Missionaries

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 for missionaries are for persons older than 18 who come to Iceland with a religious purpose for a religious society or the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland.

Residence permits for missionaries are granted based on Art. 67 of the Act on Foreigners No. 80/2016.

You may have a right to a residence permit on grounds of special ties if

• You are older than 18 years;
• have a written formal confirmation of an invitation to come to Iceland for a religious purpose to work with a registered religious society or the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland,
• the work you will carry out is in conformity with the activities of the religious society,
• you will work with or the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland,
• you are able to prove your ability to provide for yourself during your stay in another way than by wages earned in Iceland,
• you have a valid insurance with an Icelandic insurance company (in the field Insurance Companies) or a foreign insurance company authorized to operate in Iceland (in the field Foreign Insurance Companies),
• you have not served a criminal sentence abroad during the last five (5) years or been sentenced by a court of law for an offense which would be punishable by more than three (3) months imprisonment according to Icelandic law, and
• you have a passport valid for at least 90 days beyond the estimated period of a residence permit.

You may not

• begin working for a religious society or the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland until a residence permit has been granted,
• be hired to a paid position on the Icelandic labor market during your stay,
• stay in another country longer than three (3) months in every 12-month period of the residence permit period; otherwise, the residence permit may be canceled or revoked.

An application for a residence and work permit and supporting documents shall be submitted to the Directorate of Immigration or at the offices of the district commissioners outside of the Reykjavík Metropolitan Area.

An applicant who does not need a visa may stay in Iceland when submitting an application and while it is being processed, provided the stay in the Schengen Area does not exceed 90 days in the 180 day period. An applicant who needs a visa may not stay in Iceland when applying for the permit and while it is being processed. Such an application will be refused.

If an applicant does not fulfill these requirements and the requirements discussed below, the application for a residence permit will be refused and the applicant must leave Iceland. An applicant who does not leave the country may be subject to expulsion or a re-entry ban. A re-entry ban for Iceland is also a re-entry ban into the Schengen Area for a specific period of time or for a minimum of two (2) years.

Generally, renewing the residence permit is not permissible; however, in special instances, this is permissible (for example, in the instances of nuns or reverends). In instances where renewal of a residence permit is permissible, it is the applicant’s responsibility to apply for the renewal of his/her residence permit at least four (4) weeks before the residence permit expires.

If this is done the applicant is permitted to stay in Iceland while the application for renewal is being processed by the Directorate of Immigration. If a renewal of the residence permit is not applied for before the period of validity expires, the application will be processed as if this were an application for a first permit, not a renewal. An application that is received after the period of validity of the older permit has expired will be refused if the applicant does not have a permission to stay in Iceland during the application process.

Further information on residence permits for missionaries

Definition of missionaries  

The rights attached to the permit

Application for first permit

Renewal

Definition of missionaries  

According to the Act on Foreigners, a missionary is an individual older than 18 who comes to Iceland with a religious purpose, i.e. to work without pay for a registered religious society or the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland.

The rights attached to the permit

• An applicant who does not need a visa may stay in Iceland when submitting an application and while it is being processed, provided the stay in the Schengen Area does not exceed 90 days in the 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. An applicant who needs a visa may not stay in Iceland when applying for the permit and while it is being processed. An application by an applicant who does not have the aforementioned permit to stay will be refused.
• A residence permit may be granted for up to one (1) year, however, never longer than such time as covered by the invitation of a religious society or the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland.
• In special instances renewing a residence permit for up to one (1) year at a time is permissible, provided that the requirements for the permit are still met (for example, in the instances of nuns and reverends).
• An applicant may not be hired to a paid position on the Icelandic labor market during his/her stay.
• The residence permit does not contain a right to family reunification.
• The residence permit may be a basis of a permanent residence permit.
  
  
  

Application for first permit

An applicant who does not need a visa may stay in Iceland when submitting an application and while it is being processed, provided the stay in the Schengen Area does not exceed 90 days in the 180 day period. If the stay exceeds this period processing the application will be stopped until the applicant has left Iceland and has presented a departure boarding card to prove it. An applicant who needs a visa may not stay in Iceland when applying for the permit and while it is being processed. An application by an applicant who does not have the aforementioned permit to stay will be refused.The application shall be accompanied by all the same documents as required by the Directorate of Immigration to confirm that the requirements for a residence permit are met.

Documents to be submitted

1. Payment receipt (if the application has been paid for at a bank). The name of the person for whom payment is being made must be clearly stated. List the name of the applicant, his/her date of birth as a reference.
2. Application for a residence permit. (Please download and save to computer before filling out). In the original format, carefully filled out and signed by the applicant. (It is important that the applicant states his/her place of stay in Iceland. If the address is not stated when the application is made the applicant must notify his/her place of stay within two (2) weeks from the applicant’s date of arrival in Iceland (for example when being photographed).
3. Passport photo (35 mm x 45 mm).
4. Photocopy of passport. The period of validity must be at least 90 days in excess of the period of validity of the residence permit. This must include photocopies of the passport’s personal information page and the page containing the applicant’s signature.
5. A copy of criminal record certificate issued by country of residence. A criminal record must 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.
6. Translation by an authorized translator of the criminal record certificate. Applies only if the foreign certificate is in another language than English or a Nordic languages. Note that the translation must be authenticated if the translator is not an authorized translator in Iceland.
7. Health Insurance.  The applicant shall submit a certificate of insurance from an Icelandic insurance company (see insurance companies) or a foreign insurance company authorized to operate in Iceland (see foreign insurance companies)  The insurance shall be valid for six (6) months from the date of the applicant being registered in Registers Iceland and the coverage shall be at least IKR 2000,000. Registration in Registers Iceland is usually valid from the day the applicant‘s photo is taken at either the Directorate of Immigration or at a District Commissioner‘s office for a residence permit card, given that the applicant has stayed in Iceland from that date.
8. Confirmation of an invitation to an unpaid position for a religious society or the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland, in original format, dated and signed by the director. The confirmation must state the kind of work to be carried out by the applicant and how long his/her stay will be. The document should also contain a confirmation that the religious society or the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland ensures lodging and maintenance in Iceland.
9. Documents on support, if applicable. The applicant must show reliable maintenance during his/her time of stay.

Documents that may be submitted

• Power of Attorney signed by two (2) witnesses. The Power of Attorney does not have to be submitted unless the applicant wants someone other than him/her to receive information about the processing of the application by the Directorate of Immigration.
  
  
  

The applicant is responsible for submitting the necessary accompanying documents with his/her application. If satisfactory documents with the application are not received by the Directorate of Immigration, this may result in delays in processing the application or in the application being denied. The Directorate of Immigration may request additional information when special circumstances recommend it.

If the applicant meets all requirements of a residence permit, the residence permit will be granted and the applicant will be sent a notification of the granting of the permit. The residence permit will not be issued, however, until the applicant has come to be photographed at the offices of the Directorate of Immigration or at offices of district commissioners outside of the Reykjavík Metropolitan Area, reported his place of residence to the Directorate and undergone medical examination. The applicant should come to be photographed within one (1) week from his/her arrival in Iceland and must report his/her place of residence (for example, when photographed). Please note that the applicant must present a valid passport when photographed for identification. Furthermore, the applicant must undergo medical examination (only in Icelandic) within two (2) weeks from arrival in Iceland. The Directorate of Immigration will not issue a residence permit if the applicant does not meet the requirements stated above. This could lead to illegal stay and expulsion.

Renewal

Residence permits for missionaries may be renewed in special instances (for example, for nuns and reverends). The applicant is responsible for applying for renewal of his/her residence permit at least four (4) weeks before the validity of the permit expires. If this is done, the applicant is permitted to stay in Iceland while the application for renewal is being processed by the Directorate of Immigration. If a renewal of a residence permit is not applied for before the period of validity expires the application will be handled as if this were a first permit, not renewal. An application received after the period of validity of the previous permit has expired will be refused if the applicant does not have permission to stay in Iceland while the application is being processed.

See further the processing of applications and renewal of residence permits.

The applicant must appear in person when renewing his/her residence permit, either at the reception area of the Directorate of Immigration or at offices of district commissioners outside of the Reykjavík Metropolitan Area. The applicant will be photographed and must submit a sample of his/her signature. The applicant should bring his/her passport along.

Documents to be submitted

1. Payment receipt (if the application has been paid for at a bank). The name of the person for whom payment is being made must be clearly stated. List the name of the applicant, his/her date of birth as a reference.
2. Application for a residence permit. (Please download and save to computer before filling out). Form must be original, completed and signed by the applicant.
3. Copy of passport (does not need to be confirmed). The validity of the passport must be at least three months beyond the validity of the residence permit.
4. Confirmation of an invitation to an unpaid position for a religious society or the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland, in original format, dated and signed by the director. The confirmation must state the kind of work to be carried out by the applicant and how long his/her stay will be. The document should also contain a confirmation that the religious society or the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland ensures lodging and maintenance in Iceland.
5. Support. The applicant must show reliable maintenance during his/her time of stay.

Documents that may be submitted

• Power of Attorney signed by two (2) witnesses. The Power of Attorney does not have to be submitted unless the applicant wants someone other than him/her to receive information about the processing of the application by the Directorate of Immigration.

The applicant is responsible for submitting the necessary supporting documents with his/her application. If satisfactory documents are not received by the Directorate of Immigration, this may result in delays in processing the application, or in the application being refused. The Directorate of Immigration may request additional information when special circumstances warrant it.