Provisional residence and work permit for applicants for international protection

Applicants for international protection, who want to work while their application for protection is being processed, must apply for a provisional residence and work permit. It is not permitted to start working until such a permit has been granted.

The permit is only granted provisionally until the application for protection has been decided on. The permit does not establish grounds for a permanent residence permit and is subject to certain conditions.

Individuals who are issued a provisional residence and work permit are no longer entitled to housing and financial support as applicants for protection. However, they must be given a reasonable amount of time to find a place to live and earn a sufficient income considering the circumstances.

An application for a provisional residence and work permit will be refused if it is submitted after a foreigner has received a refusal of an application for international protection from the Directorate of Immigration, since that counts as a reasons that can lead to the applicant's expulsion.

Conditions

The conditions for granting a provisional residence permit include the following:

• A statement about international protection has been taken from the applicant.

• There is no doubt about the applicant’s identity.

  • This condition may be waived in special circumstances, for example when it is unfair or impossible to expect an applicant to provide adequate identification documents.

• There are no known reasons that could lead to the expulsion of the applicant.

  • Such a reason exists when a foreigner has received a refusal of an application for international protection from the Directorate of Immigration.

• A request has not been made to another state to accept the return of the applicant.

  • An exemption may be granted from this condition, if more than 90 days have passed since an application for international protection was submitted in Iceland.

• The foreign national has supplied information and assisted in the resolving of his or her case.

If the applicant does not fulfill the above mentioned criteria, he/she cannot expect to be granted a provisional residence permit. If the applicant asks for an exemption from the requirements, the Directorate examines whether there is good reason to grant an exemption or not.

Information on the conditions for granting a provisional work permit can be found on the website of the Directorate of Labour.

Supporting documents with application

• Application for a work permit based on special reasons

  • Form must be original, completed and signed by the applicant and the employer.

• Employment contract

  • Wages must meet minimum support requirements. The contract must be signed by the applicant and the employer and endorsed by the applicable trade union.

• Payment of processing fee, 16 000 ISK, see information on how to pay the processing fee.

Further documents that need to be submitted for a permit to be granted:

• Medical insurance.

  • Applicants must submit a confirmation of insurance that is valid for the durance of the permit, from an insurance company that is licensed to operate in Iceland.

Opening a bank account

Once a provisional residence and work permit has been issued, its holder can open a bank account by going to a bank of his/her choosing and presenting the provisional residence permit card. Some banks also require a copy of a passport to be presented.

Applicants for international protection must hand over their passports or other travel documents in their possession. These documents are not returned until the processing of the application is completed, either through the granting of international protection or when the person leaves the country following a refusal.

You can request a copy of your passport that has been handed over by sending an email to utl@utl.is and the copy will then be sent electronically.

Law

A provisional residence permit is granted on the basis of Article 77 of the Foreign Nationals Act.