Conditions for entering Iceland

All essential information for Nordic citizens moving to Iceland can be found on the Registers Iceland website.

EU/EFTA citizens do not need a residence and work permit and may stay in the country for up to six months without registering and moving their domicile to Iceland. Relocation to Iceland is quite simple in terms of bureaucracy for EU/EFTA citizens. (See above if you are a Nordic citizen - there are special rules for Nordic citizens).

Long term employment/stay

If you are an EU/EFTA citizen and will be staying longer than six months, you will need an Icelandic ID number and to register a change of domicile.

EU/EFTA citizens who have been recruited to the University of Iceland can apply for an Icelandic ID number online through Registers Iceland before they arrive in Iceland. Please apply no more than two weeks before your first day of working in Iceland for the University of Iceland.

You will need to fill in the required application form A-271. Finally, the University of Iceland will need to confirm that the applicant is a UI employee. International Staff Services will confirm the relationship on behalf of the University once you have started working.

The employer's ID number for the University of Iceland is 600169-2039.

Please take into consideration that your ID number will not become active/valid until you visit Registers Iceland in person to register. Make sure to bring a passport.

Employment contract

The employment contract will be made upon arrival, since we require an Icelandic ID number and bank account number.

Health insurance

When an individual coming from an EU/EFTA country, the Faroe Islands or the United Kingdom moves their legal domicile to Iceland, they can apply for health insurance in Iceland if they were insured in the social security systems in their country. If the individual had a private insurance then they must buy a private insurance for the first 6 months of living in Iceland, and after 6 months they will be registered in the health insurance system in Iceland.

If you are moving to Iceland from a non-EU/EFTA country, you will not be able to transfer your health insurance and will need therefore to acquire a six-month Medical Cost Insurance.

Short-term employment/stay or living abroad

EU/EFTA citizens staying less than six months.

EU/EFTA citizens who are recruited by University of Iceland and stay in the country for less than six months will need a system ID number. Your employment contract requires an ID number and a bank account. The University of Iceland will apply for the ID number on your behalf. A copy of a passport is required for the application.

This also applies to those employed by the University of Iceland who will be living abroad during the period of employment. A few other issues need to be considered:

Open a bank account

To open an Icelandic bank account please contact one of the banks in Iceland for further information on the process. You might need to come to Iceland in person to be able to open a bank account.

Employment contract

The employment contract will be made once the Icelandic system ID number and bank account number are issued.

Tax issues

Individuals who live abroad but have earnings or properties based in Iceland are eligible for limited tax liability providing there is a double taxation agreement between Iceland and the individual's country of residence. More information can be found on our tax site. All imperative information on tax exemptions can be found on the Iceland Revenue and Customs.

All employed non-EU/EFTA citizens require a residence and work permit in Iceland. The most time-consuming part of the process is gathering the required documents, so we strongly recommend obtaining them as soon as possible. Once all documents are gathered, you will need to send them to the University of Iceland and we will then submit the application for you.

New employees will receive more detailed information by email once the job offer has been formally accepted. All issues that arise during the process will go through us and we will notify you accordingly.

Employed PhD students generally apply for a residence permit based on employment, as a student residence permit only allows the holder to work up to 60% during the academic term.

The immigration process

1. Employment confirmed.
2. UI International Staff Services contacts the newly recruited employee.
3. Employee gathers the required documents and keeps the International Staff Services updated on the process.
4. Employee sends all the required documents in one shipment to the International Staff Services in Iceland.
5. International Staff Services goes over the documents, pays the application fee, and submits them to the Directorate of Immigration and keeps the employee updated on any developments.
6. International Staff Services notifies the employee of the accepted application and preliminary permit.
7. The employee must come to Iceland and fulfill the requirements of the residence permit within 90 days of receiving the preliminary permit.
8. Employee applies for a D-visa to Iceland, if applicable, at the appropriate embassy depending on citizenship.
9. International Staff Services invites the employee to a welcome meeting upon arrival.
10. Employee registers formally in Iceland through the Directorate of Immigration - you will need to attend an appointment in person and have your photograph taken.
11. Employee undergoes a medical checkup, if applicable, depending on citizenship.
12. The Directorate of Immigration issues the Icelandic ID number (kennitala) and then the employee can open an Icelandic bank account.
13. The employee emails the HR team at their school their ID number (kennitala) and their bank account number.
14. The HR team at the school prepares the employment contract.

The Directorate of Immigration usually processes applications within one to two months. It is not possible to check the exact status of an individual application, but general information on current processing times is available on the Directorate’s website.

Required Forms for a Residence Permit based on Work

In order to apply for a residence permit, the following documents are required. All incoming international employees apply for a residence permit based on work and a work permit as qualified professionals, this applies to PhD students as well.

Please review the Directorate of Immigration´s website as well, where they go into details about the required documents and the rights and obligations that follow the residence permit.

Note! Official documents must be in English or the original must be accompanied by a certified English translation.

1. Application for a residence permit based on work - form D-107 - A residence permit based on expert knowledge.
   • Fill in all sections except section 9, this will be filled out by the University
   • Information about your agent in section 13 needs to be filled in and signed with the following information:
     International staff services - University of Iceland
     ID number: 600169-2039
     Address: Saemundargata 2, 102 Reykjavik
     Phone number: +354 525 4000
     Email address: internationalstaff@hi.is
     Security number: - according to conversation, see your email.
2. Payment for Directorate of Immigration processing fee. Arranged by the University of Iceland.
3. Employment confirmation. Only personal info should be filled in at the „Starfsmaður/Employee“ section and the form must be signed. All other info will be filled in by the employer. The actual employment contract between the University of Iceland and the incoming employee is made upon arrival. An Icelandic ID number and bank account is required for the contract which is obtained through the immigration process and ready upon arrival.
4. Degree certificates - a copy of PhD and master‘s certificates. Incoming PhD students need to submit a copy of their master‘s certificate.
5. University of Iceland PhD study program acceptance letter - for incoming PhD students only.
6. Passport photo - 35x45 mm.
7. Photocopy of passport in color. The passport must be valid at least 90 days beyond the validity of the permit applied for. Copies must be submitted of the personal information and signature pages.
8. Foreign criminal record certificate. The criminal record must be issued by the applicant‘s country of residence and may not be older than twelve (12) months when submitted. It must be issued by the highest authority competent to issue such certificates in the respective country. Please review this in more detail in the DOI‘S website.
9. Translation of the foreign criminal record certificate. Only if the foreign certificates are not in English or the Nordic languages. The translation should be done by an authorized translator and should be either an original or a certified copy. The actual criminal record should accompany the translation as the translation alone is not sufficient.
10. Medical Cost Insurance. Online application. Make sure a notification is sent to Iceland Directorate of Immigration. Payment confirmation should accompany the rest of the documents. The health insurance shall be valid for three months from the date of the registration of the applicant's legal domicile in Iceland. 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.
11. Power of attorney. This allows us to get information on your case and help if any issues arise.

Please remember to sign the forms where necessary.

More detailed information on the first permit documents required can be found on Iceland Directorate of Immigration website.

Submission of Documents

In order to shorten the process, required documents should be accumulated immediately.
The application will not be processed at the Directorate of Immigration unless all required documents have been submitted. Incorrect or missing information in the forms can affect the processing time. When application documents are ready, all of them should be sent together by post to the International Staff Services, preferably with express shipping like FedEx, UPS or others.

University of Iceland
Division of Human Resources
International Staff Services
Háskólatorg, Sæmundargata 4
102 Reykjavík
ICELAND

International Staff Services submits the application to the Directorate of Immigration after acquiring necessary payments and signatures. In some cases, payments should be reimbursed by the applicant upon arrival.

Application accepted and a Residence Permit Granted

The Directorate of Immigration notifies the representative in Iceland (International Staff Services) when the application for a residence permit has been accepted and a preliminary residence permit granted. The representative notifies the applicant. The employee must come to Iceland and fulfill the requirements of the preliminary residence permit within 90 days of receiving the preliminary permit. When the application has been accepted it‘s time to book the airfare to Iceland in accordance with the supervisor’s wishes and instructions.

Actions are required for the final process of issuing the residence permit:

1. Pre arrival, apply for a D-Visa, if applicable, according to the residence permit letter. Please see who needs a visa on the DOI webpage.
2. Upon arrival, the applicant has to be photographed in order to be issued a residence permit card. The photo will be taken at Directorate of Immigration, Dalvegur 18, 201 Kópavogur. You will need to make an appointment. Please bring your passport.
3. Upon arrival please make sure you have filled out the form A-269 Notification of residence in Iceland and bring it to the Directorate of Immigration.
4. Upon arrival, depending on the citizenship some applicant needs to undergo a medical examination within two weeks from entering Iceland. Applicants from certain countries are exempt from a medical exam.

D-Visa to Iceland

Citizens who do not require a visa to enter Iceland may travel to Iceland without a separate entry visa. However, they should wait until all required permits have been granted before travelling. They are prohibited to work until the work permit has been granted.

Those citizens who require a visa to Iceland are prohibited to enter Iceland without a visa. The applicant needs to make an appointment at the relevant embassy, the one listed in the application form. The Directorate of Immigration provides the embassy information needed on the applicant. Depending on countries, Danish or Norwegian embassies provide an embassy service on behalf of Iceland.

Those who require a visa to Iceland but have a Schengen visa can enter Iceland without an embassy involvement but are prohibited to work until the permit has been granted.

A list of countries that need a D-visa can be found on the Directorate of Immigration webpage.

Icelandic ID number

The Icelandic ID number (kennitala) is issued when the residence and work permits are granted and will be ready after all requirements for the residence permit are fulfilled.

The ID number and an Icelandic bank account are needed for the employment contract.

EU/EFTA citizens

Spouses who are EU/EFTA citizens may live and work in Iceland without a residence and work permit. Spouses will need to register through Registers Iceland to obtain an Icelandic ID number.

Non-EFTA citizens

Non-EU/EFTA employees can bring their non-EU/EFTA spouses and family to Iceland, but all family members will need to apply for a residence permit. The employee’s application and the applications of any accompanying family members must be submitted together to ensure that all permits are processed and granted at the same time.

All information on required documents for the family can be found on the Directorate of Immigration website:

• Spouse or cohabiting partner
• Children

The University of Iceland welcomes guests researchers and other guests for short or long stays. Guests will usually be receiving salaries from their home countries.

EU/EFTA citizens do not need a residence and work permit but non-EU/EFTA citizens do. We will help guests with the residence and work permit application.

Supporting documents must be signed originals in English.

1. Application for a residence permit based on work - form D-207 - For guest researchers/lecturers and PhD students funded from abroad.
   • Fill in all sections
   • Information about your agent in section 13 needs to be filled in and signed with the following information:
     International staff services - University of Iceland
     ID number: 600169-2039
     Address: Saemundargata 2, 102 Reykjavik
     Phone number: +354 525 4000
     Email address: internationalstaff@hi.is
     Security number: - according to conversation, see your email.
   • Remember to sign the form
2. Payment for Directorate of Immigration processing fee. Guest researchers will need to arrange the payment themselves. Payment information can be found further down this site.
3. Service agreement between the host institution and the home institution.
4. Employment contract with the home institution.
5. Confirmation of university enrollment in home country - official copy. For guest PhD students only.
6. Passport photo - 35x45 mm.
7. Photocopy of passport.
8. Photocopy of passport in color. The passport must be valid at least 90 days beyond the validity of the permit applied for. Copies must be submitted of the personal information and signature pages.
9. Foreign criminal record certificate. The criminal record must be issued by the applicant‘s country of residence and may not be older than twelve (12) months when submitted. It must be issued by the highest authority competent to issue such certificates in the respective country. Please review this in more detail in the DOI‘S website.
10. Translation of the foreign criminal record certificate. Only if the foreign certificates are not in English or the Nordic languages. The translation should be done by an authorized translator and should be either an original or a certified copy. The actual criminal record should accompany the translation as the translation alone is not sufficient.
11. Medical Cost Insurance. Online application. Make sure a notification is sent to Iceland Directorate of Immigration. Payment confirmation should accompany the rest of the documents. The health insurance shall be valid for three months from the date of the registration of the applicant's legal domicile in Iceland. 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.
12. Power of attorney. This allows us to get information on your case and help if any issues arise.

Directorate of Immigration fees information:

Detailed information on the fees for residence permits and how to pay them can be found on the Directorate of Immigration‘s website.

More detailed information on the first permit documents required can be found on Iceland Directorate of Immigration website.

Submission of documents

To speed up the process, you should gather all required documents as soon as possible.
The DOI will not process your application unless you have submitted all required documents. Incorrect or missing information in the forms can cause delays. When all your application documents are ready, you should send them all together by post to the Welcome Centre, preferably with an express shipping company like FedEx, UPS, etc.

University of Iceland
Division of Human Resources
International Staff Services
Háskólatorg, Sæmundargata 4
102 Reykjavík
ICELAND

The Welcome Centre will submit the application to the Directorate of Immigration after acquiring the necessary signatures.

Application accepted and a residence permit granted

The Directorate of Immigration notifies the representative in Iceland when the application for a residence permit has been accepted and a preliminary residence permit granted. The representative notifies the applicant. The residence permit is not issued formally unless the applicant goes to the DOI in person upon arrival.

To receive your formal residence permit, you will need to do the following:

1. Pre-arrival: check information on how to apply for a D-visa to Iceland if required. Please check if you need a visa on the DOI website.
2. Upon arrival: you will need to be photographed to be issued a residence permit card. The photo will be taken at the Directorate of Immigration, Dalvegur 18, 201 Kópavogur. Please bring a passport.
3. Make sure you have filled in form A-269 - Notification of Residence in Iceland and bring it to the Directorate of Immigration.
4. Depending on your citizenship you may need to undergo a medical examination within two weeks of entering Iceland. Applicants from certain countries are exempt from a medical exam. Please notice the medical exam can be quite expensive. Another possible option is to have the medical exam done in your home country at a recognized and certified clinic and have it evaluated by the health authorities in Iceland.

D-Visa to Iceland

If you do require a visa, you may not enter Iceland without one. You will need to make an appointment at the relevant embassy, as listed in the application form. The Directorate of Immigration provides the embassy with the required information about the applicant. Depending on which country you are from, the Danish or Norwegian embassies may provide embassy services on Iceland's behalf.

If you need a visa to enter Iceland but you have a Schengen visa, you can enter Iceland without embassy involvement but are prohibited from working until the permit has been granted.

A list of countries that need a D-visa can be found on the Directorate of Immigration website.