The repatriation programme is aimed at people who have a residence permit in Norway and who wish to return to their country of origin.
The Norwegian authorities provide financial support for refugees who wish to return to their country of origin. The objective of the support is to enable refugees in Norway, on a voluntary basis, to return and settle permanently in their country of origin.
Anyone granted asylum, collective protection or residence on humanitarian grounds may apply for repatriation support. You may also receive financial support if you have been reunited with a family member who belongs to one of these groups.
Persons who are now Norwegian citizens will normally not be given financial support for repatriation. However, it is possible to apply for an exemption based on humanitarian or social grounds.
You must have lived in Norway for more than three months from your date of entry in order to apply for repatriation support.
You receive a cash payment of NOK 10,000. You must use this financial support to help you resettle in your country of origin.
An amount of NOK 5,000 per person is given for shipping personal belongings. The financial support is paid to everyone who is granted repatriation support, irrespective of the actual shipping costs.
Tickets for the journey home are arranged through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and paid for by the Norwegian authorities. The UDI will order the tickets based on the information in your application. You cannot order tickets yourself if the cost is to be covered by the Norwegian authorities.
If you have a settlement permit, you may ask the police to stamp this permit in your passport from your country of origin. The settlement permit will allow you to travel back to Norway within two years of your departure.
If you have a temporary residence permit, you may travel back to Norway while the permit is still valid.
If you have neither a settlement permit or a valid residence permit, and later wish to re-immigrate, you must apply to the Norwegian authorities for a new residence and/or work permit from the nearest foreign service mission in your home country. You will not automatically be given a new residence and work permit for Norway. Your application will be assessed on an individual basis, and there is no guarantee that it will be granted.
The same rules and procedures that apply for those who do not have a settlement permit also apply for persons with a settlement permit who have lived outside Norway for more than two years.
If you move back to Norway, you must pay back all or some of the financial support you received from the authorities, with the exception of travel costs. The amount which must be paid back is determined by the length of time you stayed in your country of origin.
The rates for graded repayment of repatriation support:
| No. of months you stayed in your country of origin | Amount to be repaid |
| Under 12 months | NOK 15 000,- |
| 13-18 months | NOK 10 000,- |
| 18-24 months | NOK 5 000,- |
| Over 24 months | NOK 0,- |
Persons who are fleeing from injustice in their country of origin may apply for exemption from repayment of the financial support when re-immigrating to Norway. Such applications are assessed on an individual basis by the UDI.
