A permanent residence permit entails the right to permanent stay in Iceland. The main rule is that an applicant must have stayed in Iceland for four (4) years on grounds of a residence permit that may be the basis of a permanent residence permit. An applicant may have the right to a permanent residence permit after a shorter stay than four (4) years or without the requirements regarding a previous stay being met. Other requirements than the requirement on stay must nevertheless be met.
Following residence permit may be the basis for permanent residence permit:
- Work requiring expert knowledge
- shortage of workers
- athletes
- family reunification
- international protection
- humanitarian views
- special ties to the country
- students, with limitations
Permanent residence permit is granted based on Art. 58 of the Act on Foreigners No. 80/2016
You may have the right to a permanent residence permit if all the following requirements are met together with others
- You meet the requirements for the time of stay that apply to you;
- meet the requirements of the residence permit that is valid;
- have sufficient wages, own money or other reliable means of support;
- have secure maintenance and are able to provide for yourself in a lawful manner;
- have attended a course in the Icelandic language for 150 hours of courses as a minimum or have undergone a status test in the Icelandic language.
You may not
- Have received financial assistance by a municipality or the state;
- have unfinished affairs with the police or court;
- have unfinished affairs with the authorities that may result in your expulsion from Iceland.
Rights attached to a permanent residence permit
- The applicant has the right to a permanent stay in Iceland.
- The applicant receives an unlimited work permit and may work or change work without applying at the Directorate of Labor.
- The residence permit contains the right to family unification. A residence permit based on family reunification may be applied for:
- the applicant’s spouse or cohabitor after at least one (1) year of cohabitation.
- the children of the applicant under the age of 18 if the applicant has custody of the children,
- the applicant’s parents who are 67 years of age or older
- The residence permit allows a stay abroad for up to 18 months over a four year (4) period without the permit becoming invalid. A stay abroad may affect an application for Icelandic citizenship.
The application for a permanent residence permit shall be submitted at the Directorate of Immigration or at the offices of district commissioners outside of the Reykjavík metropolitan Area.
If an applicant does not meet the requirements for a permanent residence permit, the application for a permanent residence permit will be refused. In such an instance the applicant must submit an application for the renewal of the previous permit or an application for a new permit. If this is not done the applicant’s stay in Iceland will become illegal, which may result in expulsion and a re-entry ban.
An application for a permanent residence permit must be submitted at least four (4) weeks before the expiry of the current permit. If the application is received four (4) weeks before the current permit expires the applicant is permitted to stay in Iceland while the application is being processed. If the application is submitted after the residence permit expires, the applicants stay in Iceland is not considered continuous and the applicant is not entitled to a permanent residence permit. Thus, the application will be refused. The applicant can submit a new application that will be processed as if it were an application for a first permit. When applying for a first permit there are certain rules that apply to whether an applicant is permitted to stay when the application is submitted and while it is being processed.
Further information on students residence permit
Time requirements and consecutive stay
Icelandic language study
Means of support
Revocation of a permanent residence permit
Application for a permanent residence permit
Time requirements and consecutive stay
An applicant for a permanent residence permit must have lived in Iceland consecutively during the last previous years with a residence permit that could be the basis of a permanent residence permit. A stay is considered consecutive (unbroken) if the applicant has not stayed abroad for more than 90 days per year based on the residence permit’s period of validity.
As a general rule an applicant must have had a residence permit in Iceland for four (4) years, i.e. on the basis of work requiring expert knowledge, to have the right to a permanent residence permit.
Exemptions from this general rule apply to the follwing:
Spouse of an Icelandic citizen
A foreigner who is married or in registered cohabitation with an Icelandic citizen and has lived with him/her in Iceland with a valid residence permit for at least three (3) consecutive years after marriage or the establishment of registered cohabitation. The residence permit may have been issued on other grounds than marriage or cohabitation .
Child of an Icelandic citizen
A foreigner whose parent is an Icelandic citizen may apply for a permanent residence permit after at least two (2) years of consecutive stay before submitting an application. The requirement is that the parent of the applicant has had Icelandic citizenship for at least five (5) years. Not significant in this instance is whether a residence permit held by the applicant could be basis for a permanent residence permit.
Child born in Iceland
A child born in Iceland may apply for a permanent residence permit if his/her custodian parent has a permanent residence permit.
Youth 18 years of age or older
A youth who has reached the age of 18 and has stayed in Iceland for four (4) years or more on grounds of family reunification and has studied or worked in Iceland.
Student
A foreigner who has had a residence permit that may be the basis of a permanent residence permit for at least two (2) years and has previously resided in Iceland continuously under a residence permit in connection with study, such that the total continuous stay exceeds four (4) years.
A foreigner who has completed his/her doctorate studies in Iceland and has had a residence permit on grounds of work requiring professional expertise for at least three (3) years prior to submitting an application.
Former Icelandic citizen
A foreigner intending to settle down in Iceland and who was an Icelandic citizen at birth, however, has lost his/her citizenship or has waived his/her citizenship may apply for a permanent residence permit in Iceland without having lived in Iceland before.
Icelandic language study
An applicant must have attended a course in Icelandic for foreigners for at least 150 lessons and his/her class attendance must have been at least 85%. An applicant may also undergo an assessment test in the Icelandic language held by an educational institution acknowledged by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.
Exemptions from the requirement regarding a course in Icelandic are as follows:
- The applicant is older than 65 and has lived in Iceland for at least the past seven (7) years, or
- the applicant is unable to attend a course in the Icelandic language for physical or mental reasons and this is confirmed by a competent specialist, or
- the applicant is able to submit documents confirming that he/she has completed study in the Icelandic language at primary, secondary or university level which gives cause to assume that the relevant applicant has obtained satisfactory knowledge of the Icelandic language.
Means of support
An applicant must prove that his/her means of support has been secure during time of stay and that he/she was able to provide for him-/herself in a lawful manner during the stay in Iceland. Payments in the form of social assistance by the state or municipality are not considered as secure maintenance. If means of support has been unsecure for a short period of time, however, deviating from this requirement is permitted, for example, because of maternity leave or accident.
The requirements on means of support do not apply to applicants for a residence permit on grounds of international protection or on humanitarian grounds.
Revocation of a permanent residence permit
The Directorate of Immigration decides whether a permanent residence permit should be revoked in the instance of a permit holder having stayed abroad longer than 18 months during a four year (4) period. A foreigner’s permanent residence permit is automatically revoked when his/her domicile which was registered in Iceland, however, has been registered abroad for 18 months consecutively. Subject to a presentation of an application, a foreigner may be authorized longer stay abroad without his/her permanent residence permit becoming invalid if the holder of the residence permit:
- has to serve in the military forces or other similar service in his/her home country;
- has to stay abroad temporarily because of his/her or spouse’s work;
- has to stay abroad together with spouse, cohabiting partner, mother or father who holds a pay job with the Icelandic state or is an employee of an international organization;
- has to stay abroad due to his/her temporary illness or that of a close relative, cf. Art. 69 of the Act on Foreigners.
The applicant must submit a written request for an authorization to stay abroad longer than 18 months over a four year (4) period. Such a request must be received by the Directorate of Immigration before the stay abroad reaches 18 months. The request shall be accompanied by documents confirming the need to stay abroad, for example, a medical certificate or other documents as required by the Directorate of Immigration.
Application for a permanent residence permit
An application for a permanent residence permit must be submitted at least four (4) weeks before the expiry of the current permit. If the application is received four (4) weeks before the current permit expires the applicant is permitted to stay in Iceland while the application is being processed. If the application is submitted after the residence permit expires, the applicants stay in Iceland is not considered continuous and the applicant is not entitled to a permanent residence permit. Thus, the application will be refused. The applicant can submit a new application that will be processed as if it were an application for a first permit. When applying for a first permit there are certain rules that apply to whether an applicant is permitted to stay when the application is submitted and while it is being processed.
The application shall be accompanied by any such documents as required by the Directorate of Immigration confirming that the requirements for a permanent residence permit are met.
Documents that must be submitted
- Application for a permanent residence permit, in original format, carefully filled out and signed by the applicant
- Photocopy of passport. The period of validity must be at least 90 days beyond 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
- Documents on support, including income-tax payment overviews for the last 12 months, employment contract or other documents showing secure support.
- Confirmed copies of recent years’ tax-return forms, i.e. in accordance with the time requirements that apply to the applicant.
- Original certificate on an Icelandic-language course, stating that the applicant has completed at least 150 lessons with 85% class attendance, an assessment test organized by an acknowledged party, a written exemption request or a medical certificate regarding an exemption request.
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.