Residence right of UK nationals and their family members

UK nationals living in Iceland since before Brexit

UK nationals, who had the right to reside in Iceland before 1 January 2021, keep the same rights to live and work in Iceland as they had before Brexit as long as they remain residents.

Residence permit card

The Directorate of Immigration issues residence permit cards for UK nationals that had the right to reside in Iceland prior to 1 January 2021.

A residence permit card confirms your residence status, it shows that your stay in Iceland is legal and that you may work here.

When you travel you should carry your residence permit card, in addition to your valid passport, to confirm that you have the right to enter Iceland.

You only need to make an appointment to have your picture taken for the residence permit card. Don' forget to bring your passport with you.

Family reunification

UK nationals, who had the right to reside in Iceland before 1 January 2021, retain the right to family reunification that they had under the EEA legislation, see residence right of family members of EEA/EFTA citizens.

The right applies to

• your spouse, dependent children and grandchildren, and dependent parents and grandparents, including those of your spouse, provided that the family relationship began before the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020

• your children, born or adopted after 1 January 2021, if you have custody of them.

In case you got married after 1 January 2021 you can apply for a residence permit for your spouse.

UK nationals who want to move or travel to Iceland

UK nationals, who have not had the right to reside in Iceland since before 1 January 2021, must apply for a residence permit if they want to reside in Iceland for longer than 90 days.

Living and working in Iceland

UK nationals, who want to move to Iceland for work, study or to live with family members that have not had a residence status in Iceland since before 1 January 2021, must apply for a residence permit like other non-EEA/EFTA citizens.

Please familiarize yourself with the types of permits available and the requirements that must be met.

You can only work in Iceland without a residence and work permit if you fall under one of the exemptions from the work permit requirement due to short-term projects (less than 3 months). Please familiarize yourself with the information on such exemptions on the website of the Directorate of Labour.

Entry to Iceland

UK nationals do not require a visa for a short stay visit to Iceland or other countries in the Schengen area. They may to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in total during any period of 180 days.