Passports for foreign nationals (alien's passport)

A passport for a foreign national will only be issued if the applicant:

• is lawfully resident in Iceland, and

• can demonstrate that:

  • they are unable to obtain a travel document from their country of origin,

  • they are stateless, or

  • they have a scheduled appointment with the competent authorities, embassy, or consulate for the purpose of receiving a passport issued by their country of origin.

You must submit the following documents with your application form:

It is best to download the form and fill it in on a computer.

Applications for a passport for foreigners must be submitted in their original form on paper.

They can either be sent by regular mail to the Directorate of Immigration or delivered to the drop box in the Directorate’s reception. It is necessary to first pay the processing fee by bank transfer and submit the payment receipt with the application for confirmation, see information on how to pay the processing fee.

Directorate of Immigration (see map)
Dalvegur 18
201 Kópavogur
Iceland

Applications can also be handed in and paid for in the Directorate’s reception or at the offices of District Commissioners outside the capital area.

Processing fee

• Fee

  • Ages 18-66: 19.000 ISK

  • Children, elderly persons and disabled persons: 7.000 ISK

• An unpaid application will be returned to the applicant.

• The processing fee is not refunded if the applicant cancels the application.

When applications for a passport for foreigners have been received and registered by the Directorate of Immigration, they are processed in the order in which they were received.

The majority of applications are processed within six weeks.

It is important to be patient while waiting for a decision. No information about the status of an application can be provided by telephone, email, or online chat while the application is awaiting processing. If an application is incomplete or supporting documents are missing, the Directorate will contact the applicant or their authorized representative.

Important!

Please note that it is important to take the Directorate of Immigration's application processing times into account when scheduling an appointment at a consulate or embassy. It is not recommended to book airline tickets unless you already have a valid travel document in your possession.

Once your application has been processed, the Directorate of Immigration will contact you and inform you of the next steps you need to take.

Once your application for a passport for foreigners has been approved, you must have your photograph taken, either at the Directorate of Immigration (where an appointment is required) or at a District Commissioner’s office outside the Capital Region. Children may only attend a passport photo appointment if accompanied by a legal guardian.

Please note that it is not possible to have your photograph taken before your application has been approved.

If the purpose of the passport is to enable you to obtain a passport from your home country at a consulate or embassy, you must bring a signed declaration to your photo appointment confirming that:

• the passport is issued as an exception and will not be renewed;

• the passport may not be used to apply for a residence permit or Icelandic citizenship;

• the passport is valid only for travel to the country where you will obtain your national passport; and

• the passport is issued for a limited period, not exceeding six months.

The declaration will be sent to you once your application has been approved.

Passport collection

After your photograph has been taken, you will receive an email confirming that your passport production request has been received by the National Registry of Iceland.

Once the passport has been produced, you will receive another email with information about when and where you can collect the passport. Passports are usually ready for collection approximately one week after the production request has been received by the National Registry of Iceland.

If your application for a passport for foreigners is rejected, you have 15 days to appeal the decision to the Immigration and Asylum Appeals Board.

An application for a passport for foreign nationals may be rejected if:

• The necessary supporting documents have not been submitted.

• The applicant's identity has not been established or there is doubt as to the applicant's identity.

• The applicant is wanted by the police, is subject to an arrest warrant or a travel ban, or criminal charges have been brought against the applicant for an offence that may result in a custodial sentence.

• The applicant has been convicted by a final judgment of a particularly serious criminal offence and is considered to pose a danger to society.

• Considerations relating to national security or the Government's foreign policy weigh against issuing the passport.