Iceland work visa (shortage of labour permit)

The same form and fee cover two other work permits. Athletes employed by a club under the National Olympic and Sports Association of Iceland can get up to two years, renewable two years at a time, and the permit can lead to permanent residence. Specialists sent under a service or collaboration agreement by a foreign company without an Icelandic branch get up to one year per contract, renewable six months at a time, without a path to permanent residence.

Three conditions apply: the employer has asked the Directorate of Labour for help finding a worker in Iceland, the EEA, EFTA or the Faroe Islands; you have signed an employment contract; and the employer explains in detail why it must hire from outside that area and why the post matters to the business. The Directorate states that these permits are exceptional and meant only for temporary swings in the Icelandic labour market, and the search for workers with free access to the market must be repeated at each extension.

The employer files form D-107, signed by both parties, with the employment contract and the residence permit documents at the Directorate of Immigration, paying ISK 80,000 beforehand. During processing the Directorate of Labour may require the job to be advertised through its own service and EURES, preferably for at least three weeks, with requirements that are not tailored to you. Regulated trades and health professions need a licence or recognition before the permit can be granted.

Seasonal needs, such as the slaughter season, can be covered by permits limited to that period; Iceland has no separate seasonal-worker visa.

Unlike expert applicants, visa-required workers may not be in Iceland when the shortage application is lodged or while it is processed; such files are refused unless compelling reasons of fairness apply. Visa-free nationals may wait in Iceland within their 90 days in 180. New permits can take up to six months; check the waiting-time page for the months currently being processed.

When the Directorate approves the application, it asks the relevant embassy to issue an entry visa (D visa), normally the mission responsible for your place of residence. Within 90 days of the grant you must attend a photo appointment at the Directorate of Immigration in Kópavogur or a District Commissioner’s office, submit a notification of residence, and, if you come from a country on the Directorate of Health list, have a medical examination within two weeks of arrival. Miss any of these and the permit is not issued.

Once these steps are done the residence card is ordered; you are emailed and can collect it five days later where your photo was taken. The Directorate asks Registers Iceland to record your legal domicile, which gives you an Icelandic ID number (kennitala).

Renewals must meet every original condition, so the job may have to be advertised again, and the employer must have paid tax and insurance contributions for your work. File the renewal at least four weeks before expiry to keep working with the same employer while it is processed. A change of employer counts as a new application with a new labour market check.

If you lose the job, you can apply for a six-month residence permit to look for another one. If you leave early, tell the Directorate of Immigration by email at work@utl.is. Workers on permits have the same rights under collective agreements as domestic staff.

A refusal is a written decision that can be appealed to the Immigration and Asylum Appeals Board (Kærunefnd útlendingamála) within 15 days of receiving it. An appeal does not normally suspend the decision unless you ask for suspension; refused applicants who are in Iceland are usually given about 30 days to leave. If you miss the deadline, the refusal becomes final.