Iceland

Austria citizenship

Language

Icelandic

Car traffic

Right-hand

Phone code

+354

Currency

Icelandic krone

Recognition of dual citizenship

yes

Covid

There are no COVID restrictions

Insurance policy

Insurance policy is required

Residence permit

Citizenship

A residence permit in Iceland allows its owner to enter Iceland and stay there for more than three months. Permission is granted to the applicant if he/she fulfills all the conditions of the application established by the Icelandic immigration office.

Who doesn't need a residence permit in Iceland?

Citizens of the following countries do not need a residence permit to settle in Iceland:

EU member states
Citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland.

However, please note that citizens of these countries will still have to register within three months of arriving in Iceland at the Registration Office.

According to your purpose of living in Iceland there are several types of residence permits:

For the purpose of family reunification, a residence permit may be obtained: Spouse, Child under 18 years of age, The age of one of the parents is 67 years or older, Father of a child under 18 years of age
For the purpose of work, a residence permit is obtained: People who are working in a job that requires special knowledge, Athletes, Qualified specialists based on cooperation and service agreements

For the purpose of training/education
For volunteer and missionary purposes
Legitimate and special purpose
Residence permit for remote workers
Permanent residence permit.

What documents do you need to submit to obtain a residence permit in Iceland?

The main part of your application for a residence permit in Iceland is to collect the necessary documents.

Basic documents for obtaining a residence permit in Iceland:

Payment receipt. If you pay the bank's residence permit fee, you will receive a payment receipt.

Application for a residence permit. Upload the correct residence permit application form according to the type of permit you are applying for.

Passport photo (35 mm x 45 mm)
Photocopy of your passport. Make sure that your passport is valid for at least three months after your planned stay in Iceland.

Certificate of criminal record. Get a criminal record certificate from the relevant authorities of the country where you have lived for at least the last five years. It mustn’t be older than six months and contain an apostille confirmation.

Health insurance. Apply for an insurance certificate from an Icelandic insurance company or a foreign insurance company that is eligible to operate in Iceland. The insurance is valid for six months from the date of registration.

Confirmation of financial capabilities. You will need to provide proof that you have sufficient financial capacity to support you or your dependents during your stay in Iceland, namely:

Individual - 189,875 ISK per month
Steam - 284,813 ISK per month.

Please note that in the case of cohabitation, the support criterion for individuals applies.

A foreigner who has resided in Iceland for a certain period of time may apply for Icelandic citizenship if he/she meets the legal requirements. The Immigration Office grants Icelandic citizenship and handles applications.

The Icelandic parliament can also grant citizenship by law. A foreigner who has been granted Icelandic citizenship isn’t required to renounce their previous citizenship in order to obtain Icelandic citizenship, since Iceland allows dual citizenship. However, the law of the state of which a person is a citizen may require renouncing the citizenship of that state if the person acquires the citizenship of another state.

Citizenship by birth

A person acquires Icelandic citizenship at birth if:

at least one parent is an Icelandic citizen
either their father or mother is a legal resident of Iceland and previously held Icelandic citizenship.

Naturalization

Naturalization allows a foreign citizen to obtain Icelandic citizenship. The procedure is different in each individual case.

What is naturalization?

Naturalization is the last step in the process of integration into the Icelandic way of life. This gives you the right to vote and run.

What are the requirements for obtaining citizenship by naturalization?

A person can be naturalized as an Icelandic citizen after a seven-year period of residence.

There are various allowances for the period of residence:

reduction to four years for a citizen of another northern council country
if a person is married (or in a recognized marriage with) an Icelandic citizen, the residence requirement is reduced to three years. An Icelandic spouse must have citizenship for five years, and the marriage must exist for four years
if a person is in a recognized cohabitation with an Icelandic citizen, the period of residence is five years and meets the same criteria as for a spouse
reduction to two years for a child of an Icelandic citizen, provided that the parent has Icelandic citizenship for five years
former Icelandic citizens require one year of residence
the residence requirement for recognized refugees is 5 years
a person who was born in Iceland and has no other citizenship can obtain citizenship after three years of residence.

It is important that candidates have a good character and are able to provide for themselves in Iceland.

Citizenship by declaration

In some circumstances, individuals can become citizens of Iceland on the declaration. This is a simpler process than naturalization.

Citizenship can be obtained by:

a person who is living in Iceland from the age of 11 (13 years if a stateless person), between the ages of 18 and 20
a former Icelandic citizen who obtained Icelandic citizenship by birth and lived in Iceland until the age of 18 after 2 years of living in Iceland
a citizen of a northern council country (other than naturalization) who has lived in Iceland for 7 years
a former Icelandic citizen who, after losing his Icelandic citizenship, was a citizen of another northern council country. The applicant must reside in Iceland.

People who are not eligible for Icelandic citizenship on the declaration may be eligible for naturalization.

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