Residence and Work Permits

EU/EEA citizens do not need a residence and a work permit in Iceland and may stay in Iceland for up to three months without registering. If the expected stay is longer than three months, an Icelandic ID number is needed and a registration at Registers Iceland is required.

EU/EEA citizens who have been recruited to University of Iceland can apply for an Icelandic ID number online through Registers Iceland before they arrive in Iceland.

The required application form A-271 need to be filled out and submitted. To finish the process, the University of Iceland needs to confirm the employment relationship with the applicant. International Staff Services confirms the relationship on behalf of the University. 

Please take into consideration the ID number does not become usable, active/valid, until the applicant shows up in person at Registers Iceland and register into Iceland. Make sure to bring a passport.

All non-EU/EEA citizens require a residence- and a work permit in Iceland and need to apply through Iceland Directorate of Immigration (DOI). 

The processing time at the Directorate of Immigration may vary so we strongly recommend to accumulate all documents as fast as possible. 

Further and more detailed information will be provided via email to the new employee when confirmation from the supervisor has been received.

All possible issues that arise during the process go through us and we will notify the applicant accordingly.

Required Forms for a Residence Permit based on Work

In order to apply for a residence permit, the following documents are required. Please note that all documents must be originals or certified copies except where otherwise noted.

All incoming international staff apply for a residence based on work and a work permit as qualified professionals, this applies to Phd students as well.

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

1. Application for a residence permit based on work - form D-207 - A residence permit based on expert knowledge/experts.
2. Payment for Directorate of Immigration processing fee. In some cases the research project pays for the applicant initially but reimbursement is required upon arrival.
3. Application for a work permit for a qualitfied professional
4. Employment confirmation (3 signed originals). Only personal info need to be filled in and all form must be signed. All other info will be filled by the employer. The actual employment contract between the University of Iceland and the incoming employee is made upon arrival. An Icelandic ID number is required for the contract which is obtained throught the immigration process and usually ready upon arrival.
5. Passport photo.
6. Photocopy of passport (The photocopy of the passport may be scanned and sent via email to your representative)
7. Confirmed original of a foreign criminal record certificate.The criminal record certification must not be older than six (6) months and must be presented from all the countries where the applicant has lived for the last five (5) years, for a period exceeding six (6) months. (Authentication is needed. Either a Apostille stamp or a double authentication (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an Icelandic embassy/embassy serving Iceland) depending on the applicant´s citizenship).

   The procedure for processing applications for residence permits has been modified. From now on it will be enough for applicants to submit a copy of a criminal record that neither needs to be authenticated with an apostille authentication nor a chain authentication. The certificate must cover the last 5 years before submitting the application and must not be older than 12 months when submitted.

   Note that in certain cases the Directorate of Immigration may still need to request a certified original criminal record.

8. Confirmed copy or original translation by an authorized translator of the criminal record certificate. Applies only if the foreign certificates are in other languages than English or the Nordic languages. (Authentication is needed. Either a Apostille stamp or a double authentication (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an Icelandic embassy/embassy serving Iceland) depending on the applicant´s citizenship). Please make sure either an original or a certified copy of the actual criminal record accompany the translation.
9. Medical Cost Insurance. Online application.
10. Information on representative - filled in and signed by the applicant on page 9 in the D-207 form. Usually the representative is one living in Iceland. International Staff Services provides one for all incoming University staff. 
11. Degree certificate - a copy of PhD certificate. Incoming PhD students need to submit a copy of their MS certificate.
12. For incoming Phd students - an University of Iceland acceptance letter for the study program is required.

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

Criminal Record Authentication

Please note, the below requirements have been modified. From now on it will be enough for applicants to submit a copy of a criminal record that neither needs to be authenticated with an apostille authentication nor a chain authentication. The certificate must cover the last 5 years before submitting the application and must not be older than 12 months when submitted.

a. Apostille authentication is made in a document’s country of issue and therefore an original version of the certificate must be brought to the competent authority for such authentication. Apostille authentication can only be obtained in the member states of the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents.

b. Double authentication. In countries where obtaining an apostille authentication is not possible, a double authentication must be obtained for the certificate in question. This means that the certificate needs to have two stamps in order to be considered as being legally authenticated, i.e. one stamp from the ministry for foreign affairs of the country of issue and the other stamp from an embassy of the country of issue representing said country to Iceland. In such an instance the applicant must bring an original version of the certificate to the ministry for foreign affairs in the country of issue in order to get the first authentication and then to the appropriate embassy in order to get the second authentication.

FBI criminal records - If they are issued on a security paper or as an electronic link, an apostille is not needed. If they are issued on a regular white paper where it is hard to identify it as an original or a copy, then the apostille is needed.

More detailed information on documents authentication can be found on the Directorate of Immigration website, documentation requirements.

Once you have completed all the required forms and documents, please send via email to your representative for reviewing before you mail the documents via express delivery to us.

Residence Permit Granted

After an application for a residence permit in Iceland has been approved and a preliminary residence permit granted, the representative in Iceland, will be notified via email with an announcement from the Directorate of Immigration. The residence permit is not issued unless the applicant meets in person to the DOI offices upon arrival.

Please notice residence permits are issued for one year at a time, in some cases longer.

The announcement declares important instructions and required actions regarding the final process of issuing the residence permit:

1. Pre arrival, information on where and what embassy the applicant needs to apply for a D-visa to Iceland, if required. Please see who needs 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. Please bring a 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 having to undergo a medical exam. Please notice the medical examination can be quite expensive, approx. 35.000 ISK. Another possible option is to have the medical examination done in the home country at a recognized and certified clinic and have it evaluated by the health authorities in Iceland.

When the applicant receives the announcement from us via email he/she can book the airfare to Iceland in accordance with the supervisor’s wishes and instructions.

D-Visa to Iceland

Citizens from certain countries require a D-visa to Iceland, they are prohibited to enter Iceland without the visa. A list of countries that need a D-visa can be found at the Directorate of Immigration webpage. The applicant needs to make an appointment at the relevant embassy, usually the one, the applicant listed in the application form. The Directorate of Immigration provides the embassy information on the applicant´s issued residence-and work permit. Depending on countries, Danish or Norwegan embassies provide the embassy service on behalf of Iceland.

Those citizens who don't need a visa to enter Iceland can enter anytime and wait for the permit being issued. The only restriction is the limit of 90 days staying period. Those who have a limited Schengen area are also restricted by the 90 days limitation. One is strictly prohibited to work prior to the issuance of the residence and work permit. More information can be found on visa issues at the Directorate of Immigration website.

Non-EU/EEA graduate students enrolled at the University of Iceland, may work for 15 hours/40% work per week during their study period but are required to apply for an official work permit. 

To obtain a work permit for students, the work permit form for students and proof of employment / a preliminary contract is required. Both need to be confirmed by the relevant trade union in order to validate the employment and secure the minimum wages according to collective agreements.

Sessional teachers do not belong to any trade union but still need a confirmation on the salary. Please contact us for further information.

Do not hesitate to contact us if any assistance is needed.

The University of Iceland welcomes guests researcher for a short or a longer stay. EU/EEA citizens do not need a residence and a work permit but those nationals outside of EU/EEA do. We assist up to a certain limit with obtaining the residence and the work permit.

1. Application for a residence permit based on work - form D-207 -
2. Payment for Directorate of Immigration processing fee.
3. Application for a work permit based on service or a contract with a foreign company
4. Service agreement / confirmation/ invitation letter - from hosting and guest institute.
5. Confirmation of financial means - copy of a salary/grant agreement/bank statement.
6. Confirmation of a university enrollment in home country - official copy. (For Phd students guests only).
7. Passport photo.
8. Photocopy of passport (The photocopy of the passport may be scanned and sent via email to your representative)
9. Confirmed original of a foreign criminal record certificate.The criminal record certification must not be older than six (6) months and must be presented from all the countries where the applicant has lived for the last five (5) years, for a period exceeding three (3) months. Authentication is needed. Either a Apostille stamp or a double authentication (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an Icelandic embassy/embassy serving Iceland) depending on the applicant´s citizenship.
10. Confirmed copy or original translation by an authorized translator of the criminal record certificate. Applies only if the foreign certificates are in other languages than English or the Nordic languages. Authentication is needed. Either a Apostille stamp or a double authentication (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an Icelandic embassy/embassy serving Iceland) depending on the applicant´s citizenship.
11. Medical Cost Insurance application form
12. Payment for the six months medical cost insurance. Please email the application form to the insurance company TM Insurance at tryggingar@tm.is and do not pay unless your application has been approved. Make sure to get familiar with the insurance policy and terms.
13. Information on representative - filled in and signed by the applicant on page 9 in the D-207 form.
14. Degree certificate - a copy of PhD certificate. Guest PhD students need to submit a copy of their MS certificate.

Payments information:

DOI processing fee 15.000 ISK / fast track service cost is 45.000 ISK - total kr 60.000 ISK.
Please pay into DOI bank account:
Bank account nr: 0515-26-410424
DOI ID nr: 670269-6399

Please pay into TM Insurance Company account when the application has been approved.
Bank account nr : 101-26-499
TM ID nr : 660269-2079

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