Iceland - Obtain Residence Permit for Students

Advertisement

Procedure

Obtaining the permit for the first time

1. Gather all necessary documents you will need to submit in applying for the procedure.
2. Download, fill out and sign the application form.
3. Pay the processing fee.
4. Submit your application via registered mail to the Directorate of Immigration, Skgarhl 6, 105 Reykjavk. Do not forget to include the payment receipt when you send in your application.
5. If the permit is granted, an applicant who needs a visa shall obtain a D-Visa at the closest embassy issuing such visas on behalf of Iceland. The application must indicate in which embassy the applicant intends to collect the visa.

After arriving in Iceland

• Most foreigners need to go for a medical check-up and deliver a Medical Certificate to the Directorate after their arrival in Iceland. To know more
• The applicant must be able to present his/her passport at the Directorates office, or at the nearest District Commissioners office to be photographed.
• Once the medical certificate have been submitted and the photograph of the foreigner have been taken, the permit will be issued and the card sent to the applicants address.
• The date the permit was issued, marks the official beginning of residency in Iceland.

Renewing the permit

• A student residence permit may be renewed during the study period if conditions for the permit are still met and satisfactory study progress is shown. A permit is usually renewed until the end of the next semester.
• If application for renewal is not submitted at least one month before the current permit expires, the applicant has to leave the Iceland while the application is being processed and the application is not considered a renewal, but as a first permit.

Advertisement

Required Documents

Obtaining the permit for the first time

• Completed application form
• One passport size photo (35mm x 45mm)
• Photocopy of the applicants passport: The validity of the passport must be at least three months beyond the proposed permit.
• Criminal Record Check (original): The certificate must be issued by the country/countries where the applicant has resided for the past five years. Criminal Record Check must be dated no earlier than 6 months prior to being submitted to the Directorate. Please note that individuals who have resided in the U.S.A. or Canada during the past five years, intending to apply for a residence permit in Iceland, must submit a Criminal Record Check based on fingerprints issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the U.S.A. and/or by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Canada.
• Medical Insurance: Confirmation from an insurance company authorized to provide services in Iceland that the applicant has purchased medical insurance covering at least 2.000.000 Icel.kr. valid for the first 6 months of stay in Iceland.
• Proof of Financial Capacity: Documents proving the applicants financial capability. Applicant must show proof of individual subsistence (means of support), bank statements of personal account must be signed and stamped by the bank in question and/or proof of students loans must be signed and stamped by procurer. Currency must be registered by the Central Bank of Iceland.
• School Confirmation: A written confirmation from the school that the applicant was registered as a full time student.
• Authorization: The applicant may grant an individual in Iceland authorization to follow up his/her application (not a requirement for processing application).
• Housing Certificate: The applicant must prove that he/she has secure housing for the period of time applied for. The certificate must be signed by the home owner and witnessed by two adults.
• Application for work permit and employment contract (if applying for a student work permit).

Notes:

• All foreign documents issued in languages other than English or one of the Scandinavian languages, must be translated by an accredited interpreter.
• The Directorate may ask for authentication of foreign documents.

To renew the permit

• Completed application form
• Photocopy of the applicants passport: The validity of the passport must be at least three months beyond the proposed permit.
• Proof of Financial Capacity: Documents proving the applicants financial capability. Applicant must show proof of individual subsistence (means of support), bank statements of personal account must be signed and stamped by the bank in question and/or proof of students loans must be signed and stamped by procurer. Currency must be registered by the Central Bank of Iceland.
• Social Services Certificate: The applicant must submit a certificate from the applicable municipal services where he/she has resided for the past year, indicating whether or not he/she has received any financial social support.
• Confirmation of study progress: A certificate of progress and confirms that the applicant was registered as a full time student.
• Housing Certificate: The applicant must prove that he/she has secure housing for the period of time applied for. The certificate must be signed by the home owner and witnessed by two adults.
• Application for work permit and employment contract (if applying for a student work permit).
• Tax payment record: The applicant shall submit a statement from the applicable tax authority of payment of taxes for the past 12 months, if working.

Office Locations & Contacts

Please list down the office locations that can be approached for applying. External links can also be used for specifying office locations.

Eligibility

A residence permit for a student is intended for a foreigner, aged 18 or older, studying at a secondary school or university in Iceland.

The applicant must be registered as a full time student at a university, vocational school, or other educational institution that meets university admission requirements.

Fees

Permit application fee, for person over the age of 18:

• First issue of the permit: 12,000 ISKR
• Renewal of the permit: 6,000 ISKR
• Permanent Residence permit: 12,000 ISKR

Permit application fee, for person under the age of 18:

• First issue of the permit: 6,000 ISKR
• Renewal of the permit: 3,000 ISKR
• Permanent Residence permit: 6,000 ISKR

Notes:

• If the applicant decided to withdraw his/her application or if the application is denied, the application fee paid by the applicant may not be refunded.
• Be advised that your bank may charge a processing fee for international transfers and if that fee is not paid separately, the bank will withdraw it from your transferred amount. This results in insufficient funds being transferred to the Icelandic Directorate of Immigration. Therefore the processing of your application will be delayed until the complete processing fee have been paid.
• Bank fees are not yet included in the amounts above.

Paying for the processing fee

Deposit your payment to the Directorate of Immigration account

Icelandic social security number/ ID number = 670269-6399

Bank information - IBAN: IS59 0516 0541 1973 6702 6963 99

Bank: slandsbanki, Kirkjusandi, 105 Reykjavk.

Swift Code: GLITISRE

Do not forget to print out the payment receipt and send it with your application.

When depositing your payment, you must provide your birthday and name, the same info printed on your passport.

Validity

Families of students with residence permit are generally not eligible for family reunification. Families of doctorate students and students from the U.S.A. are exempted and may apply for residence permits.

Student permits are not taken into consideration in applying for a permanent residence permit.

Documents to Use

Please attach documents which can be used by people who would like to follow this procedure.    

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents which would help other people who would like to follow this procedure.    

Processing Time

It may take about 90 days (on the average) from the date all necessary documents were received by the Directorate to process your application. If supporting

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites. 	
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver, 
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

Application to obtain a residence permit for students must be lodged by the applicant prior to his/her arrival in Iceland, according to the Act on Foreigners No. 96/2002.

Entering the country without such permit is generally not allowed until application has been approved.

Notes:

• Fall Semester: Application and supporting documents must be received by the Directorate not later than July 1st in order to issue the permit before classes begins.
• Spring Semester: Application and supporting documents must be received by the Directorate not later than November 1st in order to issue the permit before classes begins.

Required Information

A list which displays the kind of information which is required to complete the procedure.
e.g.
1. Date of Birth.
2. City or County of Birth.

Need for the Document

Please provide the need for the procedure.
e.g. Birth Certificate - why do we need to have a birth certificate? 
 

Information which might help

Enter other informations which might help.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

Place some external links which might help.

Others

More information which might help people.