Temporary au-pair permit.

The Directorate may grant permission for engaging a foreigner between the ages of 18-25 as a domestic helper/au-pair in an Icelandic household.

Please note that an application will not be processed until it has been paid for. See here.

Estimated application processing time for a residence permit is 90 days from the date when all required documentation has been received by the Directorate.

An application for a au-pair permit shall have been approved before a foreigner arrives in the country. This means that if a foreigner is in Iceland when an application is submitted for the first time, he must leave the country.

The conditions for granting an au-pair residence permit are the following:

• The foreigner fulfills the basic conditions for a residence permit, i.e. that his financial support, medical insurance and housing is secure.
• The foreigner shall not be younger than 18 years and no older than 25 years.
• A contract between the applicant and the host family must be signed.
• The foreigner shall be provided free housing and meals.
• The au-pair shall have a separate room in the household.
• The host family will pay for the foreigner’s travel back to the home country at the end of the contract.
• The foreigner shall be granted adequate time for studying Icelandic and for pursuing his personal hobbies/interests.

This type of permit is considered to be a cultural exchange which is neither categorized as a student nor a regular employee permit. It is not expected that a foreigner will apply for this category to stay in the home of a family member, as that could hardly be considered to be the purpose of this type of permit.

The au-pair permit is granted for a maximum of one year and is not renewable.

Au-pair permits do not count towards a permanent residence permit.

The following documentation must be submitted with the application:

If sufficient documentation has not been submitted, the application processing time will be considerably longer.

1. An original Application form for an au-pair permit, completed and signed by the applicant.
2. One passport size photo (35mm-45mm).
3. A photocopy of the applicant’s passport. The validity of the passport must be at least three months beyond the proposed permit.
4. Criminal Record Check. The certificate must be issued by the country/countries where the applicant has resided for the past five years. Criminal Record Certificate must be dated no earlier than 6 months prior to being submitted to the Directorate. Please note, individuals who have resided in the U.S.A. during the past five years, who intend to apply for a residence permit in Iceland, must submit a Criminal Record Check issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Instructions on how to apply for a FBI criminal record check is available on the website http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/emergencies/emergencies_1201.html.
5. Medical Insurance. Insurance must cover at least 2.000.000 Icel.kr., and shall be issued by an insurance company authorized to provide services in Iceland. The insurance must be in effect for 6 months.
6. Authorization. The applicant may grant an individual in Iceland authorization to enquire about his application.
7. A written contract/au-pair engagement agreement between the parties. The contract is only available at the Directorate of Immigration.

Attached to the application must be certified originals of documentation as applicable. The Directorate of Immigration reserves the right to ask for authentication of foreign documents, if necessary. Authentication can be either an „apostille“ from the applicant‘s home country, or a double authentication from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in the home country and the Embassy of that country in Iceland, or the embassy accredited to Iceland (if the country does not have an embassy in Iceland). This applies to criminal record checks, marriage certificates, birth certificates and any other certificates submitted with an application for a residence permit in Iceland.The Directorate requires that all foreign documentation issued in languages other than English or one of the Scandinavian Languages, must be translated by an accredited interpreter.

Futher information on apostille is available at http://hcch.e-vision.nl

If the application for au-pair permit is approved, the foreigner needs to obtain a D-Visa at the closest embassy issuing such visas on behalf of Iceland. The application must state in which embassy the foreigner intends to obtain the visa. Check here for a list of embassies.

Upon arrival in Iceland, the foreigner shall:

• Register his domicile in Iceland at the National Registry (Þjóðskrá).
• Deliver a Medical Certificate to the Directorate. Check here for exemptions and procedures from the Directorate of Health.
• Present himself at the Directorate’s office, or at the nearest District Commissioner’s office to be photographed for a residence permit card.

Upon fulfilling those requirements the permit is issued and the residence card is sent to the applicant’s address. The first day of the permit is counted as the date the residence permit is issued.