Missing a birth certificate? A DNA test at UDI (the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration) can prove your family relationship in a family reunification case without documents – the test is free, and it often means the rest of your case is already in order.
A DNA test at UDI usually means good news
A DNA test at UDI is rarely a problem – it is usually a sign that your case is progressing well. UDI typically only requests a DNA test when everything else in your family reunification case has already been approved: income, housing and the relationship you are applying for. The only thing left then is to prove the family relationship itself.
SamfunnPrep has collected all the requirements for family reunification in a dedicated guide: the requirements for family reunification in 2026. You will also find the maintenance requirement explained in detail: the maintenance requirement in family immigration. See also SamfunnPrep's topic page on family immigration for more guides.
Who pays for the DNA test?
UDI pays for the DNA test itself. The sample collection kit, the shipment of the samples and the laboratory analysis are all free for you. You only cover your own travel and accommodation expenses to the place where you take the sample – for example an embassy or a police station.
| What | Who pays |
|---|---|
| Sample collection kit | UDI |
| Shipment of samples | UDI |
| Laboratory analysis | UDI |
| Travel and accommodation for sample collection | You |
This arrangement applies to all DNA tests that UDI has requested. So you do not need to worry about a large private bill – the test itself costs you nothing.
Note that this article covers family reunification cases. In protection cases (asylum cases), different rules apply to DNA testing, and there the police cover interpretation costs up to 50 interpreter hours – this is a different arrangement than the one that applies to family immigration cases.
Why does UDI request a DNA test?
UDI requests a DNA test when there is doubt about the family relationship and the other information in your case is not sufficient. For applications from certain countries, this is very common, because birth certificates and other public documents from those countries often have low credibility – this is about weak registration systems, not that UDI has found something wrong in your case. Weak registration systems mean, for example, late registration of births and incomplete central population registers.
UDI therefore has standard practice of DNA testing the family relationship between parents and children in applications from:
- Afghanistan
- Iraq
- Yemen
- Syria
- All countries in Africa south of the Sahara, except South Africa – this also applies to Somalia and Eritrea
This applies mainly to applications where someone has stated a relationship between parent and child, and only in cases where UDI cannot establish the family relationship securely enough from the documents. It is a standard part of UDI's case processing for these countries, not a suspicion directed at your case alone.
How the DNA test works in practice
UDI can impose (require) you and the family member in Norway to provide a biological sample for DNA analysis. This follows from the Immigration Act § 87, which has given UDI this authority since 1 July 2020. The procedure itself is described in UDI's own guideline UDI 2010-035, which first came out in 2010 and was last updated 21 January 2026 – the rules are updated regularly.
Typically the applicant takes the sample at the Norwegian embassy or foreign service office in the applicant's country, while the family member in Norway (the reference person) provides their sample at a police district here in the country. The samples are sent to a laboratory, which analyzes and compares the DNA profiles of the two. UDI uses the result as evidence in your case, together with everything else you have submitted.
What happens if you decline the test?
You can choose not to take the DNA test – UDI cannot force you physically to provide a sample. But if you decline without a good reason, your application will probably be rejected. If you decline, the embassy or police will record your reason and send it to UDI, which will then process the case in the normal way. UDI may also choose not to require the test if there are special reasons. UDI must inform you in writing about the consequences of not taking the test before you decide, so that you know them in advance.
If you have a real reason not to take the test, you should tell UDI about this as early as possible. The decision to request a DNA test itself is not considered a single decision (a separate decision that can be appealed), so you cannot appeal it alone. If your application is ultimately rejected, you can appeal the rejection – read more in the article about appealing rejection from UDI to UNE.
How long does a DNA test take?
There is no fixed deadline for how long you have to wait for the DNA test. The waiting time depends on the capacity of the embassy or police station where you live or are applying from.
The DNA test comes in addition to the normal processing time for family reunification. You can find more about how long UDI normally takes for a case in the article about UDI's processing time.
Does a positive DNA match automatically mean yes from UDI?
No. A DNA result is one piece of evidence among several, not an automatic approval. UDI makes a holistic assessment of your entire case, where the DNA result carries significant weight, but does not alone decide the outcome.
If the test does not confirm the relationship you have stated, you and the family member will have an opportunity to respond before UDI makes a final decision. This is stated in UDI's guideline (UDI 2010-035 point 5.1), and also follows from the general right to be heard in the Administration Act § 17. If the decision is still rejection, you have the same right to appeal as described above.
Will my DNA be stored forever?
No. UDI must delete and destroy the DNA sample and information about it as soon as possible after the family relationship is confirmed or ruled out. In practice, however, UDI retains the test and result for up to 12 months after the decision is made, out of consideration for case processing and any potential appeal. The sample is not stored as a permanent record about you.
Next steps while you wait
While you are waiting for an answer from UDI, it can be good to use the time wisely. Many people who apply for family reunification participate in the introduction programme at the same time – read more about how it works in the article about the introduction programme.
Several of the topics in this article are also subjects for the citizenship test – practise for free on SamfunnPrep while you wait for an answer from UDI.
