The legal framework
Appeals against immigration decisions follow Chapter VI of the Public Administration Act of 1967, read together with the Immigration Act. Section 80 of the Immigration Act provides that the Public Administration Act applies unless otherwise provided by or pursuant to statute. A new Public Administration Act (Act of 20 June 2025 No. 81) has been adopted, but it has not entered into force, so the references below are to the 1967 Act.
Who decides your appeal
Section 28 of the Public Administration Act gives a party, or another person with a legal interest in the case, the right to appeal an individual decision. Section 76 of the Immigration Act sets out two routes. Decisions made by UDI at first instance are appealed to the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE), and decisions made by the police, foreign missions or other administrative bodies are appealed to UDI.
For visa decisions made by a foreign mission, UDI states that you send the appeal to UDI, by upload or by post, and that it is then forwarded to the mission. The mission first reconsiders the decision and either reverses it or forwards the appeal to UDI. Under Section 28 of the Public Administration Act, the appeal body’s decision on the appeal cannot itself be appealed.
Where fundamental national interests or foreign-policy considerations have been decisive, Section 129 of the Immigration Act makes the Ministry the appeal body. Decisions made by the Ministry at first instance cannot be appealed.
The deadline and late appeals
Under Section 29 of the Public Administration Act, the deadline is three weeks from the time notification of the decision reaches you. The body that made the decision, or the appeal body, may extend the deadline in special cases, but only before it expires. Under Section 94 a of the Immigration Act, the deadline is one week where UDI considers it obvious that an application for protection does not meet the conditions in Sections 28 and 73.
UDI’s guidance states that if you explain in the appeal why some documents could not be obtained in time, you may be given up to two further weeks to submit them. This is administrative practice and not a statutory right, so you should still lodge the appeal itself within the deadline. Always check the deadline stated in the decision letter.
Under Section 31 of the Public Administration Act, a late appeal may still be considered if you or your representative cannot be blamed for the delay, or if special reasons make it reasonable to examine it. The authority must also consider whether a change could harm others. A late appeal cannot be dealt with as an appeal once more than one year has passed since the decision was made.
What the appeal must contain
Section 32 of the Public Administration Act requires the appeal to be lodged with the body that made the decision and to be signed by you or your representative, or authenticated as laid down in regulations. It must identify the decision and the change you want, and it should state the grounds. If the appeal is defective, the authority sets a short deadline for correcting it.
According to UDI, the appeal must be in Norwegian or English and should state your DUF number and case number. You may upload it through UDI’s online document service or send it by post, and a lawyer may submit it through UDI’s eDialog service. In practice, a well-structured appeal contains:
the date, issuing authority and subject of the decision;
the change you are asking for;
the reasons why the decision is wrong, linked to the relevant facts and provisions; and
supporting documents, with an explanation of anything still outstanding.
Under Section 34 of the Public Administration Act, the appeal body may examine all aspects of the case, including new circumstances. UDI states that an appeal without new information or documents is likely to be rejected, so you should explain how any new material answers the grounds for refusal.
Reconsideration by UDI and review by UNE
Under Section 33 of the Public Administration Act, the body that made the decision must carry out the investigations the appeal calls for, and it may revoke or amend the decision if it finds the appeal justified. If UDI does not change its decision, the case is sent to UNE. UNE decides cases as an independent body under Section 77 of the Immigration Act.
Under Section 78 of the Immigration Act, cases are decided either in a board meeting or, where they raise no substantial doubt, by a board chair alone. In board meetings you may be allowed to attend in person and make a statement, and in asylum cases this is the general rule. Your lawyer may attend with you.
After UNE’s decision
UNE’s decision is final in the administrative system. You may ask UNE to reverse it (omgjøringsanmodning), on the basis of Section 35 of the Public Administration Act and general administrative law, normally by presenting new and relevant information. Where UNE considers it obvious that the request cannot succeed, Section 78 of the Immigration Act provides that its reply need not contain individual reasons.
The validity of a UNE decision can be challenged in court. Under Section 79 of the Immigration Act, the State is represented by UNE, and the case is brought before Oslo District Court. Bringing proceedings does not in itself suspend implementation, but you can ask for deferred implementation under Section 42 of the Public Administration Act.
Deferred implementation
Your right to appeal and your right to remain in Norway while the appeal is processed are separate questions. Under Section 90 c of the Immigration Act, a refusal of a first-time residence permit, or of a renewal application submitted after the deadline in Section 61, may be implemented before it is final if you have had the opportunity to appeal. It may not be implemented earlier than 48 hours after notification reached you, and different rules apply where the application is considered manifestly unfounded.
A refusal of a renewal or permanent residence application submitted in time cannot be implemented before it is final. The same applies to revocation under Section 63 and to expulsion of a person who holds a residence permit or of a Nordic citizen who has stayed in Norway for more than three months, unless it is probable that the person will commit a criminal act against, stalk or otherwise seriously violate the peace of another person. In protection cases, a decision may be implemented before it is final only in the situations listed in Section 90 c.
Decisions on implementation are not individual decisions under the Public Administration Act. Under Section 90 d of the Immigration Act, UNE and UDI may instruct the police to postpone implementation of decisions imposing an obligation to leave. Such decisions normally set a departure deadline of between seven and thirty days under Section 90 a, although a shorter deadline or none may be set in specified cases.
Costs of the appeal
UDI states that no fee is charged for lodging an appeal against a decision made by UDI or a Norwegian foreign mission. Under Section 36 of the Public Administration Act, you are entitled to cover for substantial costs that were necessary to have a decision changed in your favour. This does not apply where the change is due to your own circumstances, to matters outside the control of both you and the authority, or where other special circumstances weigh against it.
The claim must be made no later than three weeks after notification of the new decision reached you. It is decided by the appeal body or, where UDI itself changed the decision, by UDI. Section 29 fourth paragraph and Sections 30 to 32 apply correspondingly.
How we can help
We assist with appeals to UDI and UNE, requests for deferred implementation, requests for reversal and claims for legal costs. Advokatfirmaet Sterk AS can review your decision letter and the deadline that applies to you. Contact us as early as possible within the appeal period.
This article provides general information as of 29 October 2026 and is not legal advice for your specific situation.
