Foreign nationals from a country outside of the EEA and/or EFTA, who plan to stay in Iceland for more than three (3) months, must have a valid residence permit.
Residence permits for volunteers are for persons older than 18 who intend to work for non-governmental organizations (NGO) on charity and humanitarian issues. Such organizations must be non-profit organizations and tax exempt. The general assumption is that the organizations in question operate in a global context.
Residence permits for volunteers are granted based on Art. 67 of the Act on Foreigners No. 80/2016.
You might have a right to a residence permit for volunteers if all of the following requirements are met, as well as others
- You are older than 18 years,
- you have a formal written confirmation of an invitation to Iceland to work for an acknowledged NGO working on charity and humanitarian issues, and are neither operated for profit and tax liable,
- the work you will carry out is in accordance with the activities of the NGO you will work with,
- you can present a travel ticket from Iceland stating your time of departure at the end of your stay,
- you can prove that you are able to provide for yourself during your time of stay in another way than receiving wages 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),
- you have not served a criminal sentence abroad during the last five (5) years or been sentenced by a court of law for an offence which would be punishable by more than three (3) months imprisonment according to Icelandic law, and
- you have a passport valid for at least 90 days beyond the estimated period of a residence permit.
You may not
- begin working for an NGO until a residence permit has been granted,
- be hired to earn wages on the Icelandic labor market during your stay, and
- 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 canceled 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.
An applicant who does not need a visa may stay in Iceland when submitting an application and while it is being processed, provided the stay in the Schengen Area does not exceed 90 days in the 180 day period. An applicant who needs a visa may not stay in Iceland when applying for the permit and while it is being processed. Such an application will be refused.
If an applicant does not fulfill these requirements and the requirements discussed below, 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 residence permit may not be renewed.
Further information on residence permit for volunteers
Definition of a volunteer and rights attached to the permit
Application for a residence permit
Definition of a volunteer and rights attached to the permit
According to the Act on Foreigners, a volunteer is an individual older than 18 who intends to work without pay for NGOs in the fields of charity and humanitarian issues, and are neither operated for profit and tax liability. Deviating from the requirement that the work is for acknowledged organizations is permissible if the goals of a certain project are clearly of a charitable and humanitarian nature.
Examples of organizations qualifying for having volunteers with residence permits to work in Iceland are AUS, Reykjavík Youth Center (Hitt húsid), the Salvation Army, the Icelandic Red Cross, SEEDS, the Scout Movement, Worldwide Friends, etc. The duties must fall within the definitions of voluntary work, for example, projects relating to charity and humanitarian issues. Examples of work that does not fall under the definition of volunteer work according to the Act on Foreigners is unpaid work at farms, restaurants, guesthouses, tourist service, etc.
Rights attached to the residence permits are as follows
- An applicant who does not need a visa may stay in Iceland when submitting an application and while it is being processed, provided the stay in the Schengen Area does not exceed 90 days in the 180 day period. If the stay exceeds this period, processing of the application will be stopped until the applicant has left Iceland and has presented a departure boarding card to prove it. An applicant who needs a visa may not stay in Iceland when applying for the permit and while it is being processed. An application by an applicant who does not have the aforementioned permit to stay will be refused.
- The residence permit may be granted for as long as one (1) year, however, never longer than equals the period stated in the invitation from the NGO.
- The residence permit may not be renewed.
- An applicant is not authorized to be hired to hold a paid job on the Icelandic labor market during his/her stay in Iceland.
- The residence permit does not contain a right to family reunification.
- The residence permit cannot be a basis of a permanent residence permit.
Application for a residence permit
An applicant who does not need a visa may stay in Iceland when submitting an application and while it is being processed, provided the stay in the Schengen Area does not exceed 90 days in the 180 day period. If the stay exceeds this period, processing of the application will be stopped until the applicant has left Iceland and has presented a departure boarding card to prove it. An applicant who needs a visa may not stay in Iceland when applying for the permit and while it is being processed. An application by an applicant who does not have the aforementioned permit to stay will be refused.
The applicant is responsible for submitting the necessary accompanying 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.
Documents that must be submitted
- 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.
- 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. (It is important that the applicant states his/her place of stay in Iceland. If the address is not stated when the application is made the applicant must notify his/her place of stay within two (2) weeks from the applicant’s date of arrival in Iceland (for example when being photographed).
- Passport photo (35 mm x 45 mm).
- Photocopy of 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.
- A copy of criminal record certificate issued by country of residence. A criminal record must not be older than 12 months when submitted and must be issued by the highest authority competent to issue such certificates in the respective country.
- Translation by an authorized translator of the criminal record certificate. Applies only if the foreign certificate is in another language than English or a Nordic languages. Note that the translation must be authenticated if the translator is not an authorized translator in Iceland.
- 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 2,000,000. Registration in Registers Iceland is usually 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.
- A contract with an acknowledged NGO working on charity or humanitarian issues. Original format is required, dated and signed both by the applicant and the spokesperson of the organization. The contract must state the kind of work the applicant will carry out and how long his/her stay is. A confirmation must also be stated regarding the organization guaranteeing housing and maintenance for the applicant in Iceland if applicable.
- Documents on support, if applicable. If the NGO does not ensure the applicant’s maintenance, the applicant must show sufficient financial support during the time of stay.
- Copy of a travel ticket from Iceland, that states the applicants time of departure at the end of your stay.
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 accompanying 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 (only in Icelandic). 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.