How to prove you are a resident of Norway without a residence card
You may need to document your legal right to reside in Norway while waiting for your residence card to arrive. Here's how.
After being granted residence in Norway, you will receive a card that documents and confirms to the authorities that you have the legal right to live and work in Norway.
However, it may take some time before your residence card reaches you in the mail. Some applicants may also be required to meet with the police to order a residence card. Some police districts in Norway may have long waiting times, which means it may be a while before you secure your card.
Once the police appointment is sorted, it can take 20 days to have the card produced and sent to you.
In the meantime, you'll need a way to prove that you are a legal resident of Norway. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) advises that while a residence card itself is the best way for those with the right to live in Norway to document their rights, you can use the decision letter they received from immigration authorities or the police to prove their residence.
The decision letter will either be emailed to you or you can find a copy in your digital mailbox if you have one set up. The letter will outline your rights. Those who apply from Norway can also prove for how long they've been a legal resident in Norway.
Those whose employers want to know whether they have the right to work in Norway can contact the UDI. Those who have applied for a permit outside Norway will have the right to work after receiving a decision and booking an appointment with the police.
No way of documenting residence when travelling
Unfortunately for those from outside the EU/EEA who do not have the right to freedom of movement across the bloc, there isn't a way of documenting legal residence in Norway without a residence card.
"If you travel abroad without a valid residence card, you do so at your own risk. You may then experience problems at the border control into Schengen/Norway or at an ID check in another Schengen country. In other words, you may have difficulties travelling back to Norway after your stay abroad, "the UDI advises on its website.
This means that you won't be able to use a job or rental contract or your decision letter to prove your right to live in Norway while travelling.
It added that the UDI wouldn't be able to give any confirmation of legal residence that can be used when travelling abroad without a card.
For those wanting to travel to Norway after being granted a resident's permit, the embassy in the country they applied to will typically grant them an entry visa to head to Norway.
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After being granted residence in Norway, you will receive a card that documents and confirms to the authorities that you have the legal right to live and work in Norway.
However, it may take some time before your residence card reaches you in the mail. Some applicants may also be required to meet with the police to order a residence card. Some police districts in Norway may have long waiting times, which means it may be a while before you secure your card.
Once the police appointment is sorted, it can take 20 days to have the card produced and sent to you.
In the meantime, you'll need a way to prove that you are a legal resident of Norway. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) advises that while a residence card itself is the best way for those with the right to live in Norway to document their rights, you can use the decision letter they received from immigration authorities or the police to prove their residence.
The decision letter will either be emailed to you or you can find a copy in your digital mailbox if you have one set up. The letter will outline your rights. Those who apply from Norway can also prove for how long they've been a legal resident in Norway.
Those whose employers want to know whether they have the right to work in Norway can contact the UDI. Those who have applied for a permit outside Norway will have the right to work after receiving a decision and booking an appointment with the police.
No way of documenting residence when travelling
Unfortunately for those from outside the EU/EEA who do not have the right to freedom of movement across the bloc, there isn't a way of documenting legal residence in Norway without a residence card.
"If you travel abroad without a valid residence card, you do so at your own risk. You may then experience problems at the border control into Schengen/Norway or at an ID check in another Schengen country. In other words, you may have difficulties travelling back to Norway after your stay abroad, "the UDI advises on its website.
This means that you won't be able to use a job or rental contract or your decision letter to prove your right to live in Norway while travelling.
It added that the UDI wouldn't be able to give any confirmation of legal residence that can be used when travelling abroad without a card.
For those wanting to travel to Norway after being granted a resident's permit, the embassy in the country they applied to will typically grant them an entry visa to head to Norway.
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