In 2025, just over 17,000 people applied for protection in Norway, which is over 5,000 fewer than in 2024. For 2026, the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) projects a total of 18,500 applications, including 14,500 from Ukrainians. Since the war began, over 106,000 Ukrainians have applied for protection in Norway. Arrival forecasts remain highly uncertain due to instability in Ukraine and other regions such as Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Gaza, Sudan and Venezuela.
The UDI reduced the backlog of pending cases by 20% in 2025, from 61,000 to 45,000, but backlogs remain significant, meaning many residence permits are still expected to be granted in the future. Applications from Ukrainians fell to 14,600 in 2025, down from over 19,000 in 2024, although arrivals increased later in the year after Ukraine allowed people aged 18–22 to travel abroad. Nearly 85,000 Ukrainians currently hold temporary collective protection in Norway. Norway hosts the largest number of Ukrainians with temporary collective protection in the Nordic region and ranks 10th in Europe per capita, with about 15 people per 1,000 inhabitants.
Since autumn 2024, people from safe areas are no longer entitled to collective protection. So far, 701 applications from these areas have been rejected, five approved, and around 400 remain pending. About 2,500 people returned to Ukraine from Norway in 2025 with the help of return support. Applications from non-Ukrainians fell by 41% from 4,160 in 2024 to 2,421 in 2025, the lowest number since 2021, primarily due to fewer Syrian applicants following the pause in case processing after political changes in Syria. For 2026, the UDI plans for 4,000 asylum seekers from countries other than Ukraine, though uncertainty remains.
Family immigration involving unaccompanied minors rose to about 700 in 2025, more than double the previous year, and 11,693 first-time family immigration permits were granted. The backlog of family immigration cases was reduced by 2,800. Around 11,500 people live in 97 asylum reception centres across Norway, 55 percent of whom are Ukrainians. Ukrainians generally experience shorter stays due to collective protection, while other groups face longer waiting times.