What is a residence card?

A residence card is a credit-card-sized plastic card that proves that you have been granted a residence permit in Norway. The police will order a residence card for you.

If you have applied from Norway, you might receive your residence card without meeting at the police station again. If this applies to you, the police will send you the residence card in the mail. This means that you do not have to book an appointment. Read below to find out when you must book an appointment.

What do you need to do to receive the card in the mail?

• If you are a new postal recipient in Norway: fill in this form (external website, opens in new window) and hand it in at a post office or in-store post office. Remember to bring identification.
• If you are already a registered postal recipient, check that your correct postal address is registered with Posten (external website). The site requires login with BankID or MinID.
• Make sure you have your name on your letterbox, otherwise you will not receive the card. If the card gets lost in the post, it will take some time before you can get a new one.
• You should not book trips abroad until you have received your new residence card.

How long will it take until you get the card?

It will take at least 20 working days from your appointment with the police until you receive the card in the post. 

You must book an appointment to get a residence card

• If you have applied from abroad.
• If you have an expired Norwegian alien's passport or refugee travel document which you have not already given to the police.
• If your application was submitted by another person with a power of attorney (i.e. you must book an appointment with the police yourself to get a residence card).
• If you have applied for a residence permit in accordance with the Brexit regulations (you will be notified to book an appointment after your application has been processed).
• If you have applied for protection for the first time with the police, the police will summon you to class. You do not have to book an appointment yourself.

At the police station, the police will take a photo of you and register your fingerprints.

How to book an appointment?

Booking an appointment electronically

If you filled in and sent the application electronically, you can now log in to book the appointment.

Booking an appointment by phone

If you did not fill in an electronic application form when you applied for a residence permit, you must instead call your local police district to book an appointment. UDI cannot help you to book an appointment.

Please notify the Norwegian Tax Administration / Population Register if you move, either to a new address in Norway or into/out of Norway.

Losing a permit means that UDI has decided that the residence permit is no longer valid. It may mean that you are no longer allowed to live in Norway or that you will be granted a new residence permit, and your residence period in Norway will restart.

There may be different reasons why you lose your residence permit, for example, if you:

• have stayed outside Norway for a continuous period of two years or for a total period of two years during a four-year period (if you wish to stay abroad for more than two years, you must apply for this)
• have provided incorrect information in your case

Here you will find more information about revoking a permanent residence permit.