If you have been granted a limited permit, the heading of the decision letter you receive will read 'limited residence permit'.

Why do we grant limited permits?

It is important for Norwegian authorities to know who is in the country. That is why we usually only grant a residence permit if you have presented an identity document and we have no good reason to doubt your identity.

It is important for Norwegian authorities to know who is in the country. That is why we usually only grant residence permits to people who have presented an identity document and we have no good reason to doubt their identity.

In some cases, however, we believe that there are strong grounds for granting a residence permit. This could be due to particularly strong humanitarian considerations in relation to the circumstances involving a child, or because of serious health problems. In such cases, we can grant you a limited permit that gives you the possibility to document or substantiate your identity at a later time.

What does it mean that the permit is limited?

If your permit is limited it normally means that 

• you cannot be granted a permanent residence permit
• you are not entitled to take a Norwegian language course through the introduction programme for newly arrived refugees
• your family is not entitled to come and live with you in Norway
• you will only be granted a permit to stay in Norway for one year at a time
• you will not be settled in a municipality 

Norwegian law requires you to cooperate with the Norwegian authorities and to obtain the information we request. The decision letter states what we require from you. You can be granted a permit without limitations once you have met the requirements set out in the letter.

How to have the limitations lifted

To have the limitations on your permit lifted, you must apply for renewal of your residence permit and submit documentation of your identity. Your decision letter will state which identity documents you must submit.