After registering online, follow the submission method UDI gives you for your case, usually an appointment with the police. The police may decide straightforward cases or send them to UDI. While you wait, keep track of messages and any changes to the requirements for your permit.
First steps: registration, payment and submission
Check what you have actually completed. Filling out an online form, paying, booking an appointment and submitting an application with documents are different steps. UDI’s waiting time for permanent residence is counted from when you submit the application and documents to the police in Norway, or to an application centre abroad where relevant. An email confirming that you booked an appointment therefore does not mean that processing is complete or that permanent residence has been granted.
Save receipts for the application, payment and appointment. Log in to My applications if you are unsure of the date. UDI says that the date may also be found on the receipt from the police. Keep a copy of the document checklist that applied to you so you can later see what you submitted. Read the permanent residence requirements, but let UDI’s personal checklist guide the actual submission.
Who processes the case: the police or UDI?
The police process many applications themselves. If they can establish that the requirements are met, they may grant permanent residence. If the requirements are not met or are unclear, the police send the application to UDI. The police will notify you when the case is forwarded. When UDI receives it, UDI says you will normally get an email or text message.
The case then waits in a queue until it can be processed. For cases actually sent to UDI, UDI describes monthly messages confirming that the application is still waiting. If the police have also granted a temporary permit, UDI says that some of these messages are not sent. Not receiving a particular text message is therefore not by itself proof that your application is lost. Check My applications or contact the right authority about a specific problem.
| Message or event | What you should do |
|---|---|
| You registered the application and received an appointment with the police | Attend with the documents on your personal checklist. |
| The police send the case to UDI | Save the notice and check whether your temporary permit has been renewed. |
| UDI confirms receipt or that the case is in the queue | Watch for messages and keep your contact details up to date. |
| UDI asks for more documents | Read exactly what is requested and follow the response deadline in the letter. |
| You receive a decision | Read the result, reasons, any next steps and the appeal deadline. |
Can you submit additional documents?
Yes, UDI has an official upload service. You can use it for missing documents, new information or when you have been asked for something. Log in, find the application under “Submitted applications,” select “Upload documents” and choose the correct document type. UDI says you can only upload documents to an application that has been submitted and paid for. You will receive an email receipt after submitting. Save it; you do not need to contact UDI just to confirm that the file has arrived.
UDI says on its waiting-time page that it will contact you if documents are missing when the case is reviewed. You keep your place in the queue. This does not mean that you should wait to report information you know is important. For example, new information about income, work or family circumstances may affect the assessment. Send it through the correct channel and briefly explain what has changed. If you only want to replace an unclear image, identify the earlier document it relates to.
What should you pay attention to while waiting?
An important date applies from 1 September 2025: For applications submitted to the police after this date, the requirements for permanent residence must generally be met when the police or UDI decides the case. The self-support requirement has a separate rule: it may be met when you apply or later before the decision. Among other things, you must continue to meet the requirements for the temporary permit that forms the basis for permanent residence. If you have a skilled-worker permit, read the rules for changing jobs. Other permits may have different conditions.
If the police send the application to UDI, UDI says that the police must renew the temporary permit if its requirements are met. If you receive such a renewal and it later expires before UDI responds, you may apply for another renewal. Do not assume that an application for permanent residence automatically makes an expired residence card valid or covers travel. Check the deadlines and correct renewal process.
If you move, update your address. UDI says that people registered in Norway report the move to the Population Register, which automatically gives UDI the new address. If you are in Norway but not registered in the Population Register, UDI says that you must notify the police no later than one week after moving. These rules apply to your address, not to every possible change in your case.
How do you follow up on waiting time and a decision?
Use UDI’s waiting-time guide for your case. Waiting times change and are indicative. UDI says that the police process most permanent residence applications; for those cases, check the police’s waiting time. How to check the correct processing time. Another applicant’s waiting time does not set a deadline for your case.
When a decision has been made, UDI or the police will notify you. If you have given someone power of attorney for your case, UDI says that person will receive the answer and must inform you. Read the full decision. If it is granted, follow the instructions about your residence card. If it is refused, read the reasons and appeal deadline in the letter before deciding what to do next. The guide to residence cards explains the card after a positive decision.
A short weekly routine may help: check email and text messages, look for letters from UDI, note the expiry date of your permit and store relevant new documents in a secure folder. SamfunnPrep can help you prepare for social studies if the test requirement still applies to you, but it cannot see or influence your UDI case. When you need to practise, you can try SamfunnPrep for free.
Sources and process were checked on 2 October 2026.
