International protection for children of refugees
Requirements
A parent who is a refugee in Iceland must fulfill these requirements
The parent in Iceland must either have a residence permit as a refugee on grounds of international protection or subsidiary protection.
If the parent has a residence permit on grounds of subsidiary protection, his/her permit must have been renewed once before family reunification with the person concerned can be applied for. An exception may apply:
If compelling reasons of fairness so recommend, because of urgent care considerations.
If the spouse in Iceland has held a residence permit for one year, has been actively participating in the labour market for eight months, meets the requirements of secure means of support, meets the requirements of Icelandic knowledge and has available housing for the family members who intend to come here.
The parent in Iceland must have custody of the child that applies for family reunification.
If both parents have custody of the child, the parent not living in Iceland must agree to the child receiving a residence permit in Iceland.
A person holding custody of a child without being its biological parent, does not have the right to family reunification for the child unless having also adopted the child.
The adoption procedure must be completed before an application is submitted and the procedure must be in conformity with Icelandic law. An individual living in Iceland and intending to adopt a child from abroad must obtain the prior consent of the district commissioner; cf. Act no. 130/1999 on Adoption.
Requirements that the child must fulfill
The child must be younger than 18 years old when an application is submitted.
The child may not have a spouse.
The child shall live in an household with its parent in Iceland.
Service provider
Directorate of Immigration