Returning home Apply for assisted return

Assisted return offers practical support and financial grants to asylum seekers and foreign nationals who do not have the legal right to reside or stay in Norway.

Who can apply?

Anyone whose application for protection has been rejected or is still waiting for an answer can apply for assisted return. If you are in a vulnerable situation, you may be eligible to receive support through assisted return even though you have not applied for protection. Examples of what can be defined as a vulnerable situation are provided further below.

The assisted return scheme provides help and money to return to and resettle in your home country. Assisted return is an alternative to staying in Norway without legal residency.

If you do not leave the country before the deadline, you will be considered as being in Norway illegally. As such, you risk being forcibly returned by the police (external website) and subject to expulsion from Norway and the entire Schengen area.

What does it entail if you are in Norway without the legal right to reside or stay?

You have few rights if you stay in Norway without being legal. You will not be entitled to non-emergency healthcare, and you will not be eligible for a work permit, which means you will not have opportunities to earn a legal income that a permit provides.

What makes assisted return a good alternative?

Assisted return makes it possible for you to return home with dignity. You will be able to plan your journey, and you will have more control over your own life. You will also receive money and we will cover transport costs associated with your return to your home country.

UDI does not share any information about you with the authorities in your home country.

Go here to see how much money you can receive Go to the application form here

We will not ask you to send us a lot of documentation, but we may need you to provide some.

  • If you have a passport or other ID documents, we ask you to attach/upload a copy together with your application.
  • If you have a residence permit in a country outside the EU/EEA (where you are not a citizen), you can apply for assisted return to return there. In such case, you will need to submit a copy of a valid residence permit.
  • If you are in a vulnerable situation we will need some documentation in confirmation. By vulnerable situation, we mean for example that:
    • you came to Norway as an unaccompanied minor and are now between 18 and 23 years old
    • you are over 60 years old, single and without a network in your home country
    • you were a victim of human trafficking
    • you have been a victim of violence or subjected to coercion or exploitation. For example, you may have been exploited in an employment situation or subjected to forced marriage or violence in a close relationship
    • you have a health condition that requires medical treatment in your home country

In terms of documentation, you may provide medical documents, such as medical certificates or discharge summaries. You may also use letters from voluntary organisations (such as ROSA, the Church City Mission or NOAS). Alternatively, you can write a letter describing your situation.

If your documents are not available when you start filling out an application, you can still go ahead and submit your application and send in your documents to UDI later. If you opt to send documents to UDI at a later time, log into the Send documents to UDI page on udi.no.

More information

  • Film about assisted return – Children and young

  • Film about assisted return - Somalia

  • Information for lawyers and representatives

  • Information for reception centre employees
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What happens if you do not leave Norway voluntarily?

  • You are not allowed to work or study in Norway.
  • You will be expelled from Norway and other Schengen countries for a period of 1–5 years. During this period, you cannot travel to Norway or other Schengen countries.
  • The police will deport you.
  • You cannot return to Norway until you have paid the costs of your deportation.
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Questions about assisted return?

Here you will find information on how to contact us. 

You can find more information about assisted return on the IOM website, including brochures in different languages (external website).

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