International protection for children of refugees
Supporting documents
It is the parent's responsibility
to submit the necessary supporting documents with the application and
to make sure documents meet the document requirements, see instructions below.
If satisfactory documentation is not submitted with the application, this may lead to delays in processing or rejection of the application.
The Directorate of Immigration may request additional data when special circumstances recommend this.
The passport photo should be 35x45 mm.
The passport must be valid when the application is submitted.
The copy must be from the personal information page and signature page.
A child born in Iceland must not submit a photocopy of passport.
The child's birth certificate must be submitted in a legally authenticated original or as a certified copy of the legally authenticated original, see document requirements below.
If the certificate is in another language than English or a Nordic language a translation must also be submitted, see requirements to document translations below.
Only custodial parents have the right to family reunification with their children.
Documents that may show who has custody of a child
Custody documents, issued by a competent public authority, for example, district commissioners or courts. The documents must not be older than six months when the application is submitted.
Divorce papers. If the parents of a child are divorced and the divorce papers state who has custody of the child, such documents are deemed as sufficient confirmation of custody.
Death certificate. If one custodian of a child is deceased and the surviving custodian has sole custody, a certified copy of the death certificate is deemed as sufficient confirmation of custody.
Consent of the other custodial parent
If both parents hold custody of a child, a certified consent of the parent not applying for family reunification must be submitted.
Document requirements
The documents must be submitted in a legally authenticated original or as a certified copy of the legally authenticated original, see document requirements below.
If the documents are in another language than English or a Nordic language a translation must also be submitted, see requirements to document translations below.
A copy of a criminal record certificate must only be submitted if the applicant is 15 years or older.
Criminial record certificate
must be issued by the applicant's country of residence
may not be older than 12 months
must be issued by the highest authority competent to issue such certificates in the respective country
If a criminal record certificate contains information about the applicant having been sentenced, the applicant must also submit information about when the serving of the sentence was completed.
If the certificate is in another language than English or a Nordic language a translation must also be submitted, see requirements to document translations below.
Different rules by different countries
Different rules may apply in different countries regarding the issuance of criminal record certificates. The certificate must state that the information in the certificate stems from national databases, not only databases in certain areas (for example, in certain regions or states of a country).
Following are examples of competent issuers of criminal record certificates:
USA – FBI criminal record certificate
There are two ways to get an FBI criminal record check. One is to mail a request to the FBI and receive a criminal record check certificate back by mail. The other is to submit an application electronically with the FBI or through the FBI approved channellers. This method is faster.
The FBI website lists the approved channellers. Please note that criminal record checks from some channellers cannot be opened outside the United States, the services of those channellers can therefore not be used when submitting a criminal record check to the Directorate of Immigration.In both cases, the applicant needs to be fingerprinted and submit fingerprints with the application. If you are in Iceland, the Reykjavik City Police can take fingerprints.
Canada – RCMP criminal record certificate
Philippines – NBI criminal record certificate
Thailand – Royal Thai Police
Brazil – Ministério da Justica – Policia Federal
Mexico – SEGURIDAD - (Secretaría De Seguridad Y Protección Ciudadana)
United Kingdom – ACRO Criminal Record (ACRO Criminal Records Office - Police Certificates)
Please note that it may take some time to obtain a criminal record certificate.
The applicant must submit a written consent that he or she wishes to live with a parent/parents in Iceland.
The consent must be signed by the child and certified by two witnesses.
A marital status certificate must only be submitted if the applicant is 16 years or older.
The marital status certificate must be submitted in a legally authenticated original or as a certified copy of the legally authenticated original, see document requirements below. The document may not be older than six months when the application is submitted.
If the certificate is in another language than English or a Nordic language a translation must also be submitted, see requirements to document translations below.
If you want someone other than you to receive information about the processing of the application from the Directorate of Immigration, you must submit a power of attorney to that effect.
Additional documents that refugees' children might need to submit
The Directorate of Immigration can request copies of communication between an applicant and the refugee he/she wishes to reunite with in Iceland, for example text messages on Viber, Facebook, or WhatsApp.
It is not necessary to submit a copy of all communication, but it should show that they have been in contact through an extended period of time.
Screenshots can be taken of the communication and sent to utl@utl.is or they can be submitted to the Directorate of Immigration as printouts or saved on an USB stick.
The Directorate of Immigration can request photos of the applicant and the refugee he/she wishes to reunite with in Iceland together, for example during celebrations and travels as well as from their everyday lives at different times.
Photos can be sent to utl@utl.is or submitted via USB stick to the Directorate of Immigration.
Whether the applicant lived with a parent before they became separated.
Where the applicant and parent lived after the applicant was born (city or town).
Whether the applicant has previously lived with the parent who now lives in Iceland.
Where the applicant lived after becoming separated from his/her parent (city or town).
Whether the applicant lived with relatives, friends or on his/her own.
How and how often the applicant and parent have communicated since they became separated.
Why the applicant did not accompany his/her parent when he/she travelled to Iceland and applied for international protection.
Applicant may be requested to submit a written confirmation on whether they have any relatives in Iceland, other than the refugee they wish to be reunited with, and how those family relations are structured.
The written confirmation must be received from the applicant.
If necessary, the applicant may be requested to submit a criminal record certificate in authenticated original format or as a certified copy of the authenticated original.
It must be issued by the highest authority competent to issue such certificates in the applicant's country of residence.
It may not be older than 12 months when submitted.
If the certificate is in another language than English or a Nordic language, an original translation by a certified translator must be provided.
If the translator has not been certified in Iceland the original translation must be legally authenticated.
Document requirements
Explanations of requirements for documents to be submitted with an application.
An original means a document in its original form, not a duplicate or a copy.
Original foreign documents submitted with an application are required to be legally authenticated. Original Icelandic documents do not need to be authenticated.
There are two recognised ways to legally authenticate documents: apostille certification and chain authentication. Which way is chosen depends on the country issuing the document.
Apostille certification
Apostille certification is done in the country that issues a document.
To receive apostille certification, an applicant must bring the original of a document to the competent authority for such certification in the respective country.
Information on the member states of the Apostille agreement (Hague Convention)
Chain authentication
Chain authentication (also called double verification) is used in countries where apostille certification is not possible.
This means that a documents needs two stamps in order to be considered legally authenticated, one from the country of issue of the document and the other from the Icelandic Embassy to the issuing country.
To receive such an authentication, the original document must first be brought to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country that issued the document. The Ministry confirms the document with a stamp and forwards it to the Embassy of Iceland to the issuing country - the applicant himself/herself can also arrange for the document to be sent to the Embassy. The Embassy then confirms that the previous stamp is correct with a second stamp.
A certified copy is a copy of an original document that has been certified by an authority authorised to certify documents.
A certified copy can be obtained from a public authority, a document's issuing body or another official body, in a document's issuing country.
It is important that the original document has been legally authenticated before a certified copy is made.
If a foreign document is issued in a language other than English or a Nordic language, its translation must also be submitted.
A translation must be submitted in the original or in a certified copy.
A translation must be made by a certified translator.
A translation may be submitted in Icelandic, English or a Nordic language.
If a translation has been produced by a translator which has not been legally certified in Iceland, the original of the translation must be legally authenticated.
Legally certified translators in Iceland
Icelandic court interpreters and translators
In some instances an applicant must submit a certified declaration. Such a declaration must be submitted in original format and be dated and signed by the party issuing the declaration. Furthermore, the declaration must be certified by a competent public authority (i.e. by a notarius publicus).
Service provider
Directorate of Immigration