Refugee resettlement 2026 is about one concrete goal: municipalities are asked to receive 13,000 refugees this year, and as of 8 July, 5,407 had been resettled – just over 41 per cent. IMDi decides which municipality you get, and resettlement triggers the introduction programme, housing and rights.
Refugee resettlement 2026: status at the mid-year point
IMDi (the Integration and Diversity Directorate) has asked 332 municipalities to receive a total of 13,000 refugees in 2026. As of 8 July 2026, 5,407 people had been resettled, just over 41 per cent of the goal. The vast majority, around 5,100, have collective protection after fleeing from Ukraine. In addition, IMDi has already arranged resettlement for several thousand more people who have not yet moved to a municipality. The number changes throughout the year, so these figures are as of 8 July 2026.
Can you choose which municipality you are resettled in?
No. When you are resettled with public assistance, it is IMDi that makes the decision about which municipality you live in. You cannot choose a municipality yourself, and you only get one offer. Under the Integration Act § 46, you cannot appeal the municipality you are given.
IMDi will still try to find a place that suits you. When the municipality is decided, IMDi looks at, among other things:
- family nearby who already live in Norway
- education and work experience
- career plans and opportunities in the job market
- health and other special needs
The municipality is the lowest level of administration in Norway and is responsible for housing, school and many of the services where you live.
How long must you wait in reception?
The goal is that adults are resettled in a municipality within six months of a positive decision, and that unaccompanied minors are resettled within three months. In practice, the waiting time in reception may be longer, because it depends on how many housing units and places the municipalities have at any given time. While you wait, the usual rules for the asylum process in Norway still apply.
What happens when you are resettled?
Resettlement is the beginning of a new chapter. When you get a municipality, the municipality provides you with housing and plans services and Norwegian language training. As a rule, you have the right and obligation to take part in the introduction programme, with introduction allowance while you participate. The programme is meant to help you with Norwegian and the path to work or education – and figures show that four out of ten refugees go straight to work after the programme. Resettlement thus triggers housing, training and economic rights at the same time.
What is agreed self-settlement?
Agreed self-settlement means that you find housing yourself and contact a municipality to clarify the possibilities. If the municipality says yes, the municipality and IMDi enter into an agreement before the lease contract is approved. You then keep the right to the introduction programme and other social rights. However, be aware of some rules:
- not all municipalities allow agreed self-settlement
- municipalities usually have a limited number of places each year
- the housing and the agreement must be approved before you can move
Prepare yourself for life in the municipality
Regardless of which municipality you come to, Norwegian language training and eventually the citizenship test await you. With SamfunnPrep, you can practise the citizenship test in several languages, so that you feel more confident when the introduction programme starts. The waiting time in reception can be long, but resettlement gives you a fixed address, training and rights you can build on.
