UDI 2011-040 Control of persons and control of original identity documents

1. Introduction

1.1 Scope

Everyone who applies for a visa or a residence permit in Norway shall, as a rule, present a passport or another approved travel document as proof of his/her identity. In the immigration authorities’ experience, such documents can be forged, and some people try to use ID documents that belong to someone else. That is why it is important to carry out control of persons and documents. This guideline contains guidelines for how the first-line services (the police districts and the foreign service missions) are to check whether the applicant's ID documents are genuine (document control) and whether the applicant is the rightful owner of the documents (control of person). The guidelines apply to applications for first-time residence permits and renewed and permanent residence permits in cases where no such control has previously been carried out. The guidelines also apply to visa cases in which the applicant is required to appear in person, but they do not regulate which visa cases such a requirement will apply to.

This guideline only concerns checking documents against the person who is applying and checking whether the documents are genuine. In this connection, that a document is genuine means that it has been issued by the proper authority in the correct manner. However, a document that has been issued by the proper authority in the correct manner is not deemed to be a genuine document if parts of the document have been changed without the authorisation of the proper authority. This guideline does not regulate other types of investigations, such as checking whether the content of the document is based on correct information or whether other information provided by the applicant is correct; see the guideline concerning verification, UDI 2010-155. Moreover, the guideline does not discuss the issue of whether the documents are generally credible. Here, particular reference is made to Landinfo's report on the general notoriety of documents from different countries in the Country Database and the information in the Norwegian ID Centre’s ID base. Nor does the guideline apply to the control of persons and documents carried out by the National Police Immigration Service (NPIS) in connection with applications for protection.

1.2 Objective

The objective of this guideline is to establish common procedures for how the control of persons and ID documents shall be carried out in visa and residence cases. The guidelines apply to the first-line services in immigration cases, i.e. the police and the foreign service missions. There will be some differences between the requirements for document control carried out by the police and that carried out by the foreign service missions, and also between the different foreign service missions.

1.3 Definitions

The following definitions apply in this guideline:

• Identity: A set of characteristics that, together, define a unique reference to a specific person. In Norway, and in many other countries, important ID information will be the information provided in a person's passport: name, date of birth, place of birth, gender and citizenship. In other countries, several other characteristics must also be stated to establish a unique reference, for example ethnicity, clan and the names of parents.
  
  
• Control of persons: Checking the ID document against the applicant, for example checking that the photo, hair colour, eye colour etc. match the applicant, and that the applicant is familiar with and can elaborate on the information contained in the document.
  
  
• Document control: Investigations carried out to check whether a document has been issued by the proper authority in the correct manner, that the necessary fields have been completed, that the document does not appear to have been altered (without authorisation) etc., and that it otherwise appears to be genuine. Document control is not the same as verification; see the next section.
  
  
• Verification (of identify): a process whereby a person's stated identity is checked against a register, by contacting the authority that issued the ID document presented by the person claiming the identity, and/or by investigating the stated identity in some other manner, cf. the UDI 2010-155 concerning verification in immigration cases (the verification guideline)
  
  
• Genuine document: A document that has been issued by the proper authority in the correct manner, and that has not been manipulated or changed.
  
  
• Notoriety: The credibility of the information (contents) in the documents. Credibility is related to the extent to which the documents in question have been issued on the basis of registered and verifiable information and in accordance with satisfactory procedures.

2. Key provisions concerning the duty to provide documentation in connection with applications for visas, residence permits or protection

One of the conditions for being granted a Schengen visa is that the applicant holds a valid travel document or a document that permits border crossings, cf. the Immigration Act Section 10 first paragraph letter a) and the Immigration Regulations Section 3-17 fourth paragraph.

The Immigration Regulations Section 10-2 second paragraph states that foreign nationals who apply for a residence permit must document their identity by means of a passport or another identity document issued by a public authority. For those applying for protection, the Immigration Act Section 93 first paragraph second sentence states that the applicant must submit his/her passport or other travel document together with the application. These conditions also entail a requirement that the documents presented are genuine, cf. the General Civil Penal Code Section 361 (external link).

The Immigration Act Section 83 second paragraph and the Immigration Regulations Section 17-7 contain provisions concerning the duty of foreign nationals to provide information. These provisions apply both to applications for residence permits and to applications for protection. It follows from the Immigration Act Section 83 second paragraph that, when the immigration authorities so require, a foreign national must contribute to clarifying his/her identity stated upon entry and until such time as the correct identity is registered. The foreign national can also be subject to such a duty at a later point if there is reason to believe that the registered identity is not correct.

The Immigration Regulations Section 17-7 contains provisions about what may be required of the foreign national in such cases, including the presentation of documentation. In the Immigration Act Section 8 third paragraph and the Immigration Regulations Section 2-11 first paragraph, it is stated that the UDI has the authority to accept ID documents other than a passport or to exempt a foreign national from the passport requirement. Persons who are entitled to a residence card pursuant to the Immigration Act Section 118 (family members of EEA nationals) must also present a passport.

A fine or imprisonment may be imposed on a foreign national who fails to comply with an order to contribute to clarifying his/her identity, or who provides materially incorrect or obviously misleading information about his/her identity, cf. the Immigration Act Section 108 first paragraph letters a) and c). Moreover, making a false statement and using false documents is punishable pursuant to the General Civil Penal Code Sections  (external link) 221 first paragraph, 361 first paragraph letter b) and 162.

3. How to carry out control of persons and documents

3.1 Who will carry out the control

It is the agency to which the foreign national submits the application (the first-line service) that is responsible for checking persons and documents. This means it is the case officer at the foreign service mission or the police who must carry out the initial control.

3.2 What documents are to be checked

The first-line service at the police or the foreign service mission shall carry out control of persons and documents in accordance with the guidelines in Chapters 3.3 and 3.4 in connection with the following ID documents:

• national passports and other travel documents, cf. the Immigration Act Section 8 and the Immigration Regulations Chapter 2. This entails:
  
  
  • national passports, cf. the Immigration Regulations Section 2-4
    
    
  • national ID cards from EU countries, cf. Appendix 4 to the Immigration Regulations
    
    
  • diplomatic passports
    
    
  • protective passports
    
    
  • UN laissez-passer
    
    
  • collective passports
    
    
  • military passports
    
    
  • laissez-passer / emergency passport
    
    
  • refugee travel document, cf. the Immigration Regulations Section 2-5
    
    
  • travel document for stateless persons
    
    
  • seafarer's passports
    
    
  • service passports
    
    
  • immigrant’s passports, cf. the Immigration Regulations Section 2-5
    
    
  • domestic passports

The first-line service can also check other types of ID documents than those mentioned in the first paragraph, including national ID cards for some countries outside the EU. The first-line service is only obliged to do this if so requested by the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) in connection with the consideration of individual cases or groups of cases. Which ID documents are to be checked in different types of cases and what type of control is to be carried out are decided by the police or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UD) and the foreign service missions in consultation with the UDI and UNE. In such cases, the UDI can, in consultation with the police or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the foreign service missions, issue specific guidelines for what type of control the police or the foreign service missions are to carry out in relation to the different ID documents.

3.3. The role of the police districts

The police districts’ capacity to check identities varies, and they have different technical equipment at their disposal. For a period, the police districts will therefore have different capabilities in relation to the tasks set out in this chapter. During this period, the police districts shall perform these tasks as far as possible on the basis of their competence and the technical equipment at their disposal.

3.3.1. Control to be carried out in all cases (Minimum ID Control)

When a person applies for a residence permit or a renewed or permanent residence permit from Norway, the police district must always carry out a control of the person and the documents listed in Chapter 3.2. The control must be carried out regardless of who the applicant is and what type of case it concerns (Minimum ID Control).

Such control shall also be carried out:

• in connection with the implementation of a permit in cases where the application was submitted at a foreign service mission or by proxy.
  
  
• in cases where the foreign national comes in person to be issued an entry visa or a new residence card because the old one was lost abroad.

If the applicant does not consent to submitting the document, the police district must consider whether there are grounds for seizing the document pursuant to the Immigration Act Section 104.

Persons who apply for protection must submit their ID documents together with the application. These documents will be checked by the National Police Immigration Service. Some applicants will nonetheless sometimes submit documents to the local police district later on. In such cases, the police district must check that the applicant is the rightful holder of the document; see letter a) below. The document must then be sent to the National Police Immigration Service to check its authenticity. If persons who have been granted a residence permit after applying for protection present ID documents in connection with applying for renewal of the permit or a permanent residence permit, the local police district must check the person and the documents in accordance with the guidelines in this guideline. As regards the procedures for renewing permits that are limited due to matters relating to identity, reference is made to UDI 2018-003 Fornyelse av tillatelser gitt etter søknad om beskyttelse (only available in Norwegian).

Such control involves:

a) matching the passport or other ID document with the applicant (control of person)

The person at the police who receives an application for a residence permit must always check that the passport or other ID document, cf. Chapter 3.2, actually belongs to the applicant.

Guidelines for how control of persons should be carried out are provided in the guide from the Norwegian ID Centre (external link, requires login) and the National Police Directorate.

b) a check of whether the document is genuine (document control)

The person who receives an application for a residence permit must always carry out a simple check of the document. In connection with applications for renewal of a residence permit or a permanent residence permit where the applicant presents the same ID document as has previously been controlled, it is not necessary to check the document again.

Guidelines for how this document control should be carried out are provided in guides from the National Police Directorate and the Norwegian ID Centre and follow the checklist issued by the National Police Directorate.

3.3.2. Extended control

In many cases, the police must carry out a more comprehensive control of the documents than what follows from Chapter 3.3.1. If the case officer who receives the application lacks the competence or equipment required to carry out the investigations him/herself, he/she shall ask for assistance from the second-line ID service in the police district, or from the Norwegian ID Centre (NID) if the police district does not have such a second-line service. It may also be relevant to confiscate the document, cf. Chapter 4.2.

Cases where extended control should definitely be carried out:

a) when the case officer is unfamiliar with the type of document presented

If the police’s case officer is not familiar with the type of document presented, it must first be checked whether the document is listed under the Council of the European Union’s ‘Table of travel documents entitling the holder to cross the external borders and which may be endorsed with a visa’ (the table of travel documents). Furthermore, the document shall be checked against the reference databases to which the individual police district has access.

b) in cases of concrete suspicion

A thorough check must always be carried out if the police, following the initial check, suspect that the document may be false, or if they are in doubt about whether the applicant is the rightful holder of the document. The rightful holder of a document is the person who has legal and physical ownership of the document, and it shall be checked that the person in physical possession of the document is also the legal owner of the document. Such investigations may for example include checking against relevant registers that are available in the individual police district and more extensive technical investigations. Guidelines for what kind of document control should be carried out in such cases and how to follow it up are provided in the checklist from the National Police Directorate. In cases of concrete suspicion that a document is false, the applicant’s fingerprints must be taken. A fingerprint can, for example, uncover whether the applicant has previously applied for a residence permit using a different identity.

c) in cases where there is conflicting information about identity

In cases where the applicant presents an ID document with different ID information than previously stated, an extended control should always be carried out of this document. This shall be done regardless of whether the applicant presents the document in connection with an application. The applicant should also explain why he/she is presenting a document with new ID information. In such cases, it may be relevant to demand that the applicant present other ID documents in addition to the travel document, particularly breeder documents for the travel document such as a national ID card and nationality certificate. Such breeder documents should then also be checked. For more information about case processing in cases where applicants submit conflicting information about their identity, and about what checks must be carried out, reference is made to the ID guideline, UDI 2012-009, Chapter 4.1.2 and 7.2.1 points 6 and 7, which state that, as a rule, the police district shall interview the applicant. Procedures for what kind of document control should be carried out in such cases and how to follow it up are provided in the checklist from the National Police Directorate (external link, requires login).

d) following a risk assessment

Experience shows that there is a greater risk of documents from certain countries being forged, or that some types of documents may be more liable to forgery. It may also be the case that some types of applications from certain countries are commonly accompanied by false documents. The factors that require particular attention in this connection are constantly changing. If, in connection with a normal introductory control and in light of the case officer's experience of certain countries and types of cases, circumstances are discovered that make extra attention necessary, the case can be considered a risk case.

In risk cases, the police must always carry out extended control to check whether the document is genuine, cf. the procedures for such extended control provided in the checklist from the National Police Directorate. The document can also be checked against the reference databases at the police's disposal. It must be assessed which technical investigations are expedient for each risk type, and, in this assessment, the case officer can contact the second-line ID service in the police district or the Norwegian ID Centre if the police district does not have such a second-line service.

When the police assess the risk in a case, they may decide to check cases from countries in which documents have good notoriety even more thoroughly, since travel documents from such countries can confer better rights on their holder, such as freedom from visa requirements etc. However, this does not mean that documents with low notoriety shall not be checked for authenticity.

3.4 The role of the foreign service missions

When someone applies for a residence permit or a visa, including an entry visa, from abroad, it is the foreign service mission that must carry out the control of persons and documents. If the foreign service mission has entered into an agreement with external service providers for the receipt of applications, see Chapter 3.4.1, the agreement must state that they shall carry out the control of persons on behalf of the foreign service mission. In such cases, the documents must normally also be checked by the foreign service mission. When applications are submitted to honorary consulates, the consulate will check the person on behalf of the Norwegian foreign service mission, while the documents are sent to the foreign service mission, where they are checked for their authenticity, among other things.

In places where Norway is represented by another country's foreign service mission, the other country’s foreign service mission will carry out control of persons and documents if this is part of the agreement between the countries. The other country’s foreign service mission will in such case carry out the control in accordance with its own procedures.

3.4.1. Control to be carried out in all cases (Minimum ID Control)

As the police do when the applicant is in Norway, the foreign service missions shall as a rule carry out a control of persons and documents (Minimum ID Control) in all cases, with a possible exception for applications that, based on their content, will obviously not be approved. Reference is made to Chapter 3.3.1 concerning how to carry out such a control. Furthermore, reference is made to the guidelines for how such control of persons and ID documents shall be carried out in the Action Cards from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UD) ‘Minimum ID Control’ (action cards not completed, but will be available by logging in to nid.no). The foreign service missions will often be relatively familiar with what a genuine document from the country looks like, and what the issuing procedures are for the document in question.

Not all applicants appear in person at the foreign service mission. In visa cases, this often applies to persons who apply through accredited travel agencies, or who are business travellers. These applicants are regarded as unproblematic (bona fide) by the foreign service missions. Nor are the following applicants required to appear in person at a foreign service mission:

• Holders of diplomatic passports, service passports or official passports who are applying for an entry visa pursuant to the UDI 2010-004 Visa for foreign nationals affiliated to diplomatic or paid consular missions.
  
  
• Applicants who, under the Visa Code, are exempt from the requirement that applicants must appear in person. In the above-mentioned cases, it is not necessary to carry out such control.

Moreover, some foreign service missions have entered into agreements with external service providers, for example for the receipt of applications for residence permits (outsourcing). In such cases, the foreign service mission must also delegate the task of carrying out control of persons to the external service provider. The foreign service missions stipulate guidelines for the level and content of the controls that must be carried out in the contract with the relevant service provider. The foreign service missions also have procedures for checking that the controls are of the agreed scope and quality. In such cases, the documents will be sent to the foreign service missions, which will check, in accordance with the rest of Chapter 3.3.1, whether the documents are genuine. When applications are submitted to honorary consulates, the consulate will check the person on behalf of the Norwegian foreign service mission, while the documents are sent to the foreign service mission to check their authenticity.

The foreign service missions may also – by agreement with the UDI – exempt certain groups of applicants from appearing in person. In such cases, no control of persons will be carried out. In cases where the original passport or other travel document is sent to the foreign service mission in connection with the introduction of entry visas, the foreign service mission must nonetheless check whether the document is genuine.

3.4.2 Extended control

In some cases, the foreign service missions must carry out a more comprehensive control of the documents:

a) when a document is presented that is unfamiliar to the first-line personnel

If the case officer at the foreign service mission is not familiar with the type of document presented, it must first be checked whether the document is listed in the Council of the European Union’s ‘Table of travel documents entitling the holder to cross the external borders and which may be endorsed with a visa’ (the table of travel documents), and it must be checked against the reference databases available at the foreign service mission (databases that contain specimens of the relevant document), cf. Chapter 3.3.2.

b) in cases of concrete suspicion

A more thorough check must always be carried out if the foreign service mission, following the initial check, suspects that the document may be false, or if there is doubt about whether the applicant is the rightful holder of the document. This can be done by checking the document against relevant reference databases or registers to which the foreign service mission has access, and by carrying out more extensive technical investigations and facial comparison. Guidelines for what kind of document control should be carried out in such cases and how to follow it up are provided in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Action Cards for extended control in immigration cases prepared in cooperation with the Norwegian ID Centre (action cards not completed, but will be available by logging in to nid.no). An alternative is to contact the issuing authority concerned to verify that it has actually issued the document. Moreover, in cases where there is doubt about whether a document is false or has been issued in an irregular manner, it may also be relevant to consult the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ regional ID expert, or the local foreign service missions of other countries. If the regional ID expert is also in doubt, the Norwegian ID Centre can be contacted for advice. In principle, the foreign service missions shall not contact the Norwegian ID Centre unless the case is very urgent and it is not possible for the foreign service mission to establish contact with the regional ID expert in time.

c) following a risk assessment

Experience shows that there is a greater risk of documents from certain countries being forged, or that some types of documents may be more liable to forgery or being used by imposters. It can also be the case that some types of applications from certain countries are commonly accompanied by false documents. The factors that require particular attention in this connection are constantly changing. The foreign service missions should – in collaboration with other agencies such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ regional ID expert, other foreign embassies, liaison officers, the UDI and the police – define risk areas for residence cases based on the situation in their own region. In visa cases, the guidelines set out in the local Schengen regulations must be followed.

In risk cases, the foreign service missions must always carry out extended control to check whether the document is genuine, cf. the procedures for such extended control in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Action Cards (action cards not completed, but will be available by logging in to nid.no). The document can also be checked against the reference registers at the foreign service mission's disposal. It must be assessed which technical investigations are expedient for each risk type, and, in this assessment, the case officer can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ regional ID expert. 

d) in cases where there is conflicting information about identity

In cases where the applicant presents ID documents with other ID information than included in the application or previously stated , an extended control should always be carried out of this document. As a rule, the applicant should also explain why he/she is presenting a document with new ID information. In such cases, it may be relevant to demand that the applicant present other ID documents in addition to the travel document, particularly breeder documents for the travel document such as a national ID card and nationality certificate. Such breeder documents should then also be checked.

e) in cases of doubt about whether the person is the same as the person pictured in the travel document

The foreign service mission should carry out a more thorough facial comparison. The Foreign Service’s ID experts can give advice on how to carry out such a comparison and, if necessary, help with its execution.

If the application was submitted via an external service provider, the photo taken at the time the application was submitted must be compared to the photo in the travel document If the foreign service mission is still in doubt, it should be considered whether the applicant should be called in to the foreign service mission to carry out the comparison there. Furthermore, the foreign service mission should consider carrying out an ID interview to shed further light on the applicant’s identity.

4. Work following the control of persons and documents

4.1. Remarks relating to controls in the first-line service

The control of persons and documents and assessments carried out by the first-line service are important to the other agencies in the immigration administration. They are particularly important to those who are to decide the case after the application has been received, either by the police, the foreign service mission, the UDI or UNE. It must therefore be clear from the remarks made by the first-line service in the case what type of controls have been carried out of persons and documents, and the result of this control. If the person and document have not been checked in cases where it follows from Chapter 3.3.1 and 3.4.1 that such control shall, as a rule, be carried out, it must be clearly stated in the forwarding letter that this has not been done, and the reason must also be given. If the applicant has not been required to submit his/her application in person at the foreign service mission, cf. Chapter 3.4.1, this must be clearly stated in the forwarding letter.

Control pursuant to Chapters 3.3.1 and 3.4.1 (Minimum ID Control).

In cases where, in accordance with Chapters 3.3.1 and 3.4.1, a mandatory control has been carried out to check whether an original document is genuine, this must be clearly stated in the forwarding letter to the UDI.

The role of the police

The police must fill in the checklist for control of persons and documents carried out by the police (external link, requires login). It must also be stated whether the document, or photos for facial comparison, has been sent to the Norwegian ID Centre, the NPIS or Kripos. If the application has been forwarded to the UDI before the police have received the results of the document control or the facial comparison, this must be stated in the forwarding letter to the UDI. The checklist shall be scanned together with the document that has been checked. The Norwegian ID Centre has published a guide for scanning of ID documents which the police are asked to comply with.

The role of the foreign service missions

If such control uncovers findings or nonconformities that have a bearing on the assessment of whether the document is genuine, the foreign service missions must specify in a report the findings and nonconformities uncovered, for example:

• the document applies to a person other than the applicant
  
  
• the document has been forged/altered
  
  
• the document was not issued in accordance with the guidelines for issuing
  
  
• The ID information in the document is false.

Extended control, cf. Chapters 3.3.2 and 3.4.2

In cases where, in accordance with Chapters 3.3.2 and 3.4.2, an extended control has been carried out, it must be clear from the forwarding letter to the UDI what investigations have been carried out.

The role of the police

The police must fill in the checklist for control of persons and documents carried out by the police (external link, requires login), which must also state whether the document has been sent to the Norwegian ID Centre, the NPIS or Kripos. If the application has been forwarded to the UDI before the police have received the results of the document control, this must be stated in the forwarding letter to the UDI.

The role of the foreign service missions

If such control uncovers findings or nonconformities that have a bearing on the assessment of whether the document is genuine, the foreign service missions must state this in the same way as with findings made in connection with Minimum ID Controls. The report must also state whether the document has been presented to the regional ID expert or other with second or third-line competence in document control.

4.2 Procedures when a document is deemed to be suspicious or false

There are several leads that can be followed when a document is deemed to be suspicious. Many considerations can affect the assessment of how suspicion should be followed-up, for example how important the document in question is in relation to deciding the application, and whether it is possible to verify the document in the country in question. How the first-line service follows up a specific case will therefore often depend on a concrete overall assessment. In cases that will clearly result in rejection, for example, it will not be necessary to verify information. Read more about verification and the procedures concerning verification in the verification guideline, UDI 2010-155.

The case officer at the foreign service mission or the police must decide whether there are grounds for further investigation before a decision is made, where the first-line service is competent to do so, or the case is sent to the UDI. Such investigations can include checking against registers in the applicant's home country.

4.2.1 The role of the police

Police case officers can seek advice from the second-line ID service in the police district, the NPIS, Landinfo or the Norwegian ID Centre.

When the case is forwarded to the UDI, the police must remark what investigations have been carried out, and whether the document is suspected of being false, and if so, on what basis. More information about the remarks that must be included is available in Chapter 4.1.

4.2.2 The role of the foreign service missions

Case officers at foreign service missions can seek advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ regional ID expert, foreign service missions in other countries, liaison officers and the Norwegian ID Centre. If the police are the firstline service, it may also be relevant to confiscate the presumed false document and, if applicable, pursue the matter further in the form of expulsion or rejection or prosecution.

In the instructions 2015-09-21-UD, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has provided guidelines for how the foreign service missions should handle false documents and findings made in connection with ID controls and follow-up when the station has uncovered a false identity or false documents in connection with case processing, and the UDI has adopted procedures for the opening of expulsion cases in such cases in UDI 2015-010.

When the case is forwarded to the UDI, it must be clear from the forwarding from the foreign service mission whether the control of persons and documents uncovered nonconformities, including whether the document is suspected of being false/forged, and if so, on what basis. More information about the remarks that must be included is available in Chapter 4.1.

4.3. Information that is to be presented to the applicant

The registrations made in connection with control of persons and documents carried out by the first-line service, shall, at the first line service’s own initiative, be presented to the applicant or his/her authorised representative for comment, if the information is of material importance to the outcome of the case, cf. the clarification and information duty in the Public Administration Act (external link) Section 17. For a more detailed explanation of the duty to provide information pursuant to the Public Administration Act Section 17 second and third paragraphs, see the UDI 2014-010 point 8. The registrations should not be presented to the applicant if the case is to be reported to the police and such presentation in the administrative case could influence the criminal case, or if comments from the applicant will entail self-incrimination. The immigration administration, for example, has a duty to present to the party concerned the result of any controls that do not confirm the information about identity that is otherwise registered in the case, e.g. because an ID document has been found to be false or forged. It is the first-line case officer who is responsible for deciding whether information from such controls shall be presented to the applicant, and for communicating this information to the applicant or his/her authorised representative. The result of the presentation shall be written down and included in the case documents.

4.4. Forwarding information to Landinfo, the Norwegian ID Centre and Kripos

It is the first-line case officer who is responsible for forwarding information that may be of interest to other entities or departments, the NPIS, Landinfo, the Norwegian ID Centre, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ regional ID experts and Kripos. This could be reports that a special representative for immigration cases has prepared in connection with document control, or general information that has emerged in connection with individual cases. Examples of information that may be worth forwarding are trends as regards forgeries of one type of document or risk assessments for different countries and document types. If the case officer is in doubt about whether to forward something, he/she must consult the relevant entities or agencies.

4.5. Assessment of information obtained through control of persons and documents

The UDI's case officers must be critical in their attitude to sources of information that can be of importance to the outcome of a case. This also applies to information obtained through the control of persons and documents and other information obtained via the police of foreign service missions. This is especially important when feedback to the UDI from sources abroad has only been passed on by the foreign service mission without it assessing whether the information is valid.

4.6. Information about the UDI's assessment relating to the control of persons and documents

If the UDI has carried out any investigations in addition to those carried out by the first-line service, this must also be stated in the registrations or remarks in the case. This is information that may be important in relation to subsequent case processing by the police, a possible future appeal or future applications for a permanent residence permit or citizenship. The case officer should consider whether this information should be written in a memo and included in the case documents, so that it becomes available to the police in future cases, such as renewal of the permit and an application for a permanent residence permit. The decision must also state whether such control of persons and documents has been carried out, cf. UDI 2012-009 Chapter 4.3.