Ukrainfo

Updated information

Last update 15.04.2022

Table of Contents

The rules we have collected on this page primarily apply to refugees. If you, as a Ukrainian citizen, would like to settle in Norway as a result of family reunification, work permit or for some other reason, other rules apply.

Ukrainians who have a biometric passport have visa-free travel to Norway for 90 days. They can stay on their own on a tourist visa during that period, but must register if they want to have access to follow-up from the authorities. During this period, you can orientate yourself and choose whether you want to apply for asylum or not.

The various administrative bodies in Norway have a general duty to provide guidance within their area of responsibility, preferably in a language the applicant understands. You can therefore contact the Norwegian authorities if you need more information.

If you have a residence permit in Ukraine and are not a Ukrainian citizen, you must contact your home country for help, unless you fear persecution in your home country. In some cases you can still apply for protection, but your application will be assessed individually.

Arrival in Norway

  • In order for Ukrainians to be able to come to Norway legally, one should in principle have a valid biometric passport.
  • If you still do not have a passport, biometric passport, visa or another ID card, you can still apply for protection in Norway if you are already in Norway or if you cross the Norwegian border.

Refugee status and residence permit

  • You can apply for asylum in Norway only in cases where you have not applied for asylum in Poland (or another country), or do not have a residence permit in Poland (or another safe country).
  • NB! The fact that you have registered in Poland after crossing the border does not mean that you have applied for protection.
  • Ukrainian citizens in Norway are covered by so-called temporary collective protection. The scheme of temporary collective protection means that asylum seekers are granted a permit based on group affiliation, and not after an individual assessment. This means that you get refugee status much faster, and become a resident of a municipality.
  • After living in a municipality, you get the following rights:
    • right (and duty) to free Norwegian language training
    • right to work in Norway
    • right to financial support from Norway (introduction benefit)
    • right to medical assistance
    • one’s children can go to a Norwegian school / kindergarten
  • Ukrainians who come to Norway now can get a residence permit for one year. The permit does not form the basis for permanent residence, but can be renewed if the situation in Ukraine persists.
  • Among other things, the permits give the right to work and bring the closest family to Norway. 

More information: www.udi.no i www.regjeringen.no

Children without parents – minor asylum seekers

  • Children who come to Norway without parents receive the status of a minor asylum seeker.  Such a child should contact the police as soon as possible.
  •  The child gets a representative who will help to get through the application process.
  •  The child is then placed in an asylum reception center or other care institution.

More information: https://asylbarn.no/

Pets from Ukraine

  • All animals are checked on arrival in Norway.
  • If the animal has not been controlled for rabies before, it is tested in Norway (the animal is then quarantined until the test results occur)
  • If your animal has not been vaccinated against rabies before, the vaccine will be placed in Norway (with a 4-month quarantine).
  • Ukrainian citizens are exempt from fees for testing and vaccinating animals that they bring to Norway.

More information: www.mattilsynet.no

Transport from Poland to Norway

Samolot
  • Wizzair gives 100.000 free tickets and 29.99 EUR and 69.99 EUR tickets for Ukrainian refugees on short-haul flights from Gdańsk, Katowice, Kraków, Lublin, Poznań, Rzeszów, Szczecin, Warszawa, Wrocław to Oslo (Gardermoen Airport and Torp Sandefjord Airport)
  • One carry-on bag per passenger is included for free. Any other additional bags and services can be purchased during or after booking

More information: https://wizzair.com/#/rescue

  • Other law-budget airlines with connections between Poland and Norway: Norwegian and Ryanair
Bus

If you bring Ukrainian refugees to Norway by bus, you must report to the Police Immigration Unit by e-mail pu.desken@politiet.no, or telephone 22 80 66 00 before the bus arrives in Norway.

Ferry
  • Stena Line offers free transport for coaches carrying refugees from Ukraine if the carrier applies for it – more info on the website Stena Line Sverige on Facebook)
  • The application may not be submitted by individuals, only carriers (the company’s organizational number is required)
Train
  • The Swedish SJ and Norwegian Vy railways offer free transport for people from Ukraine throughout the country
  • To take advantage of the offer, you must show your Ukrainian passport or ID card

More information: Ukrainske flyktninger kan reise gratis med Vy i Norge (in Norwegian)

Refugee in Norway – the first three phases

Upon arrival in Norway

  • If you have a place to live (to stay): Ukrainian refugees can stay in Norway with family, friends or acquaintances and still be able to apply for asylum. There is also no need to register at the National Arrival Center at once.
  • IMPORTANT! During the period when you are NOT registered, you do not have access to any rights in Norway, you are a guest on a regular visa-free stay. You are only entitled to emergency treatment at the emergency room in case of illness.
  • ATTENTION! This may change. Please check information at https://www.udi.no/en/situation-in-ukraine/
  • If you have nowhere to live (to stay): upon arrival, contact the police who will arrange transport to the National Arrival Center or another arrival center. The National Arrival Center is located in Råde, approx. 70 km from Oslo, close to the Swedish border.

Registration of asylum seekers

  • In most places, you must first contact the police to make an appointment before you can come to register.
  • How and when you should contact the police depends on which police district you are in.
  • Asylum seekers living in the police districts of Oslo, Øst, Sør-Øst and Innlandet must register with the National Arrival Center in Råde
  • Asylum seekers living in the police districts of Agder, Sør-Vest, Vest, Møre og Romsdal, Trøndelag, Nordland, Troms or Finnmark must register with the district they belong to.
  • After speaking to the police and applying for asylum, you will receive a DUF number and a temporary identification number (D-number), which will entitle you to receive medical care, financial support and a temporary residence permit, among other things.

More information: www.politiet.no

National Arrival Center in Råde

  • Newly arrived (Newcomers) are registered in the immigration administration computer system.
  • Refugees receive a hygiene and clothing package and as well as bed linen.
  • Refugees live in a tent hall during the first phase of their stay at the Center. Then they are accommodated in asylum centers and, after examining the asylum application, in the municipality that offers a vacant place.
  • You can stay in a refugee reception center for a maximum of 21 days. During this time you will be registered as a refugee and your identity will be established if necessary.
  • Ukrainians who are in Eastern Norway (Østlandet) can now call the police in Råde to arrange an appointment for registration. The registration will take place at the National Arrival Center in Råde.
  • Contact the police on number (0047) 400 26 190 to make an appointment, and get informtion about a meeting place. The phone is open 09-20 on weekdays, and 09-16 on weekends.

Address: Nasjonalt ankomstsenter, Mosseveien 58, 1640 Råde

Accommodation

  • If you have nowhere to live (to stay) after registration, Norway guarantees accommodation in asylum centers / hotels.
  • All municipalities in Norway have committed to provide as soon as possible a list of flats / premises that they can offer to refugees from Ukraine.

After applying for asylum

  • If, after arriving in Norway, you are staying at the National Arrival Center or another place offered by the authorities, you will move to a smaller refugee center after applying for asylum.
  • Here you will live in single or multi-bed rooms (eg you with a child), you will also have access to a kitchen and a shared living room.
  • Most centers also organize activities for local residents, including Norwegian courses.
  • If you are staying with someone else and you have applied for asylum, you are also entitled to healthcare, but for now the government is working on a policy on financial support.
  • Regardless of this, you can apply for a subsidy for children’s expenses or medicines, or apply for social assistance to the municipality.

Processing of applications for collective protection (asylum)

  • UDI has begun to process applications for collective protection. 
  • They do not always process the oldest cases first, so you may find that someone who has applied after you gets an answer before you. 
  • If your application for collective protection is granted, you will receive a decision letter in the mail with information about the residence permit you have received.
  • You will also receive a letter in Ukrainian explaining your rights and obligations. In the letter, there will be a QR code that links to a film in your language explaining your rights and obligations.
  • Your name must be on the mailbox for you to receive the letters UDI send you.

Settling down in the commune

  • After your application is approved, you will receive information about the commune you will live in.
  • The municipality helps you find a flat and gives you financial support to get started.
  • Each refugee is assigned a tutor who will give you practical support, answer questions, etc.
  • You are also starting an adaptation program (introduksjonsprogrammet), which includes, among other things, participation in Norwegian lessons, social studies, career guidance etc. How long the program lasts depends on your education and the individual plan that you are developing with your tutor.
  • The adaptation program is considered as your «job», so you will be paid during the program (see next point).

Refugee Benefits / Financial Assistance

  • When your application for protection is approved, you will be notified of the municipality in which you will live in (will be allocated).
  • You will start an adaptation program in your municipality, which will involve participation in a Norwegian course (free and compulsory), and later possibly also other additional education
  • During the first period of stay, you are entitled to an adaptation allowance (at the end of 2021, it was approximately NOK 17,000 per month). The commune also helps in finding a flat and provides practical support on other issues related to integration.

Work

  • In general, you can only start working after your application for asylum has been approved.
  • However, if Norway finally introduces collective protection rules for Ukrainian citizens (currently only temporary collective protection has been introduced), you will be able to look for a job or study immediately.
  • Refugees look for employment on their own. The state provides support in this regard in the form of an allowance, practical help in looking for a job, etc. The most common job portals are www.nav.no and www.finn.no

You can also take advantage of recruiting intermediaries such as Adecco and Manpower

Other Slavic and Baltic nations

Norway has 5.4 million inhabitants, more than 800,000 of which are foreigners, including:

  • Poles (102,000)
  • Lithuanians (41,000)
  • Russians (18,000)
  • Latvians (11,000)
  • Ukrainians (6500)
  • Estonians (4700)
  • Belarusians (1300)

Healthcare, medical and psychological help

  • Ukrainian citizens who are under temporary collective protection are entitled to full medical care in Norway and they are also entitled to an interpreter (free of charge) during medical consultations and procedures.
  • Norway is currently working on creating a psychological support system  for Ukrainian refugees.
  • Children and youth under 18  are eligible for free healthcare.
  • Healthcare for adults is not free but its cost is relatively very low as the fees  for medical consultations and procedures are limited to no more than NOK 3,000 per year and if this  amount is exceeded  then all additional medical assistance would be free of charge 
  • Every person who is in Norway legally will get his or her own general practitioner. If  the person is not assigned to any general practitioner  he or she can still get emergency assistance ( legevakt).
  • In Norway abortion is legal  and free of cost. Women  have the right to abortion on demand within first 12 weeks of gestation. If the woman wishes to have an abortion after 12 week time limit  she has to apply to a special medical assessment board called Abortion Board. 

More about healthcare for asylum seekers and refugees in Norway www.helsenorge.no

Pre-school daycare and education

Kindergarten
  • Children who have reached the age of one are entitled to a place at kindergarten.
  • In case of  not getting a place for a child at the kindergarten it is possible to apply for   financial aid.
  • Every child of age 3 years old or over is automatically guaranteed a place at the kindergarten.
School
  • Elementary and lower secondary school are mandatory for children aged 6-16.
  • In Norway education is free of charge.
  • The Norwegian school system is divided into three parts:
    • elementary school ( class 1-7)
    • lower secondary school ( class 8-10)
    • upper secondary school 
  • Schools are obliged  to adjust the educational system to the level of knowledge, conditions and needs of a particular child.
  • The municipality ( kommune) where the child is registered has  to  adapt to the school’s environment if there are any special requirements.
  • Foreign-speaking children are immediately offered assistance in  learning Norwegian language and adapting to life in Norway.
  • Upper secondary schools are profiled and attending them usually lasts from 2 to 4 years.
  • Many  upper secondary schools  offer intensive courses of Norwegian language for adults.

Life in Norway

  • Norway is a country famous for its beautiful nature – fjords, mountains, waters and serenity. Norwegians spend a lot of time in nature.
  • Norwegians may seem distant at first but they  are people who value safety , peace and are very tolerant.
  • Norway is a welfare country which in practice means  that the government offers  support and a benefit system to vulnerable people.
  • The percentage of unemployment in Norway is very low.
  • Norway is recognized as one of the safest and  most tolerant countries  in the world.
  • According to annual surveys, most Norwegians are very happy people.
  • Schools and kindergartens put great emphasis not only on educational programs but they also educate young people on how to respect the diversity of others. In Norway there is no place for discrimination regarding someone’s looks, opinions, disabilities, race, cultural background, political or religious views.
  • Norway is a multinational country  and many people from around the globe have settled here.

LGBT+ persons

  • Norway, like the other Scandinavian countries, is very progressive in regards to lesbian , gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) right.
  • In Norway any discrimination or harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity (nationality, race, language, cultural traditions), faith,  disability or age is strictly  prohibited by law and is a subject to a penalty.
  • In Norway LGBT+ couples  have  the same rights as heterosexuals (marriage,   religious marriage, adoptions, inheritance, etc. ).
  • Currently gays , lesbians, bisexuals, transgender, and transsexual individuals may seek asylum in Norway if they experience harassment based on their  sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity in their own country.
  • LGBT+ organizations in Norway:
    • www.skeivungdom.no (it’s an  independent youth organization that works for each individual’s freedom to be themselves)
    • www.skeivverden.no ( it’s an organization for LGBTQI+ people with minority ethnic background in Norway)
    • https://hivnorge.no (it’s an  organization committed to safeguarding the rights of people affected by HIV or AIDS)
    • https://www.helseutvalget.no/en/about (this organisation offers free testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases)

Embassy of Ukraine in Norway

Address:
Norbins gate 4
0253 Oslo

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/UTkL2Db1dYf6T1eH9

phone: (+47) 22 83 55 60
(+47) 22 83 55 58 (consulate)

E-mail: emb_no@mfa.gov.ua, embassy@ukremb.no

website: norway.mfa.gov.ua (Ukrainian), norway.mfa.gov.ua/en (English)

Ukrainian organizations in Norway and other useful websites

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