Who is eligible for collective protection?

Your last permanent place of residence in Ukraine cannot be in an area that is considered by the Norwegian authorities as safe.

In addition, it is a requirement that you

  • In addition, it is a requirement that you are a Ukrainian citizen, and you resided in Ukraine before 24 February 2022. This also includes Ukrainian nationals who were on holiday or a visit outside Ukraine, or who had fled for fear of war. If you were not in Ukraine on 24 February 2022, you must not have been abroad for more than 90 days to be eligible.
  • have been granted protection in Ukraine before 24 February 2022 and your last permanent place of residence was in an area that is considered by the Norwegian authorities as unsafe.
  • are a Ukrainian citizen and already had legal residency in Norway before 24 February 2022. This also applies if you had been granted a residence permit in Norway before 24 February 2022, but entered the country later. Your previous basis for being in Norway must have ended, or be set to end less than two months after you apply for protection, and your last permanent place of residence in Ukraine was in an area that is considered by the Norwegian authorities as unsafe.
  • are a Ukrainian citizen and have legal residence in Norway, but the basis for your residence permit has ended (for example, you had a work permit and you have lost your job). Your previous basis for being in Norway must have ended, or be set to end less than two months after you apply for protection, and your last permanent place of residence in Ukraine was in an area that is considered by the Norwegian authorities as unsafe.

If you are a close family member of someone who has been granted collective protection, you may be granted collective protection. Then it has nothing to say where you have lived or what citizenship you have. You and your family member may apply at the same time.

By close family members we mean spouses, cohabitants and children under the age of 18, or other family members who, before 24 February 2022, were part of the household of the person who has been granted collective protection.

  • Spouse and cohabitant only applies if the marriage or cohabitation was entered into before 24 February 2022.
  • The requirement to be part of the same household is considered fulfilled even if you stayed somewhere else than in the household before 24 February 2022 (for example, on a family visit or holiday), unless you can be considered to have moved out of the household (for example, for studies).

The regulations describing who is eligible for collective protection are published on UDI § Regulations:

There are separate rules for children born in Norway, see Resident permits for children born in Norway and select the relevant category.

If you have ties to Ukraine but do not meet the criteria listed above, you are not eligible for collective protection in Norway.

*Even if you meet the criteria listed above, you will not be granted protection if you have:

If you are not eligible for collective protection, we will assess your need for protection on an individual basis.