Residence permits based on work are for individuals that want to reside in Iceland because they have received a job offer on the Icelandic labour market.
You can apply for a residence permits based on work
For work requiring expert knowledge
Due to a shortage of labour
For athletes
On the basis of a collaboration or service contract
Application
Applications can only be submitted in paper form.
They can either be sent by regular mail to the Directorate of Immigration or delivered to the drop box in the Directorate’s reception. It is necessary to first pay the processing fee by bank transfer and submit the payment receipt with the application for confirmation, see information on how to pay the processing fee.
Directorate of Immigration (see map) Dalvegur 18 201 Kópavogur Iceland
Applications can also be handed in and paid for in the Directorate’s reception or at the offices of District Commissioners outside the capital area.
Processing fee
The fee for an application is 16 000 ISK. An unpaid application will be returned to the applicant. The processing fee is not refunded if the applicant cancels the application.
Waiting time
General information on processing time and what applications are being processed at the moment is available here.
Expedited processing
The Directorate of Immigration may expedite the processing of applications for residence permits based on work when a service fee is paid.
The service fee is 48 000 ISK in addition to the general processing fee, 64 000 ISK in total, see information on how to pay the fee. If an application for expedited processing is submitted by mail, a copy of the payment receipt shall be sent to the Directorate by e-mail utl@utl.is.
The applicant or his/her agent will be contacted within 7-10 business days from receiving the application.
The expedited processing only covers the processing of a residence permit application at the Directorate of Immigration.
The expedited processing does not cover the processing of a work permit application at the Directorate of Labor. You can follow information on the processing time of work permit applications on the Directorate of Labor's website.
The expedited processing does also not include the post processing of a residence permit application such as the issuing of an entry visa, a photo appointment, the issuing of a residence permit card or an ID number (kennitala).
Applications will be processed faster, if all necessary documents are submitted and meet the document requirements of the Directorates of Immigration and Labor.
Stay in Iceland during application procedure
Applicants for residence permits for work requiring expert knowledge may be situated in Iceland when submitting the application and while it is being processed, provided that their stay is legal. Legal stay means that the applicant either has a valid visa or has not yet stayed in the Schengen Area for longer than 90 days within the past 180 day period. Stay becomes illegal when the time the applicant has for staying has expired.
If the stay becomes illegal while the application is being processed the applicant must leave Iceland. The processing of the application is stopped and the applicant receives a notification that the stay has become illegal. The applicant must leave the country within 15 days from receiving the notification and shall submit a confirmation of departure. If the applicant does not leave within the given deadline, the application will be refused within 30 days from the stay becoming illegal. It is therefore very important for the applicant to leave the country in accordance with the notification.
An exemption from the aforementioned is granted, if the Directorate of Immigration already sent the application for a work permit to the Directorate of Labor before the stay became illegal. The applicant is then not notified about the illegal stay; instead a residence permit is either granted or rejected when the decision of the Directorate of Labor has been received.
An application submitted by an applicant who is in illegal stay will be rejected.
Applicants who need a visa to travel to Iceland may not be in Iceland when applying for the permit nor while it is being processed. Such an application will be refused.
Applicants who do not need a visa to travel to Iceland may be in Iceland when submitting an application and while it is being processed, provided that their stay in the Schengen Area does not exceed 90 days in the last 180-day period.
If the stay becomes illegal while the application is being processed the applicant must leave Iceland. The processing of the application is stopped and the applicant receives a notification that the stay has become illegal. The applicant must leave the country within 15 days from receiving the notification and shall submit a confirmation of departure. If the applicant does not leave within the given deadline, the application will be refused within 30 days from the stay becoming illegal. It is therefore very important for the applicant to leave the country in accordance with the notification.
An exemption from the aforementioned is granted, if the Directorate of Immigration already sent the application for a work permit to the Directorate of Labor before the stay became illegal. The applicant is then not notified about the illegal stay; instead a residence permit is either granted or rejected when the decision of the Directorate of Labor has been received.
An application submitted by an applicant who is in illegal stay will be rejected.
Applicants for residence permits for work as an athlete may be situated in Iceland when submitting the application and while it is being processed, provided that their stay is legal. Legal stay means that the applicant either has a valid visa or has not yet stayed in the Schengen Area for longer than 90 days within the past 180 day period. Stay becomes illegal when the time the applicant has for staying has expired.
If the stay becomes illegal while the application is being processed the applicant must leave Iceland. The processing of the application is stopped and the applicant receives a notification that the stay has become illegal. The applicant must leave the country within 15 days from receiving the notification and shall submit a confirmation of departure. If the applicant does not leave within the given deadline, the application will be refused within 30 days from the stay becoming illegal. It is therefore very important for the applicant to leave the country in accordance with the notification.
An exemption from the aforementioned is granted, if the Directorate of Immigration already sent the application for a work permit to the Directorate of Labor before the stay became illegal. The applicant is then not notified about the illegal stay; instead a residence permit is either granted or rejected when the decision of the Directorate of Labor has been received.
An application submitted by an applicant who is in illegal stay will be rejected.
Applicants for residence permits for work on the basis of a collaboration or service contract may be situated in Iceland when submitting the application and while it is being processed, provided that their stay is legal. Legal stay means that the applicant either has a valid visa or has not yet stayed in the Schengen Area for longer than 90 days within the past 180 day period. Stay becomes illegal when the time the applicant has for staying has expired.
If the stay becomes illegal while the application is being processed the applicant must leave Iceland. The processing of the application is stopped and the applicant receives a notification that the stay has become illegal. The applicant must leave the country within 15 days from receiving the notification and shall submit a confirmation of departure. If the applicant does not leave within the given deadline, the application will be refused within 30 days from the stay becoming illegal. It is therefore very important for the applicant to leave the country in accordance with the notification.
An exemption from the aforementioned is granted, if the Directorate of Immigration already sent the application for a work permit to the Directorate of Labor before the stay became illegal. The applicant is then not notified about the illegal stay; instead a residence permit is either granted or rejected when the decision of the Directorate of Labor has been received.
An application submitted by an applicant who is in illegal stay will be rejected.
Law
The residence permit is granted on the basis of Article 61 to 64 of the Foreign Nationals Act.
