It is the applicant'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.
A payment receipt must be submitted, if a residence permit 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.
Criminial record certificate
does not need to be legally authenticated,
must be issued by the applicant's country of residence,
may not be older than 12 months when submitted, and
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 necessary, the Directorate of Immigration may request a legally authenticated original of a criminal record or that criminal records from more countries than the country of residence be submitted.
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 Certified Criminal Record Check based on fingerprints
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.
An insurance certificate must be submitted, confirming that the applicant has taken out (purchased) a health insurance
that is valid in Iceland,
for at least six months from the date of the registration of the applicant's legal domicile in Iceland,
with a minimum coverage of 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 six 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.
Six months after being registered with a legal domicile in Iceland the applicant will automatically be covered by the national health insurance.
Children younger than 18
Children and adolescents 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 six months. The same applies to adoptive children, stepchildren and foster children.
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.
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.
Sufficient own money
A bank-account balance in Iceland or abroad of an applicant or a provider, in a currency that is internationally recognized and can be exchanged to a currency that is registered with the Central Bank of Iceland, which may be drawn against for support during time of stay. A balance overview of the account must be confirmed by the bank and be in original format. A printout version of an account overview with an online bank is not sufficient confirmation. Information on the registration of currencies is available with the Central Bank of Iceland. If the applicant is being provided for by a spouse living in Iceland, a confirmed balance overview of that person's bank-account may be may submitted.
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 a spouse living in Iceland 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 a spouse living in Iceland that person's payslips for the last three months may be submitted as well as 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.
General students
When applying for the first time, general students must submit an admission certificate or letter from the university where they have been admitted. The letter must state that the applicant is enrolled in full-time studies for the next school year and that the admission is unconditional.
It is not sufficient to submit confirmation of registration, which is conditional on the applicant completing another course. Full study is 30 ECTS per semester.
PhD students at universities abroad in collaboration with an Icelandic university
Must submit a confirmation of the collaboration between their university abroad and the Icelandic university, stating what kind of collaboration is taking place.
Exchange students
Must submit
A confirmation by an Icelandic secondary school.
A written consent by the foster family in Iceland.
If the applicant for a permit as an exchange student is younger than 18 the following must also be submitted
A confirmed birth certificate.
A written consent by the parents/custodians and copies of their passports.
Interns
Must submit
A confirmation of enrollment at a university stating that working in Iceland is part of the studies.
Written statement describing the internship.
Application for a work permit for a student
in original format
confirmed by the relevant trade union
signed by the applicant and employer
Employment contract with an Icelandic company
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
The Directorate of Immigration forwards the work permit application and employment contract to the Directorate of Labour for processing.
Students in technical studies and recognised workplace studies at higher-education level
Must submit
Confirmation from an Icelandic school of enrollment in full-time studies according to the school's curriculum.
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 a residence permit has been granted.
You must submit the follwing documents to the Directorate of Immigration which forwards them to the Directorate of Labour for processing.
Application for a work permit for a student
in original format
confirmed by the relevant trade union
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.
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