Staff from outside the EEA/EFTA

Staff members

Employers

Work permit

An employer who intends to hire a foreign employee from a country outside the EEA/EFTA area enters into an employment contract with the employee and sends an application for ttemporary residence permit due to employment to the Immigration Office,along with all necessary supporting documents (application for work permit included). An employee is an applicant, but the role of the employer is to submit the application to the Immigration Office before but the person comes to the country.

An employee may not start work at all before a work permit is issued. It may result in the refusal of a work permit and even a fine or prison sentence for both the employer and the employee.

A work permit is usually issued for one year at a time, but never for a longer period than the residence permit or employment contract allows. The Labor Office receives data from the Immigration Office and issues the work permit.
After the foreign worker arrives in the country, he has to go to the Immigration Office (or a magistrate outside the capital area) with a passport, have his photo taken for a residence permit and complete the registration.
The work permit is conditional on a specific employer, so if an employee wants to change jobs, he must apply for a new work permit. An employee may not start working for a new employer until a new permit is obtained.

Here on the web Work in Iceland you can find a simple explanation of the process in English.

Temporary work permit

It is possible to apply for a temporary residence permit due to employment for nationals outside the EEA/EFTA region according to the following conditions. This route is often used by tourism companies:

Because of a job that requires expertise

Due to lack of staff

For specialized employees on the basis of a partnership or service agreement

It is important to remember..

The employee applies with the help of an employer who must sign an application and submit it together with supporting documents to the Immigration Office, before the person comes to the country and has a job.
The application for a temporary work permit together with all necessary documents must be submitted to the Immigration Office Dalvegi 18, 201 Kópavogur in letter form, either by post or in a mailbox at the reception.

The following conditions must always be met in order for the Labor Office to be authorized to grant a temporary work permit:

Application for a temporary work permit signed by the employer and the employee.

Employment contract between employer and employee signed by employer and employee.

Review of relevant trade union. (See box IV in the application)

Furthermore, the relevant special conditions of each type of temporary work permit must be met. More information about the special conditions of each type can be found on the website of the Norwegian Labor and Employment Agency.

Employment contract

The employer fills out the employment contract, the employee signs.

The employer is also responsible for verifying the period of employment that the foreign national is employed, by filling out a certificate or verifying on my pages at the Norwegian Labor and Employment Agency.

If an employee is hired for a period longer than one month and works on average more than eight hours per week, the employer must enter into a written employment contract or confirm the employment in writing no later than two months after the employee has been employed.

Detailed information on employment and employment contracts can be found on the website of the Swedish Confederation of Trade Unions.

Residence permit

The employer assists the relevant employee in applying for a residence permit. These permits are applied for by filling in specially prepared forms at the Immigration Office. Foreign nationals from the countries of the EES/EFTA area need to get the permit approved in order to stay and work in Iceland. A form for a residence permit can be found on the website of the Immigration Service.

The rights and obligations of foreign nationals are different and follow residence permits depending on the basis on which they are granted. More information about rights and obligations due to residence and work-related permits can be found on the website of the Immigration Service.
The employee is an applicant, the employer submits an application together with supporting documents to the Immigration Service before the person arrives in Iceland. It is a prerequisite for the issuance of a residence permit for employment that a work permit has been approved.
To obtain a residence permit, all necessary documents must be submitted in the required form.
It is permitted to submit an application and pay for it at the Immigration Office or at magistrates outside the capital area.

The foreign citizen/employee must always attend the Immigration Office, Dalvegi 18, 201 Kópavogur, after arriving in the country in person and present a passport.

Before a residence permit is issued, the applicant's legal residence must be registered with the National Register of Iceland. If the applicant does not register his legal residence on the application for a residence permit, he must report his place of residence for registration on a special form before a residence permit can be issued. A form for notification of place of residence can be found on the National Register website. You can return the form to the Immigration Office or to magistrates outside the capital area.
When a residence permit is granted, the foreign worker must appear in person at the Immigration Office with the passport for a photograph taken for a residence permit card. Make an appointment here.
If a residence permit is refused, the applicant is notified of the decision by registered mail. The deadline to leave the country is usually 30 days. Further information on the refusal of an application can be found here on the website of the Immigration Service.

Residence permit for volunteers

A residence permit for volunteers is for persons over the age of 18 who intend to work for a non-profit organization working on charitable or humanitarian issues. The association must not be run for profit and must be exempt from tax.

It is generally assumed that organizations covered here work internationally.

Conditions for volunteering

be 18 years or older
have received a job offer for a recognized non-governmental organization that works on charitable or humanitarian issues and is neither for profit nor taxable
Work must be in accordance with the activities of the non-profit organization for which the person would come to work
to demonstrate that the person in question can support himself during the stay in other ways than wage income in this country.

Exemptions from work permits for short-term work

To some extentweeks er not required work permit more temporary starfa of foreign nationals outside the EEA/EFTA area. group managerórare from countries outside the EEA/EFTA which faccording to the group of tourists to and from the country fall under the exemption provisions of the law and are allowed to stayrf in this country í up to 90 days roadna business errands.

Necessary is announcing Labor Office electronically um Iu group leader before arrival their to the country. With a notification, you must submit information about travel agency and/or group leaders who willu takes care of guidance in this country. Electronic submission is availablet on the website of the Labor Office.

However, fall Loath takers with citizenship outside the EEA/EFTA not subject to exemption and need to apply for a temporary work permit for his work in Ísloppy.

Case status and processing time

The processing time for applications for the first residence permit varies depending on the number of applications received and can be up to 8-10 months.

The majority of applications for renewal are processed within three months, and you can follow the processing progress on a special page at website of the Immigration Service.

It is important to remember that an employee may not start work at all before a work permit is issued.

Health examination

Foreign staff from countries outside the EEA/EFTA region need that resist health examination to complete registration into the country. On capitalsrthe area that inspection is carried out house Domus Medicareca, Egilsgatu 3, 101 Reykjavík. Health informationkoozing foreign staff is found on fidelity Healthcareu of the metropolitan area.

ID Number

The identification number is known as part of the residence permit at the Immigration Office. More information about the application and the necessary documents can be found on the page of the National Registry of Iceland.

Bank account

An employee opens a bank account when he has a valid social security number or system security number.

It is good that the employer informs the employees about the process and the conditions. Here you can find simple instructions from the main banks in Iceland.

Electronic ID

When an employee has a social security number, he applies for an electronic identity card.

It is important that foreign personnel are informed about electronic IDs so that they can access electronic service areas, including the areas of institutions, municipalities, social organizations and companies. The employer may need to inform the employee of the process and conditions.

It is important to make sure you have a SIM card that supports electronic IDs. If you are not sure, you can check it on Auðkenni's website.

Before using electronic IDs, they need to be activated, which can be done at many service points. It is important to remember to bring a valid ID (passport, valid driver's license, or residence permit card)

Health insurance

An employee is responsible for being health insured in Iceland and can purchase health insurance from an Icelandic insurance company or a foreign insurance company with a license to work in Iceland. (see the list on the FME website). During the application process, he must provide confirmation that he has purchased health insurance for a minimum amount of 2.000.000 valid in Iceland.

The minimum validity period is six months i from the registration of the applicant's legal domicile in Iceland. Icelandic insurance companies send the confirmation directly to the Immigration Office, but if health insurance was purchased by a foreign insurance company with a license in Iceland, the applicant must submit the confirmation himself.

Six months after the registration of legal residence in Iceland, the residence permit holder will automatically be covered by health insurance in Iceland.

Criminal record certificate from home country

If the employer so requests, the employee must submit a criminal record issued by the person's home country. A criminal record must not be older than 12 months when it is submitted to the employer. A copy of a criminal record may be submitted and it is not required that it be legally certified. If the criminal record is in a language other than English or a Nordic language, a certified translation must also be submitted.

Certificate of period of employment in Iceland

An employment certificate is the employer's confirmation of both the employee's job title and length of service. Employees' right to unemployment insurance is based on the period of employment and employment rate in the last 12 months. EEA/EFTA citizens have the right to transfer their earned unemployment insurance rights between Eurozone countries.

Confirmation can be submitted on paper or by email. More information on the website of the Labor Office.

Recognition of foreign professional rights

The employee applies for recognition of studies and professional qualifications to ENIC/NARIC and submits it to the employer.

The employer may need to provide the employee with assistance or information about the application process. ENIC/NARIC Ísland accepts applications for evaluation of studies for professional qualifications in trades.

Icelandic language teaching and community education

According to lawum on employment lawindi of foreigners 97/2002 ber employera and unionin that provide jobpeople with a temporary work permit information about basic courses in Icelandic for foreigners, community education and other education that them and family their is available.

To find information about availability of Icelandickstay, community education and another education that benefits foreigndu jobpeople can be viewed course portal here at Hæfnisetri.

Workplace certificate

Most jobs in the tourism industry fall under the conditions of a workplace certificate for site employees, which contains the information specified in the Act on workplace certificates and supervision of workplaces 42/2010 and the agreement between ASÍ and SA. IF employees do not carry a workplace certificate during their work, this may lead to the imposition of daily fines.

On the website skirteini.is, you can access a form for the workplace certificates and more information about their creation.

Extension / Renewal of a temporary work permit

An application for the extension of a temporary work permit must be filled out and applied to the Immigration Office no later than four weeks before it expires. During the extension, all the conditions of the temporary work permit must still be met, and the employer must have paid the withholding taxes and insurance premium according to the law for the work of a foreign employee.

On the website of the Immigration Service you can find detailed information about renewing a residence and work permit.

If the application for renewal is accepted an employee must show up with a passport for a photo shoot at the Immigration Office or to a magistrate outside the capital city area. Make an appointment here.
If the application for renewal is refused then the applicant has 15 days to appeal the decision immigration appeals committee.

Moving from Iceland

An employee who leaves work and intends to move from Iceland must notify the transfer to the National Register of Iceland. The transfer of legal domicile from Iceland must be registered within 7 days of the transfer.

The employer is not obliged to notify the transfer, but may need to register a confirmation of the period of employment and/or termination of employment (see above) where unemployment rights are transferred between countries.

It is important to inform the employee about the notification obligation and can be pointed out website of the Multicultural Department of the Labor Agency for more useful information regarding moving out of the country.