Citizenship for children of Icelandic citizens
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The rules that determine who is entitled to Icelandic citizenship from birth have changed frequently over the years. The basic rule is that children born to Icelandic parents automatically acquire Icelandic citizenship at birth.
Registers Iceland registers the Icelandic citizenship of those who are automatically entitled to it at birth. The individual in question must, among other things, submit a birth certificate to Registers Iceland.
The right to Icelandic citizenship from birth is based on the Icelandic parent having held Icelandic citizenship at the time of their child's birth. Iceland permitted dual citizenship on 1 July 2003, but before that time, Icelandic citizens lost their Icelandic citizenship when they applied for foreign citizenship. If a parent has lost their Icelandic citizenship before the birth of a child, the child is no longer automatically entitled to Icelandic citizenship, unless the Icelandic parent applies for their Icelandic citizenship to be reinstated.
Children born to one Icelandic and one foreign parent
If a child is born to one Icelandic and one foreign parent, the laws in effect at the time of the child's birth determine whether the child is or was entitled to Icelandic citizenship from birth. It matters when the child was born, whether the father or mother is an Icelandic citizen, the marital status of the parents at the time of the child's birth, and whether the child was born in Iceland or abroad.
Children born after 1 July 2018
A child born after 1 July 2018 automatically acquires Icelandic citizenship at birth if one of its parents is an Icelandic citizen.
Registers Iceland handles the registration of children who automatically acquire Icelandic citizenship.
Children born before 1 July 2018 to an Icelandic mother and foreign father
Children born before 1 July 2018 to an Icelandic father and foreign mother
Child of a parent who became an Icelandic citizen after the child's birth
An individual whose parent became an Icelandic citizen after they were born can apply for Icelandic citizenship through a general application. The conditions are that the individual must have had legal domicile in Iceland for the last two years and the parent must have been an Icelandic citizen for a minimum of five years.
Icelandic citizens born abroad
Please note that Icelandic citizens who were born abroad and have never had legal domicile in Iceland, nor resided or stayed in the country, may lose their citizenship at the age of 22. It is possible to retain the Icelandic citizenship by submitting an application to the Directorate of Immigration.
Service provider
Directorate of Immigration