Children applying for family immigration into Norway
Children under the age of 18 are entitled to family immigration with their parents. To be considered a child, you must be under 18 and not be married or cohabiting.
The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) is working to meet its target of reducing the case processing time for all cases. We are particularly focusing on reducing the case processing time for cases involving children. Children applying on their own, from their country of origin are prioritised.
- both parents have been or are being granted residence in Norway
- one of the parents lives in Norway, unless being granted residence here is not in the child’s best interests. A parent who lives in Norway must have parental responsibility or share parental responsibility. If parental responsibility is shared, the consent of the other parent is required.
- the child is adopted and the adoptive parents are settled in Norway. The consent of the Government Adoption Office is required before the child enters Norway.
- the child is a foster child and it is demonstrated that the child is an established member of the household and that those who have parental responsibility for the child legally do so under the law of the country of origin. The rule on foster children requires that parental responsibility has been transferred to the foster parents. The foster home must be approved by the Norwegian child protection authorities.
In some cases children are sent to Norway to apply for asylum, so that the family can join them later. The guidelines for granting family immigration in such cases are very strict. Emphasis is to be placed on whether the family can be reunited in the country of origin. The child’s care situation in Norway must be taken into account, as must whether the child is able to contact his or her biological parents.
Children under the age of 18 are entitled to family immigration with their parents. To be considered a child, you must be under 18 and not be married or cohabiting.
In cases where there is doubt about the age of the applicant, an age test may be carried out. This may not be done without the consent of the person concerned.
Age testing is also carried out in places other than in Norway after the applicant has arrived here. Age testing is carried out in Addis Ababa, Nairobi and Islamabad.
When applying for a residence permit on the grounds of family immigration with a family member in Norway, it must be documented or otherwise proven that the people concerned are a family. Most applicants are able to provide documentation that they are related in the form of birth certificates, marriage certificates, extract from the household register or similar.
Sist oppdatert:
02.05.2006
Publisert:
02.05.2006
