Temporary protection: Norway
🛰️ Varta monitors 3 official sources for this country — checked daily.
Legal basis: Norwegian national law: collective protection (Immigration Act utlendingsloven §34). NOT part of the EU acquis.
Steps
- 1
Cross the border
Visa-free entry.
📍 Border crossing💳 Free - 2
Register at the UDI
Apply for midlertidig beskyttelse at the UDI (via police or reception centre). You receive confirmation — residence, work, healthcare, education rights.
📍 UDI / police⏰ As soon as possible💳 Free - 3
D-number, NAV, healthcare
D-number (temporary personal number) via Skatteetaten. Social aid via NAV. Healthcare via the public system.
📍 Skatteetaten / NAV💳 Free
Documents
Foreign passport
requiredChild’s birth certificate
requiredProof of residence before 24.02.2022
if availablePhoto
requiredUkrainian Embassies and Consulates
Map
Document samples and how to fill them
Name in LATIN letters as in the passport.
Format DD.MM.YYYY.
Foreign passport number.
Address in Norway: street, number, postcode, city.
❌ Name in Cyrillic ❌ Missing signature
As in the passport.
Format DD.MM.YYYY.
The midlertidig beskyttelse document.
❌ Without oppholdstillatelse (protection first) ❌ Missing signature
Benefits
Labour market access
Protection holders.
How to apply: Automatic; NAV for work
Social aid (NAV)
Families without income.
How to apply: Local NAV office
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Where to apply
UDI (Directorate of Immigration)
What happens after protection ends
After protection: oppholdstillatelse on other grounds (work, study, family), permanent residence after 3 years.
What happens when protection ends
These are options for the future — you will need to choose ONE, and not now.
These routes are available outside temporary protection — work, study, family, business, etc.
The description below is a general scheme, similar across countries. Check exact requirements, fees and timelines via the official link in each card — they differ by country and change over time.
💼 Work permit
Those with a valid employment contract in this country.
Passport; employment contract; proof of residence. Authority: UDI (Directorate of Immigration).
- Foreign passport
- Employment contract
- Proof of residence
- Health insurance (optional)
UDI (Directorate of Immigration)
The employer or the applicant files; the immigration authority decides.
Before the current status or permit expires.
- Collect the card/decision
- Register address and social number
Renewable together with the contract.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
🎓 Study — Norway
Enrolment at an accredited institution.
Acceptance letter; proof of funds; housing; insurance.
- Foreign passport
- Acceptance letter
- Proof of funds
- Health insurance (optional)
UDI (Directorate of Immigration)
Apply via the institution or the immigration authority.
Before the semester starts.
- Register at the institution and locally
Yearly with continued studies.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
👨👩👧👦 Family reunification — Norway
Spouse, children or relatives of a resident or citizen.
Marriage/birth certificates; housing; sponsor income.
- Foreign passport
- Marriage/birth certificate
- Sponsor income proof
- Proof of residence
UDI (Directorate of Immigration)
The sponsor or family files; documents need apostille and translation.
Before the current status expires.
- Collect the family member card
Renewable; a path to permanent residence.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
🏢 Self-employment/business — Norway
Company or self-employment registration; business plan or contracts.
Registration documents; tax number; funds; housing.
- Foreign passport
- Company/self-employment registration
- Business plan or contracts (optional)
- Proof of residence
UDI (Directorate of Immigration)
Register the business, then apply for residence as an entrepreneur.
Before the current status expires.
- Tax registration and bank account
Tied to the company activity.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
🏠 Permanent residence — Norway
Usually after 5 years of continuous legal residence.
Stable income; housing; integration/language per national rules.
- Foreign passport
- Income proof
- Proof of residence
- Language/integration certificate (optional)
UDI (Directorate of Immigration)
Apply once the required residence period is met.
After the required residence period is met.
- Obtain permanent resident status
Permanent status; card replaced periodically.
Temporary protection time often counts towards the period (per national rules).
Opportunities: housing, jobs, grants
7 verified programmes: housing support, job portals, business grants, free courses — with direct official links and verification dates. Available with Varta.
Forms & samples (PDF)
FAQ
Do I need to do anything to keep my protection after the current period?
You do not need to apply to extend collective protection (kollektiv beskyttelse) in Norway — it is your right under the regulation. Immigration Regulations § 7-5a, fifth paragraph: a person holding such a permit "has the right to continued stay for one year from the expiry of the permit (extension). An extension is granted up to four times." The year is counted from the date on your card, not from the day UDI decides. So if that date has already passed and you have had no answer yet, your stay does not become unlawful: the right to that year comes from the provision itself. What is up to you: — keep your address current in the National Population Register (Folkeregisteret) so the decision and the new residence card reach you; — if UDI or the police call you or your child in to give a photo and fingerprints for the new card, attend at the appointed time; — if the date on your card has passed and nothing has arrived from UDI, do not wait in silence: contact UDI. When an extension may be REFUSED (§ 7-5a, paragraphs 6-9): there are grounds for cessation or revocation of the permit (§ 37, § 63 of the Immigration Act); at the time of extension you no longer belong to the group covered by the scheme (this includes, among other things, a second citizenship of a country the Norwegian authorities consider safe); you hold a residence permit on a basis other than § 34; or the scheme is wound up before your permit expires. Five years is the ceiling. Immigration Act § 34: the permit is valid for one year and may be renewed or extended "for up to five years from the time the foreign national first received a residence permit" — that is, four extensions and no more. After that collective protection is not extended; instead another temporary permit may be granted, one that can form the basis for permanent residence. The most important point about those five years. Your application for protection under § 28 is held in abeyance the whole time. When the five years expire (or the scheme is discontinued), you must be informed that the application will be processed ONLY if you expressly state, within a set deadline, that you want this. Miss the deadline and there will be no processing. This is the one action you really must take yourself, so watch for letters from UDI. The restriction on men aged 18-60 (§ 7-5a, second paragraph, letter c; regulation of 27.03.2026 no. 497, in force from 04.05.2026) applies, by its express transitional rule, only to applications submitted after it entered into force. It does not affect the extension of protection you already hold. Sources: lovdata.no — Immigration Act § 34 and Immigration Regulations § 7-5a. Practical details (how the decision arrives, when to expect the card) are on udi.no. Source: https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2009-10-15-1286/KAPITTEL_7 (checked 03.09.2026).
What is the D-number?
The temporary personal number in Norway — needed for healthcare, banking, work. Issued by Skatteetaten.
Can I work?
Yes, midlertidig beskyttelse grants work rights without extra permits.
Where do I apply for protection?
Via the UDI: register at the police or a reception centre (anløpssenteret).
This information is for reference only and is not legal advice.