It is the parent's responsibility
to submit the necessary supporting documents with the application and
to make sure documents meet the document requirements.
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.
A payment receipt must be submitted, if an application is paid for by bank transfer.
The payment receipt should contain information about:
payers name
payers date of birth / ID number (kennitala)
recipient of payment
explanation: applicant's name and date of birth
amount paid and
date of payment.
The passport photo should be 35x45 mm.
The passport must be valid at least 90 days beyond the validity of the permit applied for.
Copies must be submitted of
personal information page
signature page
Please note that the machine readable zone must be clearly visible in the copy. A color copy is preferred.
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.
Children under the age of 18 are covered by the health insurance of their parents or custodians who have had legal domicile in Iceland for at least three months. The same applies to adoptive children, stepchildren and foster children. Thus you do not need to buy a health insurace for children that apply for a residence permit to move to their parents if the parent has had legal domicile in Iceland for at least three months.
If an application is for a child moving to Iceland together with its parents, or to live with its parents who have been in Iceland for less than three months, an insurance certificate must be submitted, confirming that a health insurance has been purchased for the child which is
valid in Iceland,
for at least three months from the date of the registration of the applicant's legal domicile in Iceland,
with a minimum coverage of at least ISK 2,000,000.
On the website of the Financial Supervisory Authority you can find a list of Icelandic insurance companies (under Vátryggingafélög - Insurance Companies) and a register of foreign insurance companies.
Validity
The health insurance shall be valid for three months from the date of the registration of the applicant's legal domicile in Iceland. The registration is usually made from the day the applicant‘s photo for a residence permit card is taken, either at the Directorate of Immigration or a district commissioner‘s office, given that the applicant has stayed in Iceland from that date onward.
If it becomes necessary to change the period of validity of an Icelandic insurance, i.e. because the applicant has not arrived in Iceland yet and the application processing has taken longer than expected, the applicant must contact his/her insurance company.
Three months after being registered with a legal domicile in Iceland the applicant will automatically be covered by the national health insurance.
Individuals who are not covered by health insurance pay higher charges for medical services.
See further information on the website of the Social Insurance Administration and on the website of the Icelandic Health Insurance.
Documents demonstrating secure means of financial support
must be submitted in original format
confirmed by the employer or the institution issuing the documents
Applicants can use any of the means listed below to demonstrate secure means of support. Means can also be combined, for example income and/or bank balance.
Employment contract or self-employment income
If an applicant is employed in Iceland he/she may demonstrate secure means of support by submitting an employment contract in original format. If the applicant is being provided for by another individual the employment contract of that person can be submitted. Note that the authorization for a foreign national providing for another person on grounds of independent activities in Iceland is limited. According to Act no. 97/2002 on Foreign Nationals’ Right to Work, only a foreigner who is exempt from the work-permit requirement may engage in independent activities in Iceland, as well as the spouse of an Icelandic citizen.
Payslips for the last three months and income-tax payment overview
An applicant demonstrates his/her wage income by submitting an overview of tax payments or issued invoices, stamped by the tax authorities, as well as his/her pay slips for the last three months. Payslips, printed out from an online bank account are satisfactory; otherwise a confirmation by the employer is required. If the applicant is provided for by another individual that person must submit payslips for the last three months, satisfying the same requirements as listed herein and a tax-payment overview of the providing individual.
Secure and regular payments
Such payments can be payments by the Social Insurance Administration regarding disability, unemployment payments, lease income and grants which an applicant receives, for example, regarding research work. This is not a complete list of the payments this paragraph refers to.
Sufficient own money
Bank statement showing the balance in the applicant's bank account, in Iceland or abroad. The amount must be
in an internationally recognized currency
that can be exchanged into a currency registered with the Central Bank of Iceland and
withdrawable during the time of stay in Iceland.
The statement must be in original format and certified by the bank itself. A printout of an account statement from an online bank is not sufficient confirmation.
If the applicant is exempt from needing to have independent means of support, a confirmed bank statement of the person he or she is dependent on may be may submitted.
Study grant or study loans
If an applicant has received a grant to study or a study loan, such payments are considered as satisfactory support if they reach the minimum required amount for support. A study loan or grant must be in a currency that is internationally recognized and can be exchanged to a currency that is registered with the Central Bank of Iceland. A confirmation must be submitted on the payment of such a loan by the relevant lending institution and confirmation of a grant must be from the grantor as applicable.
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.
If the applicant already has a residence permit in Iceland, the Directorate of Immigration will obtain a criminal record certificate from Iceland.
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 – Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais, issued by the Brazilian Federal Police
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.
If you have turned 18 years old, you need to apply for a work permit to be allowed to work in Iceland. A work permit can only be applied for after you have found a job. An application for a work permit does not have to accompany an application for a residence permit, it can also be submitted after the residence permit has been granted.
Application for a work permit for family reunification
in original format
signed by the applicant and employer
Employment contract
in original format
must entail information on terms of employment and wages, which must meet the statutory minimum wage terms
signed by the applicant and employer
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.
Service provider
Directorate of Immigration