Voluntary Return

If a period for voluntary departure is not granted in the return decision or the applicant does not depart voluntarily within the granted period, the return will be operated by the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police.

• An applicant is required to submit a travel itinerary to his/her country of origin to the Directorate of Immigration. The travel should take place before the voluntary return period expires.
• Upon arrival in the country of return the returnee is required to send the Directorate of Immigration a photocopy of the Schengen exit stamps in his/her passport.
• Applicants for international protection who do not have travel documents or need a visa to travel within the Schengen area can not voluntarily return to their country of origin at their own expense. They are advised to apply for Assisted Voluntary Return (IOM).
• Applicants for international protection who are subject to the Dublin Regulation Procedure are not permitted to return to their country of origin at their own expense.

• An application for voluntary return assistance should be submitted before granted voluntary return period expires.
• Applicants for international protection from safe countries of origin are generally not entitled to voluntary return assistance but may conditionally return to their home countries at their own expense. Vulnerable applicants may be exempted from that rule.
• Applicants for international protection who are subject to the Dublin Regulation Procedure are not entitled to voluntary return assistance except if the applicant withdraws his/her application for protection before the decision of the Directorate of Immigration is published. Vulnerable applicants may be exempted from that rule.

• Information and counsel on assistance in country of origin
• Airfare and transportation to and from airports and to the final destination in the country of return
• Assistance with obtaining travel documents
• Assistance upon departure, in transit, and upon arrival in the country of return
• Medical assistance and required services that the applicant may need before and during travel
• In-cash assistance and reintegration support in accordance with Regulation No 961/2018

Reintegration support is paid partly in cash and partly for a reintegration project which the applicant can use to finance his reintegration in his home country. Support for special reintegration projects can be used e.g. for rent, study, employment or other projects in collaboration with IOM or other similar organizations. If the applicant chooses not to use the support for a special reintegration project, he can request to be paid in cash. It is not permitted to pay more than half of the total amount in cash, as shown in the table above.

Under special circumstances, in the case of an applicant who falls outside the table above, the Directorate of Immigration may pay for travel costs to the state where the applicant has previously been granted international protection or is legally authorized to reside on other grounds. Such support would be considered in particular in the case of families with children where all family members have requested assistance. The same may apply to individuals who are considered to be in a particularly vulnerable position in the opinion of the Directorate of Immigration or if the Directorate considers the applicant to need special assistance for other reasons in connection with the return. In assessing whether the applicant is entitled to assistance the applicant's health and social status should be taken into account.