What kind of case do you have at UDI?
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Can my expected waiting time change?
In our waiting time guide, you will find regularly updated information about the waiting time for your type of application. This is the most accurate and up-to-date information we have about waiting times, and you will not receive other information about waiting times even if you contact us.
The information about waiting times in this article applies to all cases except applications for protection, which have a different way of informing about waiting times.
The waiting time you find on our website is calculated from when you have submitted the documents for the application to the police in Norway or at the application center/embassy abroad.
The period you have to wait from the time you registered the application until you show up and deliver the documents is not included in UDI waiting time. How long you have to wait to get an appointment varies.
Waiting times at the police or the application center/embassy
UDI cannot answer questions about waiting time and appointments with the police or application center/embassy.
- I will deliver documents to the police
- Information about where to show up based on what you are applying for (external website)
- To find information from the police where you live, you must enter your municipality at the bottom of this page (external website) and then select the relevant police station in the list that appears.
- I will deliver my documents abroad
Can the waiting time for my application change?
Yes, it can. The waiting time we state will tell you what the waiting time is for the applications we process now. If it says that the waiting time is six months, then the cases we make decisions in now are approximately six months old. We update the waiting times every month.
We may have to change the waiting times. For example, this may be because we have received more applications than expected or that we must change the priority of the cases. When we change the waiting times, the new waiting time applies to new applications and the applications that have already been submitted and are in line.
So if, for example, you applied three months ago and the waiting time changes from six to seven months, then the new waiting time of seven months also applies to your case. We therefore recommend that you check on our website whether the waiting time has been adjusted for your case type before contacting us.
Can the waiting time be longer than what UDI states?
Yes, we have to do research in some cases, and then processing the application will take longer. For example, we may have to send the case to the police or to an embassy to conduct an interview, perform a DNA test, check if a document is valid or if the information we have received from you as an applicant or from other places is correct.
The length of time that the police or embassy spends conducting interviews, recording DNA or conducting other investigations varies from place to place. You can find information about waiting times at the police on their website (external website) and about waiting times at the embassy on the embassy's website (external website). UDI cannot answer how long you have to wait for investigations at the police or the embassy.
In some cases, we must first decide on your family member's application before deciding in your case. If there are things in your family member's case that make the case take a long time, it may mean that your case also takes longer.
If you have received a letter stating that your permit may be revoked, this may mean that you have to wait longer than usual to receive a response to other applications you have with UDI. You can read about what it means to have a permit revoked here.
If your case has taken longer than what is stated as the waiting time for your case type and you have not been notified of this, you can contact us.
- I will deliver documents to the police
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Family immigration
Please go to our guide to waiting time in family immigration cases.
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Visitor visa (visit and holiday)
If you have not heard anything about your case, it has not been processed yet. We have many cases to process now, unfortunately affecting our waiting times. This also leads to more people calling UDI's information service desk.
The waiting period applies from the day the case is registered with the embassy. In some places, it can take up to two weeks from the time the case is sent from the VFS application centre to the embassy receiving it. If an embassy in another country processes your application, it will take a few extra days because the courier must send your application to and from the embassy. You can find information on the embassy's website about how long this takes.
How long do you usually have to wait for an answer?
If your application is processed by the embassy in the country you live in,
you will normally receive an answer within 15 days after handing in your application at the Visa Application Centre, the consulate or the embassy.If your application is processed by an embassy in another country, this will take a few more days, since your application will be sent by courier to and from the embassy. You’ll find information on the embassy’s web pages on how long this will take.
Which applications will it take longer before receives a reply?
Most cases are processed by the embassy, but if the embassy is in doubt about whether you can be granted a visa, they will forward your case to UDI.
We cannot answer whether the case will be sent to UDI, that is for the embassy to decide. If your case is sent to UDI, you will be notified by email or SMS. If the case is sent to UDI for processing, you will usually receive a response within 45 days of submitting the application to the VFS application centre, embassy or consulate.
Appeals concerning rejections
You will normally receive an answer to your appeal within 12 months of submitting your application for a visitor visa to the Visa Application Centre, embassy or consulate.
Here you can read what can make the waiting time change and how you can stay up to date.
This information was last updated on
20 March 2025
. It will be updated again on
24 April 2025
.
What can you do to contribute to receiving an answer as quickly as possible?
- Make sure that your application is completed correctly and in full.
- Make sure that you enclose all the necessary documents, please see our checklist.
- Make sure that your, and your sponsor’s, contact information is up-to-date.
- It is also a good idea to make sure that the person who has invited you to Norway has power of attorney from you, so that we can give important information to him or her.
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Studies
Go to our guide to waiting time for study permits.
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Au pair
Go to our guide to waiting time for au pair permits.
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Citizenship
Please go to our guide to waiting time for citizenship applications.
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Explusion and lifting a prohibition of entry
Expulsion decision
Most people receive a decision within 10 months of the date when the police or UDI opens an expulsion case and sends out advance notice of the case.
Applications to revoke a prohibition of entry
EU/EEA nationals:
Most people receive an answer within 6 months of the date when UDI receives their application.
Nationals of countries outside the EU/EEA
Most people receive an answer within 8 months of the date when UDI receives their application.
If you have also applied for a residence permit, your total waiting time will be the time it takes to receive an answer about lifting the prohibition of entry plus the time needed to receive an answer to your application for a residence permit.
For nationals of countries outside the EU/EEA who, after they have received a prohibition of entry to Norway, became covered by the EEA regulations
If you have handed in all the necessary documents, and UDI believes it is obvious that your prohibition of entry should be lifted, we will process your application within 15 days.
If UDI has asked you to send in more documents or other information, or if we need to investigate further, you will have to wait longer for a reply. When we have received the documents from you, we will continue to process your case.
Appeals concerning expulsions
Within 3 months of the date when UDI and the police receive your appeal, we will either reverse the decision or send your case to the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) to consider your appeal.
This information was last updated on
20 March 2025
. It will be updated again on
24 April 2025
.
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Revocation of a residence permit or citizenship
If you have received a letter stating that your permit may be revoked, this may affect how long you have to wait to receive a response to other applications you have with UDI. It can also affect how long it takes to process applications from your close family members. You can read about what it means to have a permit revoked here.
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Other types of cases
Residence permit for victims of abuse
If you have applied for an independent residence permit because you have been abused by your spouse or cohabitant, you will normally receive an answer to your application within 6 months.
Residence permit for medical treatment
If you have applied for a residence permit for medical treatment for citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA area, you will normally receive an answer to your application within 6 months.
If you are going to be interviewed by the embassy or the police, it may take longer before you receive an answer to your application. You will be notified if you are going to be interviewed.
Residence permit for those who had a Norwegian mother or father when they were born
If you have applied for a residence permit for those who had a Norwegian mother or father when they were born, you will normally receive an answer to your application within 12 months.
Residence permit because of strong humanitarian considerations or because you have a special connection with Norway
If you have applied for a residence permit because of strong humanitarian considerations or because you have a special connection with Norway (humanitarian grounds), you will normally receive an answer to your application within 13 months.
Application to have your legal expenses or other necessary expenses related to an appeal covered
You will normally receive an answer to your application within 6 months.
Appeal of a rejection of an application for a D visa
Today it normally takes 7 months from the UDI receives your appeal until we make a decision. How long you have to wait may change. In that case, the new information will apply to you, even if you have been told a different waiting time previously. We update the information on this page once a month.
This information was last updated on
20 March 2025
. It will be updated again on
24 April 2025
.
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Other EU/EEA cases handled by the police
When you register with the police as an EU/EEA national, the first-available appointments will usually require you to wait some time. Please check the waiting time for your local police (external website, opens in new window).
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Brexit
Most of the people who applied before 1 April can expect to receive a response by 1 July 2025.