Apply for a work permit

Conditions

• The closest family member of an individual who is to be hired is an Icelandic citizen or has a certain work permit in Iceland.

• The individual has a residence permit as the closest relative of an Icelandic citizen.

• The person in question is a member of a family of a person who has received one of the following work permits:

a permanent residence permit

temporary work permit related to a residence permit on humanitarian grounds

a temporary residence permit on grounds of international protection

a temporary work permit for athletes with a period of validity of at least one year for work and residence permits;

a temporary work permit for studying when studying is considered a postgraduate degree, doctoral degree or research in Iceland, or a foreigner has renewed a residence permit for studying under the Foreign Nationals Act where the foreigner has completed studies in Iceland.

assess whether a foreign national qualifies for the issue of residence permits.

Required data

Original application

Application for a temporary work permit on grounds of family reunification

Employment contract

The employment contract is made between the individual and the employer. It is not necessary to use a standard form of employment contract from the website of the Directorate of Labour but it must be taken into consideration that the material requirements for a contract are the same. What needs to be stated is among other things:

• Information on the intended work of the individual with the employer and the working arrangements. Then also the establishment.

• Information on the pension funds to be paid for the work of the person concerned.

• Pay conditions must be in accordance with the applicable collective agreements. All pay figures must be stated in the contract.

Signs

Both the person who is to be hired and the employer must sign the application and the employment contract.

Responsibilities of applicants

It is the applicants responsibility to submit the necessary documents with an application for a temporary work permit. If necessary documents are missing, the application may be delayed or rejected. The Directorate of Labour requests additional documents if they are considered necessary.

Submit an application

The application is submitted to:

Directorate of Immigration

Dalvegur 18

201 Kópavogur

Outside the capital area

The application is submitted to the relevant office of the District Commissioner.

Revalidation of the work permit

With an application for an extension of a work permit on grounds of family reunification, the same documents must be submitted as with a new application, i.e. the application form and the employment contract. Care should be taken to ensure that the necessary information is included in the documents.

If an application for an extension of a permit from the same employer is submitted before the previous permit expires, the employee may continue to work while the application for an extension is being processed.

It is the responsibility of both applicants to submit the data contained in the list. If all data is not submitted with the application or if information on it is incomplete, this will lead to delays in processing or the application being rejected. The Directorate of Labour may request additional data if the Directorate deems it necessary.

When can an employee start working?

An employee may not start working until a work permit is granted.

All work permits are limited to a specific employer and do not transfer with an employee to a new employer. A person who works for more than one employer must therefore apply for a work permit from each employer and if it is readily available, the general conditions for issuing a work permit on grounds of family reunification are considered to be fulfilled.

New employer

With an application for a new work permit from a new employer, the same documents must be submitted as with a new application, i.e. the application form and the employment contract. Care must be taken to ensure that the necessary information is included in the documents and obtain the opinion of the union before submitting the application for processing.

Employee retires

If an employee leaves before the work permit expires, applicants are obliged to inform the Directorate of Labour. It is sufficient to notify the termination of employment by e-mail to the e-mail address.

General rules of the relevant collective agreement apply to the termination of an employee, as employees who work on the basis of a work permit shall enjoy the same rights as domestic employees.

Laws and regulations

Articles 11 and 12 of Act No. 97 of 2002 on the employment rights of foreigners.

Law no. 80 from 2016.