Residence permits for children

Residence permits for children are granted based on Art. 71 of the Act on Foreigners No. 80/2016. 

According to the Act on Foreigners a child is an individual under the age of 18 that is not married.

A residence permit for a child under the age of 18 is granted if his/her parent resides in Iceland and is

• an Icelandic citizen,
• a Nordic citizen,
• a foreign citizen who has a permanent residence permit,
• a foreign citizen who has a temporary residence permit
  • as a qualified specialist,
  • as an athlete,
  • as a spouse or cohabiting partner,
  • as a graduate or post-graduate student,
  • on grounds of international protection,
  • on grounds of humanitarian views or
  • on grounds of special ties to Iceland.

The condition is that the child is in the custody of and provided for by the person exercising such right and that the child will live with the parent having custody.

A person holding custody of a child without being his/her biological parent does not have the right to a residence permit for the child unless the custodian has also adopted the child. The adoption procedure must be completed before an application is made and the procedure must be in conformity with Icelandic law. An individual living in Iceland and intending to adopt a child abroad must obtain the prior consent of the district commissioner for such adoption; cf. Act no. 130/1999 on Adoption.

You might have the right to a residence permit as a child if all of the following requirements are met, as well as others

• You are under the age of 18,
• have a parent living in Iceland and who is an Icelandic or Nordic citizen, or a foreign citizen with a permanent residence permit or on grounds of a residence permit as listed above,
• are in the custody of and provided for by your parent living in Iceland,
• the custodian parent, one or more, agree that you receive a residence permit in Iceland,
• you have a valid insurance with an Icelandic insurance company (in the field Insurance Companies) or a foreign insurance company authorized to operate in Iceland (in the field Foreign Insurance Companies),
• have not served a court sentence since the age of 15 or been sentenced for more than three (3) months imprisonment according to Icelandic law,
• if the parent/custodian has not been sentenced over the last five (5) years or been subject to security measures (unless an exemption applies), and
• you have a passport valid for at least 90 days beyond the estimated period of a residence permit.

You may not

• be 18 years of age or older when the permit is granted, except when applying for an extension of the residence permit (the condition then is that you are a student or working and residing with your parent),
• be married or in a cohabiting partnership when applying for an extension of your residence permit, 
• stay in another country longer than three (3) months in every 12-month period of the residence permit period; otherwise the residence permit may be cancelled or revoked.

An application for a residence and work permit and supporting documents shall be submitted to the Directorate of Immigration or at the offices of the district commissioners outside of the Reykjavík Metropolitan Area. Note that different rules may apply to a permit to stay when an application is submitted and while it is being processed. Children may be in Iceland when an application is made provided they base their right on a person as listed above, except a child of a student in the event of a visa requirement.

If an applicant does not fulfill the permit requirements, the application for a residence permit will be refused and the applicant must leave Iceland. An applicant who does not leave the country may be subject to expulsion or a re-entry ban. A re-entry ban for Iceland is also a re-entry ban into the Schengen Area for a specific period of time or for a minimum of two (2) years.

The applicant is responsible for applying for renewal of his/her residence permit at least four (4) weeks before the validity of the permit expires. If this is done, the applicant is permitted to stay in Iceland while the application for renewal is being processed by the Directorate of Immigration. If a renewal of a residence permit is not applied for before the period of validity expires the application will be handled as if this were a first permit, not renewal. An application received after the period of validity of the previous permit has expired will be refused if the applicant does not have a permission to stay in Iceland while the application is being processed.

Further information on residence permits for children

The rights attached to the permit

Application for first permit

Renewal

Rights attached to the permit

• A child may be in Iceland when a residence-permit application is made and during its procedure, except a child of a student in the event of a visa requirement.
• In case of a visa requirement an applicant who applies from abroad may not come to Iceland until the application has been granted.
• A residence permit may be granted for one (1) year at a time but for two (2) years maximum, provided the requirements for the permit are still met, however, the permit may never be valid longer than the permit of the person that the right derives from. 
• A child who has a valid residence permit may work without a work permit until the age of 18, however, may not work after reaching the age of 18 without applying for a work permit.
• The residence permit may be a basis of a permanent residence permit.
• A child whose one parent is an Icelandic national has the right to citizenship if the child has lived in Iceland for two (2) years provided other conditions are met. The requirement is that the parent has had Icelandic citizenship for at least five (5) years. The child may also receive an Icelandic citizenship parallel to it being granted to the parent.
  
  
  

Application for a first permit

The child may neither have turned 18 years of age at the time of submission of application nor when a residence permit is granted (except in the instance of renewal).

Documents to be submitted by the person holding the custody of the child

1. Payment receipt (if the application has been paid for at a bank). The name of the person for whom payment is being made must be clearly stated. List the name of the applicant, his/her date of birth as a reference.
2. Application for a residence permit. (Please download and save on computer before filling out). In original format, carefully filled out and signed by both custodians if more than one. Important to state the child’s place of stay in Iceland. If there is no address the custodian shall submit a notification on the place of stay after the child arrives in Iceland (for example during photographing).
3. Passport photo (35 mm x 45 mm).
4. Photocopy of passport. The period of validity must be at least 90 days beyond the period of validity of the residence permit. This must include photocopies of the passport’s personal information page and the page containing the applicant’s signature.
5. Health Insurance. The applicant shall submit a certificate of insurance from an Icelandic insurance company (see insurance companies) or a foreign insurance company authorized to operate in Iceland (see foreign insurance companies)  The insurance shall be valid for six (6) months from the date of the applicant being registered in Registers Iceland and the coverage shall be at least IKR 2000,000.  Registration in Registers Iceland is usuallly valid from the day the applicant‘s photo is taken at either the Directorate of Immigration or at a District Commissioner‘s office for a residence permit card, given that the applicant has stayed in Iceland from that date.
6. Documents on support by a parent, confirming secure provision for the child during his/her stay. If a custodian parent already has a residence permit in Iceland he/she must prove having provided for the child over the last 12 months before applying for a residence permit. Such confirmation may be in the form of a bank statement or money-transfer receipts.
7. Confirmed originals of the following certificates (and translated versions if applicable) from the child’s home country.

- Apostille or double certification is required for the certificates. Other authentication may apply.

- Copies must be stamped by a public authority competent to do so. A criminal record certificate must be submitted in original format.

- Translations by authorized translators of certificates that are submitted in other languages than English or a Nordic language. Certification of translation is required if prepared by a translator who has not received authorization in Iceland, i.e. apostille or double certification.

a. Custody documents (and translations if applicable). Only custodian parents may apply for a residence permit for their child. The following documents may illustrate who has custody of a child:

- Custody documents issued by a competent authority, for example, a district commissioner or a court of law. The requirement is that such documents are not older than six (6) months. If more than one person holds custody of a child, a copy must also be submitted of a certified statement by the parent, who does not live in Iceland, that he/she agrees to the child being granted a residence permit in Iceland.

- Divorce papers. If the parents of a child are divorced and if the divorce papers state who has custody of a child such documents are considered as sufficient confirmation of custody.

- Death certificate. If one of a child’s custodians has passed away and the surviving custodian holds sole custody of the child, a certified copy of the death certificate is considered as sufficient confirmation of custody.

b. Birth certificate of a child (and translation if applicable).

c. Original of a child’s foreign criminal record certificate if the child has reached the age of 15 (and translation if applicable). A criminal record certificate may not be older than six (6) months. Criminal record certificates must be submitted from all countries where the applicant has lived over the last five (5) years. The criminal record certificates shall be issued by the highest authority authorized such issuance in the relevant country.

d. Marriage status certificate of a child who has reached the age of 16 (and translation if applicable). The marriage status certificate may not be older than six (6) months).

Documents that may be submitted

• Power of Attorney signed by two (2) witnesses. The Power of Attorney does not have to be submitted unless the applicant wants someone other than him/her to receive information about the processing of the application by the Directorate of Immigration.
  
  

The applicant is responsible for submitting the necessary supporting documents with his/her application. If satisfactory documents with the application are not received by the Directorate of Immigration, this may result in delays in processing the application or in the application being denied.

The Directorate of Immigration may request additional information when special circumstances recommend it.

If the applicant meets all requirements of a residence permit, the residence permit will be granted and the applicant will be sent a notification of the granting of the permit. The residence permit will not be issued, however, until the applicant has come to be photographed at the offices of the Directorate of Immigration or at offices of district commissioners outside of the Reykjavík Metropolitan Area, reported his place of residence to the Directorate and undergone medical examination. The applicant should come to be photographed within one (1) week from his/her arrival in Iceland and must report his/her place of residence (for example, when photographed). Please note that the applicant must present a valid passport when photographed for identification. Furthermore, the applicant must undergo medical examination within two (2) weeks from arrival in Iceland.

The Directorate of Immigration will not issue a residence permit if the applicant does not meet the requirements stated above. This could lead to illegal stay and expulsion.

Renewal

A residence permit may be renewed if the requirements of the permit are met. A renewal of a residence permit must be applied for at least four (4) weeks before the permit’s period of validity expires. If this is done the applicant is permitted to stay in Iceland while the application for renewal is being processed by the Directorate of Immigration. If a renewal of the residence permit is not applied for before the period of validity expires, the application will be processed as if this were an application for a first permit, not a renewal. An application that is received after the period of validity of the older permit has expired will be refused if the applicant does not have permission to stay in Iceland while the application is being processed.

The custodian of the child and the applicant (the child) must appear in person upon the renewal of his/her residence permit, either at the reception area of the Directorate of Immigration or at offices of district commissioners outside of the Reykjavík Metropolitan Area. The applicant will be photographed and must submit a sample of his/her signature. The applicant should bring his/her passport along.

Documents an applicant younger than 18 years of age must submit

1. Application for a residence permit. (Please download and save on computer before filling out). In original format, carefully filled out and signed by both custodian parents if more than one custodian.
2. Photocopy of the passport. The period of validity must be at least 90 days in excess of the period of validity of the residence permit. This must include photocopies of the passport’s personal information page and the page containing the applicant’s signature.
    

Documents an applicant who has turned 18 must submit

The residence permit may be renewed even though the child has reached the age of 18, in which instance the requirement is that the child is studying or working in Iceland, lives with his/her parents and is neither married nor informal cohabitation.

1. Application for a residence permit. (Please download and save on computer before filling out). In original format, carefully filled out and signed by the applicant.
2. Photocopy of the passport. The period of validity must be at least 90 days in excess of the period of validity of the residence permit. This must include photocopies of the passport’s personal information page and the page containing the applicant’s signature.
3. Support. The applicant must illustrate independent means of maintenance if working and not studying. An applicant studying may be provided for by his/her parents.
4. Confirmation of enrollment in school, if applicable. An applicant who is studying must illustrate that he/she is enrolled in acknowledged study.
5. Application for work permit on grounds of family reunification and an employment contract, (if applicable). An application for a work permit and an employment contract must be submitted in original format and signed by both the applicant and the employer.
   
   

Documents that may be submitted

• Power of Attorney signed by two (2) witnesses. The Power of Attorney does not have to be submitted unless the applicant wants someone other than him/her to receive information about the processing of the application by the Directorate of Immigration.

The applicant is responsible for submitting the necessary supporting documents with his/her application. If satisfactory documents with the application are not received by the Directorate of Immigration, this may result in delays in processing the application or in the application being denied. The Directorate of Immigration may request additional information when special circumstances recommend it.