Foreign nationals from a country outside of the EEA and/or EFTA, who plan to stay in Iceland for more than three (3) months, must have a valid residence permit.
Residence permits based on family reunification are granted on grounds of Articles 69-72 of the Act on Foreigners no. 80/2016 and are granted to the closest relative of a person residing in Iceland and who has the right to family reunification.
A residence permit based on family reunification is for the closest relative who resides in Iceland:
- an Icelandic citizen,
- a Scandinavian citizen,
- a foreign citizen who has a residence permit:
- as a qualified specialist,
- as an athlete,
- as a spouse or cohabiting partner,
- on grounds of international protection,
- on grounds of humanitarian views,
- on grounds of special ties to Iceland, or
- on grounds of a permanent residence permit.
The closest relative according to the Act on Foreigners is:
- a spouse,
- a cohabiting partner,
- a child under the age of 18 in the custody and provided for by the relevant permit holder,
- a parent aged 67 or older and
- the parent of a child under the age of 18the parent of a child under the age of 18.
A spouse, cohabiting partner or the child of a person in university graduate studies or engaging in research in Iceland are also considered to be the closest relative in the interpretation of the law.
Others than those defined as closest relatives according to the Act on Foreigners cannot obtain a residence permit on grounds of family reunification.
The condition for a residence permit being granted on grounds of family reunification is that the basic requirements of a residence permit are met. The requirements and the rights of residence permits on grounds of family reunification can be different, depending on the kind of residence permit applied for. Further information about every type of permit is contained below.