Residence permit for a spouse/registered partner of a foreigner in doctorial program

Applicant shall personally submit application and will be photographed at that time, unless otherwise stated. See here.

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.

The spouse may apply for a residence permit on the grounds of marriage after arriving in the country. The residence permit is usually issued for one year at a time, but never longer than the permit of the the spouse.

This type of residence permit does not count towards permanent residence permits.

Spouse/registered partner can not apply for a work permit according to the Foreign Nationals Right to Work Act No. 97/2002.

For renewal of a residence permit, see information on the bottom of this page.

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. A completed application form for a residence permit signed by the applicant.
2. One passport size photo (35mm-45mm) must be attached tho the application.
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. Support. The applicant must show sufficient financial support.
6. 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.
7. Social Services Certificate. The applicant’s spouse residing in Iceland must submit a certificate from the applicable municipal services, indicating whether or not he has received any financial social support.
8. Marriage Certificate. When applying for a residence permit on the grounds of a marriage, a Marriage Certificate must be provided.
9. Housing Certificate The foreigner must prove that he has secure housing for the period of time he is applying for.
10. Authorization. The applicant may grant the spouse or another person in Iceland authorization to enquire about his application.

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://hcc.e-vision.nl

If the application for a residence permit is approved, the foreigner needs to obtain a D-Visa in 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.

Upon fulfilling those obligations the permit is issued and the residece card is sent to the applicants address. The first day of the permit is counted as the date the residence permit is issued.

Renewal

Applicant shall personally submit application and will be photographed at that time, unless otherwise stated. See here.

If there are grounds for renewing the residence permit of a spouse/registered partner of a foreign citizen, it is done upon considering the application of the foreigner. The permit is usually renewed for one year, but never for a longer period of time than the permit of the spouse. It is permissible to grant the foreigner continued residency on the same conditions until the application has been processed. This permission is contingent upon the application being submitted to the Directorate at least 30 days before the first permit expires.

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. A completed application form for a residence permit signed by the applicant.
2. A photocopy of the applicant´s passport. The validity of the passport must be at least three months beyond the proposed permit.
3. Support. The applicant must show sufficient financial support.
4. Social Services Certificate. The applicant and his spouse residing in Iceland must submit a certificate from the applicable municipal services, indicating whether or not they have received any financial social support.
5. Housing Certificate. The foreigner must prove that he has secure housing for the period of time he is applying for.

Attached to the application must be certified originals of documentation as applicable. The Directorate requires that all foreign documentation issued in languages other than English or one of the Scandinavian languages, shall be translated by an accredited interpreter.

When the processing of the application is completed, the applicant will be advised by a written notification.