian immigrant's passport today, you must use it to carry out these trips. If your immigrant's passport has expired or is about to expire, you must apply to renew it. If you have applied for renewal, you will receive an immigrant passport valid for one year. It will not be possible to travel to Somalia on this immigrant's passport.
If you have received an immigrant's passport, and you think it will involve a risk for you or others that you contact Somali authorities, you must justify this in a possible new application for a Norwegian immigrant's passport.
You can find more information at udi.no/somaliskepassport.
Requirement for a passport if you apply for Norwegian citizenship
If you are going to apply for Norwegian citizenship, it is a requirement that you have a passport from your home country. When you apply for citizenship, you must bring your passport and a copy to the police when you meet for your appointment. You should wait to submit your citizenship application until you have obtained a Somali passport. If you have already booked an appointment time, you should change it so that you are able to obtain your Somali passport before you meet with the police. You do this by logging on to the application portal.
If you need an immigrant's passport to obtain a Somali passport, you can apply for it. See information about this in the section above.
You do not have to hand in a passport from your home country if you
- were born in Norway,
- were a child when you came to Norway and have a Norwegian parent,
- have permission on the basis of need for protection (has received a refugee travel document (green passport))
This information and more information on how to apply for citizenship can be found at www.udi.no/statsborgerskapsomaliere.
If you have already submitted the application for citizenship to the police, it is not a requirement that you must obtain a Somali passport. UDI will contact you if we still think it is necessary to demand a passport of you.
Frequently asked questions and answers
Why can't I keep my immigrant's passport?
It is common for all immigrant's who do not have protection in Norway to use the passport they have received from the authorities in their home country to travel. Since the Norwegian authorities did not previously recognise Somali passports, they have instead given many Somalis an immigrant's passport as a replacement. Now that the Norwegian authorities recognise Somali passports, all Somalis with immigrant's passports must obtain Somali passports instead. When you have a Somali passport, you cannot keep the immigrant's passport you have received from the Norwegian authorities.
Who is responsible for Somali passports and immigrant's passports?
UDI is responsible for processing applications for immigrant's passports. Somali authorities are responsible for handling and issuing Somali passport. If you have questions about Somali passport, you must contact a Somali embassy. UDI can only answer questions about the immigrant's passport.
How do I proceed to apply to renew the immigrant's passport?
To apply for a renewal of the immigrant's passport, you register an application via udi.no. There you will also book an appointment with the police. The application has not been submitted until you have met up for your appointment with the police. You can find more information on our website on how to proceed to apply. https://www.udi.no/skal-fornye/utlendingspassport-og-reisebevis/.
What should I apply for first, an immigrant's passport or a Somali passport?
To travel to a Somali embassy to obtain a Somali passport, you must have a valid immigrant's passport. If the duration of your immigrant's passport expires shortly so that you cannot travel to the embassy, you must apply for an immigrant's passport first. If there is still some time before your immigrant's passport expires so that you can travel to a Somali embassy, you must apply for a Somali passport instead of applying for a immigrant's passport.
How long does it take to process an application for an immigrant's passport?
You can follow our website to get information on waiting times.
You should not book tickets to travel to an embassy before you have a new immigrant's passport on hand. The immigrant's passport will be valid for one year. You must submit your immigrant's passport when you have received the Somali passport.
What do I do if I travel to a country that does not recognise Somali passports?
If you are unsure whether the country you are traveling to recognises Somali passports, you must contact the embassy of the country you are going to travel to.
I've got a Somali passport. What do I do with my immigrant's passport?
You have to hand in your Norwegian immigrant's passport to the police where you live once you receive the Somali passport.