Residence permit, registration or visitor visa

Are you a foreign national planning to stay in Norway? If you are, you have to either register, apply for a visitor's visa or apply for a residence permit.

Apply for a residence permit or a visitor's visa or register at the Directorate of Immigration's website.

Check how long it will take to process you application.

Do you wish to prolong your stay in Norway? Apply to renew your stay, renew your immigration passport or extend your visa on the website of the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI).

Check how long it will take to process you application.

Application for a residence permit submitted before 16th of April 2021

If you have submitted an application for a residence permit before 16 April 2021, you must, after you have received the residence permit, book an appointment with the police to obtain a residence card. The police take fingerprints, face photos and your signature.

To book an appointment for your residence card, go to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) website and log into the appointments portal.

Residence applications submitted after 16th of April 2021

If you submit your application in person to the police on April 16th 2021 or later, the police will take fingerprints, face photos and if necessary, signatures. After you have received your residence permit, the police can in most cases use the information they have received to order a residence card without you showing up.

You will receive the residence card in the mailbox at your address. It is important that the police have the correct address and that the full name of everyone who lives at the address is on your mailbox.

If the police have told you to book an appointment for a residence card, you book an appointment in the application portal of the UDI.

Have you submitted your application from abroad?
Due to the corona situation, you must have been in Norway for ten days before you visit a police station. If you have any symptoms of a respiratory infection, do not come to the police station.

Have you applied for protection (asylum)?

Were you given a residence permit when you applied for protection (asylum)? You must phone the police and make an appointment to get your residence card.

When will the residence card arrive?

You will receive your residence card in the post up to 20 days after your appointment with the police. It is important that the full names of everyone in the family are marked on your mailbox. The postal service will not deliver your residence card unless your name is on the mailbox. Undelivered cards are returned to the police.

Have you not received your residence card even though more than 20 days have passed? Contact the police district you submitted your application to.

Who needs a residence card?

If you are an EU/EEA national, you do not need a residence card. Everyone else with a residence permit in Norway, must have a residence card. Find out how to obtain a residence card at the Directorate of Immigration's website.

Have you lost or need to renew your residence card?

Do you have a permanent residence permit? If so, you need to order a new residence card in good time before your old one expires.

You can also order a new residence card if your card has been lost, damaged, stolen or contains errors.

Read more about how to order a new residence card on the Directorate of Immigration's website.

You will find information about Brexit and how it will affect you, at udi.no.