The Directorate has informed that the current situation with abnormally high number of passport applicants in Norway and abroad, together with a shortage of raw materials needed to produce travel documents, entails a limit on the number of travel documents that can be issued before the summer.
Therefore, the Directorate encourages applicants in Norway and abroad to postpone their application for a Norwegian passport if:
- Your current Norwegian passport is still valid to the end of the year.
- You have dual citizenship and have a valid passport that can be used for your planned travels
- You are advised not to book a travel before you have secured a valid travel document.
Frequently asked questions from the audience - Q&A
- You report problems with the production of passports, what can I do now?
If you need a passport, you can book an appointment to apply for a passport as usual, but at this time we cannot say when you can expect to receive your passport. If you do not need a passport before the summer, we encourage you to wait to apply in the autumn.
- When will this passport crisis be over?
It is difficult to say for sure due to great uncertainty about the raw material situation. Based on the police's preliminary analysis, the Norwegian Police Directorate expects to be back in a normal situation by the end of 2022. - Can the embassy just extend the validity of the passport until the crisis is over?
No, as of today this is not an option for travel documents. - Can I wait to renew my passport / who can or should wait to renew my passport?
You can only travel with the passport if it is valid. Most countries outside the EU / EEA and Switzerland require that the passport be valid for a minimum period of time (3 or 6 months) after leaving the country you are visiting. If your passport is not valid for the period required by the country, you may be refused entry. If you have travel plans, and your passport is approaching its expiration date, we recommend that you first check the validity requirement of the country you want to travel to before booking an appointment. If you do not need to use your passport, we encourage you to wait. - What are you doing to reduce delivery times?
We appreciate that this uncertainty is difficult for everyone. The Norwegian Police Directorate, who is the overriding authority for issuing and administering Norwegian passports, is working closely with the supplier to find various measures to reduce the delivery time. - My bank says I need a passport, but I cannot find an appointment. What can I do?
We recommend that you contact your bank and explain that it can take time to get a passport and request a postponement. - What raw materials are missing?
There is a general shortage of raw materials for electronic components and long delivery times for these. Passports and ID cards use chips with a particularly high degree of security and must therefore be specially ordered for Norway. In addition, there is limited availability in the market for the plastic and paper components used in the documents.