Norway

On 12 December 2023, Norway changed its rules on returns to Ukraine from Norway. If you have been granted collective protection and choose to travel back and forth between Ukraine and Norway, you now risk losing your residence permit and protection in Norway. Even if you were granted temporary collective protection before 12 December 2023, and you choose to return to Ukraine now (after 12 December 2023), the new rules will still apply to you.

If you visit or return to Ukraine, you show the Norwegian authorities that you may no longer need protection in Norway. Therefore, Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), who is responsible for making decisions on collective protection, will decide whether you should lose your residence permit.

There are very few exceptions to this rule. You can travel back to Ukraine if you have a legitimate purpose for the trip, but there are extremely few reasons that will be approved.

A legitimate purpose may include a short visit to do something strictly necessary, such as visiting a close relative who is seriously ill or attending the funeral of a close family member. There is a high threshold for UDI to consider the purpose of the trip as legitimate. Only exceptional situations will be accepted. UDI cannot pre-approve a trip you are planning to Ukraine.

If you travel or return to Ukraine and the UDI considers withdrawing your residence permit because of this, you will be given a chance to explain or present documentation, for example medical records for a family member who has fallen ill.

You will be notified that UDI have opened such a case to withdraw your residence permit. You will have the opportunity to explain why you have travelled to Ukraine. UDI will look at the reason why you went home before they decide whether you should lose your permit. This process may take a long time.

If UDI decides that you will lose your residence permit, you will receive a decision letter. The decision letter states why UDI is withdrawing your residence permit. You can appeal the decision.

You have the right to have the costs of a lawyer covered. You must contact a lawyer yourself.
You have the right to see the documents in your case.

If you travelled to Ukraine before December 12 and have not yet returned, the new rules will not apply. UDI will not open a case to withdraw your residence permit for those who travelled to Ukraine before 12 December 2023. You must still make sure that, by the end of your trip, you have not been away for more than 6 months of the time your permit is valid for.

For more information, please check out UDI’s page.

You must notify the Norwegian Tax Administration if you are leaving Norway and are planning to stay in a country outside the Nordic region for more than six months. You must report the move at least 14 days before your departure.

You must also notify UDI if you do not want UDI to extend your collective protection residence permit.

If you participated in the Introduction Programme or receive financial support from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) or other public agencies, you must notify the municipality or NAV that you wish to leave Norway. They can inform you of the consequences it may have for your financial support, and what you must do before you leave (source: Returning to Ukraine | Ny i Norge).

If you decide to move back to Ukraine you can make an online report to the Tax Administration. Webpage: Moving from Norway – The Norwegian Tax Administration (skatteetaten.no)

You can contact also UDI by phone. Phone number: (+47) 23 35 16 00.

You cannot receive financial assistance / support after you have left Norway. If you participated in the Introduction Programme or receive financial support from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) or other public agencies, you must notify the municipality or NAV that you wish to leave Norway. They can inform you of the consequences it may have for your financial support, and what you must do before you leave.

Ukrainians with collective protection in Norway can apply for a repatriation grant/financial assistance for voluntary return. The application should be made to UDI before you leave Norway. To receive a repatriation grant / financial assistance for voluntary return, you must:

• Apply for return support
• Send UDI information about your itinerary and transport home, a copy of tickets for the return journey or self-declaration about the use of a private car
• Notify the National Register of Citizens that you are moving
• Informed UDI about your Norwegian bank account number
• Receive a decision that you will receive support for return from UDI

If you move back to Norway, you must repay all or parts of the cash support you received when you left Norway. The amount you have to pay back depends on how long you stayed in your home country. If you are moving back to Norway because you had to flee from harassment in your home country, you can apply for exemption from repayment of the grant.

More information about the application procedure for voluntary repatriation to Ukraine is available here: Return: Apply for repatriation – UDI.

You can contact UDI by phone. Phone number: (+47) 23 35 16 00.

If UDI withdrew your residence permit as a result of your return to Ukraine and you have now returned to Norway, you may still apply for and receive collective protection again. It is not certain that you will qualify for collective protection if you apply again after your return to Norway.

If you no longer qualify for collective protection when you apply again, you still have the option to apply for asylum through the regular asylum procedures.

Documents that can be used to enter Ukraine:

• Biometric passport (passport for traveling abroad)
• Diplomatic or service passport
• Valid child’s travel document
• Crew member ID card/seaman ID card
• Certificate for return to Ukraine

If your biometric passport has expired, you can extend it at the Ukrainian embassy in Norway.

Please note that Ukrainian men aged 18-60 years of age may not be able to obtain a passport or certain consular services abroad without an updated military booklet. For information on the latest procedures for men to renew or obtain their identity documentation while abroad, please check the clarification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

If you left Ukraine with an internal passport (book-shaped) or ID card, you can still return to Ukraine. To do so, obtain a certificate for return to Ukraine from the Ukrainian embassy in Norway (the certificate is issued on the same day).

If you cannot travel without a visa in the Schengen area, you need a residence card if you are travelling through countries in the Schengen area on your way to Ukraine.

In principle, citizens of Ukraine cannot be denied entry to Ukraine.

If you left Ukraine with an internal passport (book-shaped) or ID card, you can still return to Ukraine. To do so, obtain a certificate for return to Ukraine from the Ukrainian embassy in Norway (the certificate is issued on the same day). 

If you cannot travel without a visa in the Schengen area, you need a residence card if you are travelling through countries in the Schengen area on your way to Ukraine. 

In principle, citizens of Ukraine cannot be denied entry to Ukraine.

If you are not a citizen of Ukraine and you are staying in Norway under temporary protection, you can return to Ukraine using your residence permit in Ukraine. If your residence permanent permit in Ukraine has expired, you can extend this document at the Ukrainian Embassy. 

Please see below contact information for the Ukrainian Embassy in the Kingdom of Norway, Oslo: 

norway.mfa.gov.ua 

0253, Norway, Oslo, Arbins gate 4  

You should inform the school principal that you are withdrawing the enrollment of your child and inform where the child will be enrolled. Ask for an official document acknowledging your child’s educational achievement that will facilitate recognition of the qualifications in Ukraine. More information on what information the document should include can be found on the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science’s webpage.

Citizens of Ukraine cannot be denied entry to Ukraine under no circumstances. Children are subject to the same entry and exit control as adults. Please refer to State Border Guard Service of Ukraine for detailed information. Those crossing the border should have a passport or other document confirming their identity or at least a birth certificate. Children can cross the border with a birth certificate issued abroad.

In case there are no documents, in all countries apart from those where consular relations are ceased (i.e. Russian Federation), children would need to be assisted in obtaining a return certificate based on any documents that can confirm connection to Ukraine (and possessing its citizenship). The Ukrainian Embassy in Norway may issue a return certificate based on copies of documents.

If a child is entering alone or with a non-parent adult, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine shall contact local child protection services, unless they have information about parents awaiting the child. It is advised to inform the Border Guard post that the parent is expecting the child on the Ukrainian side of the border in advance.

Please note that a child should also meet the exit requirements of the host country – please contact The Ukrainian Embassy in Norway to ask for information and get the required documents for return. In some cases, a birth certificate cannot be used as a travel document.

In general, you have a right to view your medical records from Norway. Your health rights as a refugee or asylum seeker in Norway – Helsenorge.

You will need to obtain a disability certificate issued in Ukraine. It can be done on arrival or remotely – please check the instructions on the governmental portal. 

Please note that even if your disability certificate obtained in Ukraine has expired, the document is automatically extended and is considered valid until 6 months after the end of martial law in Ukraine.

When you need to travel abroad you need to check your tax status in Norway. Reporting a move from Norway does not automatically mean that your liability to pay tax in Norway ends.

For more information, check out the Norwegian tax agency’s webpage.

Norway and Ukraine have signed a general tax convention to avoid double taxation and to prevent fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital.

More information is available here.

If you decide to relocate back to Ukraine and will no longer utilize your bank account in Norway, it is advisable to inform the bank accordingly. If there is no activity on the account for a period of time, the bank may choose to close it.

Please note that each bank prepares its own general terms and conditions of the contract, with which the client must be introduced before signing the contract. It is in accordance with the provisions of this contract that legal relations between the payment service provider and the client are concluded, executed and terminated. In general, you should have access to your account as long as your residence permit is valid.

During the martial law in Ukraine the procedure of entry with pets is simplified.  The pet must have:

• An identification document issued by the EU member state – pet passport or international veterinary certificate.
• Microchip
• Vaccination against rabies.

For more information, please visit State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection. Please also contact your local veterinarian to learn about the requirements for pet transportation within EU.

More information from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority is available here.

Please check Ukraine Help page for information about services available inside Ukraine.