Travelling to Norway
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What can I do to leave Ukraine now?
Unfortunately, UDI cannot help anyone to leave Ukraine, and we are unable to answer questions regarding the current situation in Ukraine.
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I am not in Norway. Can I apply for protection (asylum) before I travel to Norway?
You cannot apply for protection unless you are in Norway. UDI cannot help you to travel to Norway.
You can apply for other residence permits from abroad, if you meet the requirements. You can read more about the different types of residence permits you can apply for and the requirements here.
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I am a Ukrainian citizen. What are the rules for legal entry into Norway?
If you have a biometric passport, you can travel to Norway without needing a visa.
If you do not have a biometric passport or are missing ID documents, you can still apply for protection in Norway if you are already in Norway or if you reach the Norwegian border.
This information applies only for entry into Norway and does not encompass travel through other countries. You must check the rules that apply for border crossings for Ukrainian citizens without a biometric passport or ID documents in other countries you have to pass through on your way to Norway. Unfortunately, the Norwegian authorities and UDI cannot answer questions about rules beyond Norway's borders.
If you are not applying for protection in Norway, the following rules for entry into Norway apply:
- If you have a biometric passport from Ukraine, you can travel to Norway without needing a visa. Children must also have a biometric passport to enter Norway without a visa, even if traveling with parents who have a biometric passport.
- If you do not have a biometric passport, you must have a visa, residence permit or residence card in Norway. This applies to adults and children alike.
- As a general rule, foreign citizens who need a visa or a residence permit to live or work in Norway must apply before entering Norway. Due to the security situation, the embassy and the VFS application centre in Ukraine are currently closed (eksternt nettsted). Therefore, it is not possible to apply for a visa or residence permit from Ukraine for the time being, but the Norwegian Embassy in Ankara, Türkiye, is processing applications from Ukrainian citizens.
For more information on how to submit your application, please visit:
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What happens if I enter Norway illegally?
If you enter Norway illegally, you may be deported or expelled. An exception can be made if you came to Norway for the purpose of applying for protection. In such case, you will have the right to stay in Norway while your application for protection is processed.
You will find information on how to travel legally to Norway here.
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I am a Ukrainian citizen in Ukraine, but I was deported from Norway, and I am subject to an entry ban registered in the Schengen Information System (SIS) . Can I apply to have the entry ban lifted?
If you have an entry ban registered with Schengen informasjonssystem (SIS)the Schengen Information System (SIS), you will not be allowed to enter the Schengen area for the duration of the ban. If you are in Ukraine and cannot travel due to the SIS registration, however, you may apply to have the entry ban removed from the SIS.
The embassy and VFS application centre in Ukraine are currently closed. As a result, UDI has suspended its requirement that applications for lifting a Schengen entry ban must be delivered in person to a foreign service mission. This means that you can send your application to lift an entry ban directly to UDI.
This exception only applies to applications to have an entry ban lifted.
This exception also applies to citizens of other countries who are in Ukraine and are not allowed to travel because they were previously deported from Norway and the Schengen area.
Even though UDI has made exceptions to the requirement for in-person delivery of applications, you may still hand in your application to lift an entry ban at a VFS application centre in, for example, Türkiye, Kosovo, Azerbaijan, Serbia or in another country where you are located. Here you will find information about how to submit an application to have an entry ban lifted.
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How long can I stay in Norway without applying for a residence permit?
The general rule is that Ukrainian citizens can stay for 90 days within the Schengen area over a period of 180 days without applying for a residence permit.
Until you apply for protection, you will have no rights to financial assistance, accommodations, free healthcare or the like in Norway.
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I have collective protection or a residence permit in another European country. May I be granted collective protection in Norway?
If you meet the conditions for collective protection, we will process your application for collective protection in Norway, even if you have lived in a different country after February 24, 2022.
If you are not eligible for collective protection, you may still apply for protection. If you do so, your application will be individually assessed.
If you have already applied for protection in another European country, or have a residence permit there, then that country may still be responsible for processing your application, and you may be required to return there. This is in keeping with the Dublin Regulation. More about the Dublin Regulation and how it works.
Example of when the Dublin Regulation applies: You have a residence permit in another European country and left Ukraine before 24 February 2022. As a result, you are not eligible for protection in Norway. We will then contact the country you received your resident permit from so that your application for protection is processed there.
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Can I bring my pet to Norway?
Rules for bringing pets across the border into Norway
If you have brought your pet from abroad, your pet must be checked at the border by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet). The Norwegian Food Safety Authority must control all pets that come to Norway to minimise the risk of spreading deadly diseases, such as rabies, to humans and other animals in Norway.
As of 1 July 2023, pets brought into Norway from Ukraine are subject to the standard requirements regarding microchipping, rabies vaccination, blood testing, tapeworm treatment and health certificates.
Pets brought to Norway after 1 July 2023 that do not meet the animal health requirements must be kept in quarantine at the pet owner's expense, returned directly to Ukraine or euthanised.
You can read more about bringing pets from abroad (external website) on the Norwegian Food Safety Authority's website.
If your pet was not checked at the border when you arrived, you must immediately contact the Norwegian Food Safety Authority by telephone: +47 22 40 00 00.
Here you can find information in English and Ukrainian about financial help from the Norwegian Society for Protection of Animals (pdf, 103 kB).
The principal rule is that pet owners are responsible for their own pets.
The vast majority of animals coming to Norway from Ukraine do not arrive in accordance with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority's guidelines and must therefore be quarantined.
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I want to travel to Norway with my Russian-registered passenger car. What are the rules?
As of October 2023, it is no longer be possible to temporarily import Russian-registered passenger cars with nine or fewer seats into Norway, with some exceptions.
You can find more information about restrictive measures against Russia on the Norwegian Government's website (external website).
Norway and the EU countries have already introduced bans on the import of, among other things, Russian-registered passenger cars with nine or fewer seats. As of 3 October, stricter rules apply for temporary imports. This means that if you are going to drive to Norway and your car is Russian-registered, you will not be able to bring the car into Norway.
Exceptions
In Norway, four types of exceptions apply:
- Norwegian citizens or EEA citizens or their immediate family, who live in Russia and own a Russian-registered car, can travel to Norway with the car. "Immediate family" includes spouse, registered partner, cohabitant, child (minor or adult), and parents.
- Exceptions have also been made for vehicles that are necessary for humanitarian reasons, such as acute illness, death or a funeral in the family. You must be able to document at the border that you must bring the car into Norway for humanitarian reasons. If you can achieve the purpose of the visit by other means of transport, for example a bus, the use of your own Russian-registered car will not be considered "necessary".
- There are also exceptions for diplomatic vehicles or vehicles belonging to international organisations or a state's courier service.
- In addition, you can apply for an exception from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In special cases in which foreign policy considerations warrant it, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may grant an exception.
Please note that the ban does not apply to vehicles with ten or more seats. It will still be possible to cross the border with, for example, minibuses and buses via Storskog border station.
Who can I contact if I have further questions about these rules and exceptions?
UDI does not have the authority to answer questions about the rules for importing or temporarily importing Russian-registered passenger cars.
If you have questions about how to interpret the rules and exceptions, you can send an email to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
For more information, see the Q&A about the temporary importation of Russian-registered passenger vehicles (in Norwegian only) (external website) on the Government website.
How does this affect me?
The rules are related to the import of goods and does not change the conditions for entry that applies to individuals. Even if a vehicle is covered by an exception, this does not mean that the persons traveling in the vehicle are automatically allowed to enter Norway. The rules for who is allowed entry into Norway remain unchanged.
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I would like information about voluntary resettlement in Norway from Moldova
The orientation letter below for Ukrainian citizens and their family members situated in Moldova contains information about the voluntary resettlement scheme, about what resettlement in Norway entails, and about your rights and obligations under the scheme.
For those considering voluntary transfer to Norway (pdf, 3.7 MB)
Se info i excelfila
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Can I apply to come to Norway through Medevac?
UDI cooperates with hospitals and asylum reception centres to help with medical evacuation from Ukraine (Medevac).
You cannot apply to UDI or request to be transferred to Norway through Medevac. It is Ukraine, or a neighbouring country to Ukraine, that requests medical evacuation for a patient. The different countries that are part of this cooperation will then consider whether they can offer medical evacuation for that patient, and will inform the country who put in the request by contacting the EU.
You can read more about Medevac here (only available in Norwegian).