Residence and work permit on grounds of shortage of labourers B

Residence and work permits issued before the amendment of Act No. 96/2002, i.e. before August 1, 2008, will still be valid. This means that individuals that have been issued residence and work permits can apply for renewal on the basis of shortage of labourers. Those individuals now holding B- or C permits will keep the rights they had or would eventually have, i.e. to apply for a permanent residence permit and family reunification.

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.

This type of residence permit counts towards a permanent residence permit.

Shortage of laborers B residence permit entails the qualification for family reunification.

An application for renewal that is submitted within the time limits has the effect that the applicant may stay in Iceland subject to the same conditions as before until a decision has been made on his application. A foreigner shall submit his application for a renewal at least one month before his permit expires; or else the applicant has to leave the country.

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

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 original application form for a residence permit signed by the applicant.
2. A completed original application form for a work permit based on shortage of labourers, signed by the employer.
3. A signed employment contract.
4. A photocopy of the applicant´s passport. The validity of the passport must be at least three months beyond the proposed permit.
5. Housing Certificate The foreigner must prove that he has secure housing for the period of time he is applying for. The form must be signed by the property owner and witnessed by two adults.

6.      Certificate from social services. The applicant must submit a certificate from the applicable municipal services, indicating whether or not he has received any financial social support.

7.      Tax payment record. A foreigner shall submit a statement from the applicable tax authority of payment of taxes for the past 12 months.

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