Residence right of children born in Iceland

If the mother is an EEA/EFTA citizen with a legal domicile in Iceland, the child is registered in the national registry on the basis of the birth notification sent to Registers Iceland by the hospital.

If the father is an EEA/EFTA citizen with a legal domicile in Iceland, the parents must contact Registers Iceland to complete the registration of the child in the national registry.

If the parent of a child born in Iceland has a temporary residence permit allowing family reunification, a residence permit application for the child must be made with the Directorate of Immigration in order for the child's legal domicile to be registered in Iceland.

For further information and to apply, please visit the website residence permit for children.

These documents must be submitted with the application:

• Copy of the child's passport.

• The child's birth certificate.

• Documents confirming custody, in cases where parents are not married and/or the other parent is not legally resident in Iceland.

• If both parents hold custody of a child, a certified consent of the parent not applying for family reunification must be submitted.

  • Consent by a parent regarding a child’s residence permit application.

If the parent of a child born in Iceland has a permanent residence permit, a permanent residence permit application for the child must be made with the Directorate of Immigration in order for the child's legal domicile to be registered in Iceland.

For further information and to apply, please visit the website permanent residence permit.

These documents must be submitted with the application:

• Copy of the child's passport.

• The child's birth certificate.

• Documents confirming custody, in cases where parents are not married and/or the other parent is not legally resident in Iceland.

• If both parents hold custody of a child, a certified consent of the parent not applying for family reunification must be submitted.

  • Consent by a parent regarding a child’s residence permit application.

If the parent of a child born in Iceland is an applicant for international protection who is waiting for a response to his application from the Directorate of Immigration or the Immigration and Asylum Appeals Board, the parent must notify the Directorate of the child's birth and submit a birth certificate. The child then also becomes an applicant for international protection and his application is processed together with the parent's application.

The child's right to stay in Iceland depends on the outcome of the application for protection.