Norway family reunification visa for children

Spouses, cohabitants and children under 18 of a person living in Norway have a right to family immigration when the legal requirements are met. Other groups that may qualify are parents of children in Norway, parents visiting for up to nine months, fiancé(e)s, minor full siblings without a caregiver at home and dependent children over 18. UDI states that adult siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins are not eligible.

The child must document identity, normally with a passport, and the parent–child relationship, for example with a birth certificate; UDI may ask the child and parent to take a DNA test. If only one parent lives in Norway and custody is shared, the other parent must consent on UDI’s consent form. An adoption made after the adoptive parents moved to Norway must be approved by the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs.

UDI asks for civil status records documenting the family relations, as listed on its checklist for your country, the consent form of the parent who stays behind when custody is shared, and the parent’s income documents.

Original documents issued by public authorities must carry an apostille; passports are exempt. When you apply abroad, copies must be stamped by the authorities or a notary public, and copies of translations must be stamped as well. Documents not in English or Norwegian need translations.

The parent must now have an income of at least NOK 436,957 a year before tax and must have had about the same income last year. If that income is too low, the parent’s spouse or cohabitant can provide a financial guarantee with the same minimum income. A foreign parent must hold permanent residence or a permit that forms the basis for permanent residence or for family immigration. If the parent has protection, the family may be exempt from the income requirement when it applies within the deadlines.

Register the application online, pay the fee and hand in the documents at the Norwegian mission responsible for the child’s place of residence or its external service provider; the mission registers the case for UDI. A child under 18 from a visa-required country can in certain cases apply from Norway when staying legally and both parents, or a parent with sole or agreed custody, live there. Parents in Norway may in limited cases apply on behalf of children abroad.

The child reports to the police within seven days of arrival to give fingerprints and a photo, and the residence card is sent by post. Renew the permit before it expires: NOK 2,200 if filed in time, NOK 5,950 if late.

A refusal can be appealed within three weeks of receiving the letter. The appeal is free, in English or Norwegian, and should contain new information. UDI reconsiders the case and passes it to the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) if the refusal stands.