We know that it may be challenging to leave Ukraine now. Unfortunately, UDI cannot answer questions regarding leaving Ukraine or the situation in Ukraine.

If you have a biometric passport, you can travel to Norway visa-free. If you do not have a biometric passport or are missing ID documents, you will find information on how to travel legally to Norway here.  

Foreign citizens who need a visa or a residence permit to live or work in Norway must, as a general rule, apply before entering Norway. Due to the security situation, the VFS application centre and the embassy in Ukraine are closed (external website). Therefore, it is not possible to apply for a visa or residence permit from Ukraine now, but the Embassy in Ankara handles applications from Ukrainian citizens.

For more information on how to submit your application, please visit:

VFS application centres that accept applications for residence permits
VFS application centres that accept applications for visitor's visas

Citizens who do not need a visa to Norway may apply for certain residence permits from Norway. You will find more information about the requirements for applying for a residence permit in Norway on our guides for those applying.

If you have handed in an application for a residence permit for Norway from Ukraine, the embassy in Ankara will inform you when UDI has made a decision.

Citizens who do not need a visa for Norway can in some cases travel to Norway before their residence permit has been granted. These are the same groups that can apply for residence permits from Norway. You can find more information about whether you have the right to apply for a residence permit from Norway in our guide “Want to apply”.

You can travel to Norway without a visa if you have a biometric passport. If you do not have a biometric passport or are missing ID documents, you can find information on how to travel legally to Norway here.

A registration in Schengen Information System (SIS) - UDI means that you do not have access to the Schengen area as long as the entry ban lasts. If you are in Ukraine and cannot travel due to the SIS registration, applying for an entry ban is possible, and the SIS registration is revoked.

Due to the security situation in Ukraine, the embassy and VFS application centre are closed. As a result, UDI has made an exception for the requirement for personal attendance at a foreign service mission to submit an application for lifting the entry ban to Norway and Schengen. This means that applications for lifting entry bans can be sent directly to UDI.

For further information on what the application must contain, see our website. 

The exception only applies to applications for the lifting of entry bans.

The exception also includes citizens of other countries who are in Ukraine and are not allowed to travel due to being deported from Norway and the Schengen area.

This information applies to entry into Norway and does not include 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 go through on your way to Norway. Unfortunately, the Norwegian authorities and UDI cannot answer questions about rules outside Norway's borders. 

The information about legal entry applies for all Ukrainian citizens, regardless of whether you travel alone, with a group or with family living in Norway.

If you will apply for protection (asylum)  

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

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

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 going to apply for protection (asylum) 

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

• If you have a biometric passport from Ukraine, you can travel to Norway visa-free. Children must also have a biometric passport to be visa-free, even if they travel 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 both adults and children. 

Because of the crisis in your home country, UDI has suspended the obligation to return for Ukrainian citizens in Norway until further notice. Even if you do not have legal residence in Norway, you will not be deported and sent out of Norway now. You can continue to stay in Norway until further notice, without any consequences for you.   

If you do not have a biometric passport, you can find information on how to travel legally to Norway here.

Due to the crisis in your home country, UDI has suspended the duty to return for Ukrainian citizens in Norway until further notice. Even if you do not have legal residence in Norway, you will not be expelled and sent out of Norway now.

You can continue to stay in Norway until further notice, without risking any consequences. You will find information on how to travel legally to Norway here. 

 Please register your pet if you come from Ukraine (external website)

On arrival, all pets going to Norway from Ukraine must be registered and controlled by the Norwegian authorities (Norwegian Food Safety Authority). This is done to minimize the risk of spreading serious and deadly diseases, such as rabies, to humans and other animals in Norway.

• If the pets are not controlled at the border, you must immediately contact the Norwegian Food Safety Authority by telephone: +47 22 40 00 00 when you arrive at your first stop in Norway.
  
  
• If possible, arrival with pets must be notified in advance to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority to carry out the control at the border. (BIP.gardermoen@mattilsynet.no).

You will find information about the exceptional rules for Ukrainian refugees who arrive in Norway with pets (external website) on the Norwegian Food Safety Authority webpage.

Information on rules that apply for bringing exotic pets into Norway can be found on the Norwegian Environment Agency's website (external website)

If you apply for protection in Norway and meet the conditions for collective protection, we will process your application in Norway. If you are not eligible for collective protection, you may apply for protection and individual assessment of your application. However, if you have already applied for protection, or have a residence permit in another European country, then that country may still be responsible for processing your application, and you may be required to return there. This is covered by the Dublin Regulation. You can read more about how the Dublin Regulation works here.

Example of when the Dublin Regulation applies: You have a residence permit in another European country and left Ukraine long 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.

A registration in SIS means that you generally do not have access to the Schengen area as long as the entry ban lasts. An application for protection nevertheless precedes a registration in SIS. This means that you can apply for protection in a Schengen country even if you are registered in SIS, and you are allowed to stay in the country until your application for protection has been processed.

You can apply for protection on the border of the first country you come to after leaving Ukraine. If you want to apply for protection in Norway, you can do so when you reach the Norwegian border.

This information letter for Ukrainian nationals and their family members situated in Moldova contains information about the voluntary transfer scheme, what it means to be transferred to Norway and what rights and obligations it entails.

• For those considering voluntary transfer to Norway (pdf, 3,7 MB)
• Для осіб, які розглядають можливість добровільного переїзду до Норвегії з супроводом (pdf, 3,9 MB)
• Для лиц, рассматривающих возможность добровольного переезда в Норвегию (pdf, 3,8 MB)