The Ministry of Justice and Public Security issued Instruction GI-09/2025, authorizing UDI to waive the application fee for family immigration cases involving close relatives of Palestinians medically evacuated from Gaza under Instruction GI-03/2025. The decision is based on UDI’s proposal, which highlighted the exceptional vulnerability of these families and the reference persons’ inability to pay the fee. UDI also noted that many evacuees were brought to Norway without fully informed consent and that the evacuations took place under chaotic circumstances, leaving some family members behind in Gaza. The Ministry concurred that these factors constitute an “extraordinary situation” under §17-13 of the Immigration Regulations, justifying an exemption from the standard fee requirement. The exemption applies to a small and clearly defined group( estimated at no more than 55 applications) and only to existing close family members applying within a short time frame. The Ministry emphasized that the exemption is temporary and will cease once the situation in Gaza changes such that it can no longer be considered extraordinary.
