Residence permit for parents of children younger than 18

• A residence permit for parents of children younger than 18 or older is generally granted for one year at a time, but for a maximum of two years.

  • If the permit is granted on the basis of family reunification with the holder of a temporary residence permit, its duration cannot be longer than the residence permit of that person.

• If the holder of the permit stays abroad for more than three consecutive months, the residence permit can be revoked. A foreign national’s residence permit is automatically revoked if his/her domicile, which was registered in Iceland, has been registered abroad for a period of three months.

Right to renewal

• The permit may be renewed for a maximum of two years, if the requirements are still met, however its duration cannot be longer than of the person from whom the applicant derives his/her right.

• Even though the residence permit has been revoked, it is possible to apply for a renewal, if this is done within the validity period of the previous residence permit and the reasons for doing so recommend it.

Right to family reunification

• The residence permit does not confer the right to family reunification.

Right to work

• Holders of a residence permit for parents of children younger than 18 must apply for a work permit to be allowed to work in Iceland, see instructions in the list of supporting documents.

  • They may not begin working until a residence and work permit has been granted.

  • They may not work for an employer other than the one to whom the work permit was granted.

Right to permanent residence permit

• The residence permit may be the basis for a permanent residence permit.

  • Please note that one of the conditions of a permanent residence permit is that you have not resided abroad for more than 90 days in total each year during the period of validity of the residence permit, counting from the date of issue of the permit.