Residence permit for students

First, you need to gain admission to a study program that is recognized as the basis for a student permit.

Residence permits for students are granted for:

• Full time studies at a university in Iceland.

• Post graduate (doctoral) studies at a foreign university, collaborating with an Icelandic university.

• Exchange studies organized by recognized exchange student organizations.

• Internships, when a job in Iceland is part of your studies.

• Technical studies and recognised workplace studies at secondary school level.

You will also need to:

• Verify your identity with a valid passport.

• Demonstrate secure means of financial support.

• Submit a health insurance confirmation and

• a criminal record certificate.

It is important that you familiarize yourself in detail with the requirements of a residence permit for students to ensure that you meet all the conditions of the permit before you apply.

Along with the application form you must submit:

It is important that you familiarize yourself in detail with the supporting documents needed with a student permit application to ensure that you submit all the necessary documents and that the documents meet the Directorate's requirements.

It is best to download the form and fill it in on a computer.

Before submitting the application, it is necessary to pay the processing fee by bank transfer.

The processing fee is 16.000 ISK

Unpaid applications will be returned to the applicant. The processing fee is not refunded if the applicant cancels the application.

Applications can only be submitted in paper form.

The application, payment receipt and other supporting documents must either be sent by mail to the Directorate of Immigration or delivered to the drop box in the Directorate’s reception.

Directorate of Immigration (see map)
Dalvegur 18
201 Kópavogur
Iceland

After your application has been received and registered at the Directorate of Immigration, you will receive a confirmation email. You can then monitor which applications are being processed at any given time on the Directorate's website.

It is important to be patient while waiting for a response. Information regarding the application cannot be received by phone, e-mail or online chat while the application is waiting to be processed.

Once the application has been processed, the Directorate of Immigration will contact you with information on the next steps you need to take.

Permit granted

If you receive a positive answer, you should familiarize yourself with

• what happens after the granting of a residence permit and

• which rights and obligations come with a residence permit for students.

Permit refused

If the application is rejected, you have 15 days to appeal the decision to the Immigration and Asylum Appeals Board.

may not be in Iceland when applying for the permit nor while it is being processed. Such an application will be refused.

may be in Iceland when submitting an application and while it is being processed, provided that their stay in the Schengen Area does not exceed 90 days in the last 180-day period. If the stay exceeds this period, processing of the application will be stopped until the applicant has left Iceland and has presented a departure boarding card to prove it.