A new regulation on financial assistance for voluntary return has taken effect. It replaces an earlier regulation on reintegration and travel grants to applicants for international protection. The main changes are of two kinds.

Additional grant

Firstly, it will be permissible to pay a foreign national an additional grant for applying for assistance for voluntary return before the respective person's deadline for voluntary return passes. The additional grant may amount to between 500 EUR and 1000 EUR, depending on the home or destination country to which the person in question is to return.

Foreign nationals, who are present in Iceland at the entry into force of the regulation, can get the additional grant even though their deadline for voluntary return has passed, if they request assistance for voluntary return within 60 days of the regulation taking effect, that is, before 20 August 2023.

State A and State B

Secondly, the Directorate of Immigration is entrusted with classifying the home or destination countries of foreigners in states A and B. Foreign nationals who are to return to a category A state are entitled to higher reintegration grants than those from a category B state.

Until further notice, the states that were specifically listed in the previous regulation (Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Palestine and Pakistan) will fall into category A. Other states fall into category B.