WORK PERMIT IN ICELAND
EEA/ EU CITIZENS
Please note that an application will not be processed until it has been paid for.
Estimated application processing time for a residence permit is 30 days.
The Icelandic Directorate of Immigration issues residence permits and this is where you submit applications and the required supplementary documentation.
The following documentation must be submitted with the application:
NOTE: If sufficient documentation has not been submitted, the application processing time will be considerably longer.
1. A completed application form for a residence permit signed by the applicant, original.
2. Passport-size photo – (35mm x 45mm) must be attached to the application
3. Photocopy of the applicant´s passport/travel document – The validity of the passport shall extend at least three months beyond the expected stay in Iceland.
4. Icelandic ID-number (kennitala). You get your ID-number at Þjóðskrá, Borgartúni 24, 105 Reykjavík. Please provide the Directorate with a confirmation from Þjóðskrá.
5. Written confirmation from employer – The applicant shall provide proof of employment. This shall include the time period of the contract and whether this is full-time or part-time (percentage) employment
When the application has been processed, the applicant will be informed by a written notification.
A first-time residence permit for a EEA/EFTA foreigner is usually issued for five years. However, if his job is planned for longer than three months, but shorter than one year, the permit is issued for the corresponding period. The renewal of a residence permit is issued for five years, unless the work period gives a reason for a shorter period. The first renewal of a residence permit to a wage-earner may be issued for one year, if the applicant is unemployed against his will and has been so for more than twelve months. If the applicant is still unemployed when that permit expires, a new permit will not be issued. A first-time permit for a dependant family member of an EEA/EFTA foreigner will issued for the same period of time as the wage-earner´s permit.
NON EEA/ EU CITIZENS
Temporary Work and Residence Permit
Please note that an application will not be processed until it has been paid for.
Estimated application processing time for a residence permit is 90 days.
An application for a first residence permit shall have been approved before a foreigner arrives in the country. This means that if a foreigner is in Iceland when an application is submitted for the first time, he must leave the country while the application is being processed.
The Icelandic Directorate of Immigration issues residence permits and this is where you submit applications for work- and residence permits and the required supplementary documentation.
The following documentation must be submitted with the application:
NOTE: If sufficient documentation has not been submitted, the application processing time will be considerably longer.
1. A completed application form for a residence permit signed by the applicant.
2. A completed application form for a work permit.
3. A signed employment contract.
4. One passport size photo (35mm x 45mm) must be attached to the application.
5. A photocopy of the applicant’s passport. The validity of the passport must be at least three months beyond the proposed permit.
6. Criminal Record Check. The certificate must be issued by the country/countries where the applicant has resided for the past five years, original.
7. Medical Insurance. Insurance must cover at lest 2.000.000 Icel.kr., and shall be issued by an insurance company authorized to provide services in Iceland.
8. Authorization. The applicant may grant a relative or another person in Iceland authorization to enquire about his application.
9. Housing Certificate. The foreigner must prove that he has secure housing for the period of time he is applying for.
Attached to the application must be certified originals of documentation as applicable. The Directorate requires that all foreign documentation issued in languages other than English or one of the Scandinavian Languages, must be translated by an accredited interpreter.
If the application for work and residence permit is approved, the foreigner needs to obtain a D-Visa in the closest embassy issuing such visas on behalf of Iceland. The application must state in which embassy the foreigner intends to obtain the visa.
Upon arrival in Iceland, the foreigner shall:
* Register his domicile in Iceland at the National Registry (Þjóðskrá).
* Deliver a Medical Certificate to the Directorate.
Upon fulfilling those obligations the permit is issued and forwarded to the District Magistrate/Police Authorities in the area where the foreigner resides and a written notification is sent to the foreigner. The first day of the permit is counted as the date the residence permit is issued.
Renewal of a Temporary Work and Residence Permit
An application for renewal that is submitted within the time limits has the effect that the applicant may stay in Iceland subject to the same conditions as before until a decision has been taken on his application. A foreigner shall submit his application for a renewal at least one month before his permit expires; or else the applicant could have to leave the country.
The following documentation must be submitted with the application:
NOTE: If sufficient documentation has not been submitted, the application processing time will be considerably longer.
1. A completed application form for a residence permit signed by the applicant, original.
2. A completed application form for a work permit, original.
3. A signed employment contract.
4. One passport size photo (35mm x 45mm) must be attached to the application.
5. A photocopy of the applicant´s passport. The validity of the passport must be at least three months beyond the proposed permit.
6. Housing Certificate. The foreigner must prove that he has secure housing for the period of time he is applying for.
When the processing of the application is completed, the applicant will be advised by a written notification.
