It depends on the child's ties to Iceland how they acquire Icelandic citizenship. A general application for Icelandic citizenship is rarely needed; usually it's sufficient to send a notification to the Directorate of Immigration.

• Young adults aged 18-20 who have lived continuously in Iceland since the age of 13 can send a notification to the Directorate of Immigration.

• In cases of children without citizenship or with international protection who have had a permanent residence and stayed in Iceland continuously for at least three years a legal guardian must submit the notification to the Directorate of Immigration.

• Children of Icelandic citizens are subject to other rules which depend on the status of the child's parent or parents in Iceland as well as when and where the child was born.

• Icelandic citizens who were born abroad and have never had a legal domicile in Iceland nor resided in Iceland can lose their citizenship at the age of 22 and must therefore make a special requests to retain their Icelandic Citizenship.

Notifications and requests are quicker to process than general applications, so we recommend that you first check whether it applies to you.