EuropeSelect the passports you hold to see short-stay access and per-route eligibility for Iceland.
Short stays: tourism, transit, business trips, medical, pilgrimage.
Tourist Visa
Electronic travel authorisation for visa-exempt nationals (e.g. US, UK, Canada, Japan). Valid 3 years for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. We apply on your behalf end-to-end. Fees illustrative.
Tourist Visa
Short-stay visa for tourism: up to 90 days within any 180-day period. We prepare your forms and documents; you attend the consulate/VFS appointment to submit biometrics. Government fee EUR 90 (illustrative).
Tourist Visa
The standard short-stay (Schengen Type C) visa for nationals who require a visa to enter the Schengen Area for tourism, visiting family or friends. It allows a stay of up to 90 days within any 180-day period and is valid for travel across the whole Schengen Area. Nationals of visa-exempt countries do not need this visa for stays up to 90 days (and from 2026 will instead use the ETIAS travel authorisation). The visa fee is EUR 90 (EUR 45 for children aged 6-12). Applications are lodged at Icelandic embassies/consulates or partner Schengen missions and external service providers; Iceland issues visas directly in London, New Delhi, Beijing and Washington D.C., with around 120 further cities served through other Schengen states. Processing is typically about two weeks where the file is complete. The visa does not permit work in Iceland and does not lead to residence or permanent residence.
Transit Visa
Required by some nationalities to pass through the international transit area of a Schengen airport without entering. Whether you need one depends on your nationality. Government fee EUR 90 (illustrative).
Transit Visa
An airport transit (Type A) visa allowing nationals of certain listed countries to pass through the international transit area of an Icelandic airport (notably Keflavik) when changing flights, without legally entering Iceland or the Schengen Area. It does not permit leaving the transit zone. The fee is EUR 90 (EUR 45 for children 6-12). Most travellers connecting through Iceland do not need this visa - it applies only to nationals of the specific countries subject to airport transit visa requirements, or where required by the Icelandic authorities. Travellers who wish to leave the airport need a short-stay Type C visa instead. It grants no work, study or residence rights.
Business Visitor Visa
Short-stay visa for business trips (meetings, conferences, negotiations): up to 90 days within any 180-day period. We prepare forms and documents; you submit at the consulate/VFS. Government fee EUR 90 (illustrative).
Business Visitor Visa
The Schengen Type C short-stay visa used for business purposes: meetings, negotiations, conferences, trade fairs and short professional visits of up to 90 days within any 180-day period. It carries the same EUR 90 fee (EUR 45 for children 6-12) and roughly two-week processing as the tourist variant; the difference lies in the supporting documents, which centre on an invitation from an Icelandic company or event organiser and evidence of the business relationship. The visa does not authorise taking up employment in the Icelandic labour market - paid local work requires a separate work-based residence permit. Visa-exempt nationals may attend short business visits without a visa (subject from 2026 to ETIAS). It confers no path to residence or permanent residence.
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Universities, language courses, internships and exchanges.
Student Visa
For stays over 90 days to study. Issued under national rules -- apply at the consulate of your destination country. We guide you; submission is in person. Fees and processing times vary by country.
Student Visa
A residence permit for non-EEA/EFTA nationals accepted into full-time university study in Iceland, postgraduate/doctoral study in collaboration with an Icelandic university, recognised exchange programmes, study-integrated internships, or recognised secondary technical/workplace studies. Applicants must show secure means of support (the Directorate uses a monthly subsistence benchmark of around ISK 260,000), valid health insurance, a passport and a criminal record certificate, and proof of admission. To be processed in time, applications should arrive by 1 May (autumn semester) or 1 October (spring semester). Students may work part-time, capped at about 15 hours per week during term, and full-time outside term where permitted. The permit is renewable for the duration of studies; former students can qualify for permanent residence after two years on the student permit provided they have completed a total of four years' residence in Iceland, and a foreign national with an Icelandic doctoral degree can reach PR in three years. The fee is ISK 70,000.
Exchange Program Visa
A cultural-exchange residence permit for non-EEA/EFTA nationals aged 18-25 who will live with an Icelandic host family as an au pair. The host family must include at least one member who is an Icelandic citizen or permanent resident, and the au pair must have no family connection to the host family and not intend to settle in Iceland. The host family must pay pocket money of at least ISK 15,000 per week (about ISK 60,000 per four weeks). The permit is valid for one year only; it is not renewable and cannot be converted to another residence permit, and after it expires the au pair must remain outside Iceland for two years. Required cover includes health insurance of at least ISK 2,000,000 valid for six months. The application fee is ISK 120,000. The permit does not lead to permanent residence.
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Digital nomad, freelance, skilled employment and company transfers.
Digital Nomad Visa
Iceland's long-term visa for remote workers (its digital-nomad route) lets non-EEA/EFTA nationals who are visa-exempt for Schengen entry live in Iceland for up to 180 days while working remotely for a foreign employer or as a self-employed person/freelancer with clients abroad. Applicants must show monthly income of at least ISK 1,000,000 (about ISK 1,300,000 if a spouse/cohabiting partner or children under 18 accompany them), evidenced by employment or freelance contracts, pay statements and bank records, with income originating outside Iceland. They must not have held an Icelandic long-term visa in the previous 12 months and must not intend to settle long term. The full 180 days is granted when applying from abroad; if applying from within the Schengen Area, the grant is reduced to 90 days. The visa does NOT place the holder in the Icelandic labour market, does not lead to permanent residence and cannot be converted into another residence permit from within Iceland. Private health insurance valid in Iceland for the whole stay is mandatory. The application is paper-based; the fee is ISK 12,200.
Self-Employment Visa
A discretionary residence permit under Article 79 of the Foreign Nationals Act for individuals whose purpose for residing in Iceland is legitimate and specific but does not fit the standard work, study or family categories - in practice the route used for self-employed business operators, certain investors managing their own enterprise, retirees living on independent means, religious workers and other special-purpose stays. There is no fixed income or investment threshold in the rules; the Directorate of Immigration makes an overall assessment of the applicant's circumstances and documents, and may decline even where conditions appear met, since there is no obligation to grant the permit. Applicants must demonstrate secure means of support, accommodation and health insurance. The permit is generally granted for up to one year at a time and is renewable while the special purpose persists. The fee is ISK 40,000. Visa-required applicants must apply from abroad; visa-exempt applicants may apply from within Iceland if legally present.
Skilled Work Visa
For stays over 90 days to work. Requires employer sponsorship / a work permit before you can apply, so eligibility is conditional. Issued under national rules -- apply at the consulate of your destination country. Fees and processing times vary by country.
Skilled Work Visa
A temporary work-based residence permit for non-EEA/EFTA nationals whose expertise is essential to an Icelandic employer and consists of university-level education or recognised industrial, artistic or technical training. A corresponding work permit (issued by the Directorate of Labour) is required, and the residence permit can be granted for up to one year at a time but never beyond the work permit's validity; expert-knowledge permits may be renewed for up to four years. Applicants who are legally in Iceland may remain while the application is processed. The holder may work only for the employer named in the permit. The permit counts toward permanent residence (generally after four years of continuous residence, with no more than 90 days abroad per year) and supports family reunification for a spouse/partner, children under 18 and parents aged 67+. The application fee is ISK 80,000; the fast-track service fee has been abolished. Mandatory health insurance must cover at least ISK 2,000,000 and be valid for six months from registration with Registers Iceland.
Skilled Work Visa
A temporary work-based residence permit granted when an Icelandic employer cannot fill a post from the domestic labour market or within the EEA/EFTA states or the Faroe Islands. It requires a matching work permit from the Directorate of Labour. Visa-required applicants must apply from outside Iceland and may not be present in the country while the application is processed; visa-exempt applicants may be present provided their Schengen stay does not exceed 90 days in 180. The permit is granted for up to one year at a time, never beyond the work permit, and is renewable for up to two years. Holders may work only for the named employer. Time on this permit counts toward permanent residence (generally four years) and supports family reunification. The fee is ISK 80,000; the fast-track service fee has been abolished. Health insurance of at least ISK 2,000,000 is required.
Intra-Company Transfer Visa
A work-based residence permit for foreign nationals posted to Iceland to carry out a specific service or collaboration contract for a foreign company providing services to an Icelandic undertaking - covering posted workers and assignments akin to intra-corporate transfers. A work permit tied to the service/collaboration agreement is required. The permit is short-term: it is typically issued for the duration of the contract and renewals in this category are generally limited to around six months, reflecting the temporary nature of the posting. Holders may work only on the assignment specified. Because of its short duration and limited renewability, this route is not, in practice, a reliable basis for permanent residence. Health insurance of at least ISK 2,000,000 is required; the application fee is ISK 80,000.
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Golden visas, real estate, citizenship by investment, passive income.
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Retirement visas and working holiday schemes.
Working Holiday Visa
Up-to-1-year residence permit with unlimited work rights for young citizens of 5 partner states: Andorra, Canada, Chile, Japan and the United Kingdom (no application fee for Japanese citizens).
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Reunification, spouse routes and ancestry-based repatriation.
Spouse / Partner Visa
Family-reunification residence permit for the spouse or cohabiting partner of an Icelandic/Nordic citizen or of a foreign national legally resident in Iceland (on a permanent permit or qualifying temporary permit). Both partners must generally be at least 18. For cohabiting partners the relationship must have lasted at least one year and be documented (shared address, joint bills, registered cohabitation). The sponsor and/or applicant must show secure means of support and suitable accommodation. The permit is granted for one year at a time, up to a maximum of two years, and is renewable for up to two years while conditions are met. It gives general access to the labour market and counts toward permanent residence (generally four years; three years where the sponsor is an Icelandic citizen). The spouse of an Icelandic citizen may become eligible for citizenship after three years of marriage and cohabitation, provided the citizen spouse has held Icelandic citizenship for at least five years. The first-application fee is ISK 110,000 (renewal ISK 60,000).
Dependent Relative Visa
A family-reunification residence permit for a parent aged 67 or older who wishes to reunite with an adult child living in Iceland. The child (the sponsor) must be an Icelandic or Nordic citizen, or a foreign national holding a permanent residence permit or a qualifying temporary permit (work requiring expert knowledge, athletes, marriage/cohabitation, international protection, humanitarian grounds, or special ties). The sponsor must guarantee support and accommodation for the parent. The permit is granted for one year at a time, up to a maximum of two years, and is renewable for up to two years - but never longer than the sponsor's own permit. The application fee is ISK 16,000. The permit can count toward permanent residence over time, subject to continuous residence requirements.
Ancestry / Repatriation
An exceptional residence permit for foreign nationals who have unusually strong ties to Iceland - principally family ties and prior lawful stays, and in some cases social or cultural connections. It is the closest route Iceland offers for people of Icelandic background or with deep personal links to the country, but it is granted only in exceptional cases after an individual assessment. As a rule the applicant must have lived legally in Iceland for at least two years before length of stay is weighed, unless other ties (such as close family or strong social/cultural connections) are very strong; in rare cases a permit may be granted to someone who has never lived in Iceland. The permit is typically issued for up to one year and is renewable while the ties persist, and it can count toward permanent residence. The application fee is ISK 40,000.
Not yet researched
Talent, religious, humanitarian, media, official and permanent residence.
Talent / Highly Skilled Visa
A temporary work-based residence permit for professional athletes and coaches of exceptional talent who hold a contract with a sports club affiliated to the National Olympic and Sports Association of Iceland (ISI). A matching work permit is required. Applicants who are legally present in Iceland may remain while the application is processed. The permit is granted for up to one year at a time, tied to the contract, and is renewable for up to two years; it cannot itself be used as a basis for a permanent residence permit, though it can support family reunification for a spouse/partner, children under 18 and parents aged 67+. The application fee is ISK 80,000 and health insurance of at least ISK 2,000,000 valid for six months from registration is required.
Long-Term Residence Permit
Naturalisation as an Icelandic citizen, generally available after seven years of continuous legal domicile in Iceland (continuity broken by spending more than 90 days outside Iceland in any 12-month period). Shorter periods apply in special cases, notably the spouse of an Icelandic citizen, who may qualify after about three to four years of marriage and cohabitation where the citizen spouse has held citizenship for at least five years. Applicants must pass the Icelandic citizenship language test (rikisborgaraprof, set at CEFR A2; exam fee ISK 40,000), show they can support themselves, have not received municipal financial assistance in the past three years, and hold a clean criminal record evidenced by certificates from every country of residence since age 15. Iceland permits dual citizenship. Applications are filed digitally via island.is using an Icelandic electronic ID; the application fee is ISK 60,000, with minor children included at no extra charge.
Permanent Residence
A permanent (unlimited) residence permit for non-EEA/EFTA nationals who have lived continuously and legally in Iceland, generally for four years on a permit that can form a basis for permanent residence, with no more than 90 days spent abroad in any year. Shorter timelines apply in specific cases: three years for the spouse of an Icelandic citizen and for holders of an Icelandic doctoral degree, and two years for the child of an Icelandic citizen or for a former student who has completed four years' total residence. Applicants must complete at least 150 lessons of an approved Icelandic course (minimum 85% attendance) or pass an Icelandic language assessment - with exemptions for those over 65 with seven years' residence, for medical reasons, or for those educated in Icelandic. Financial means of at least ISK 259,951 per month (ISK 415,922 for a married couple) must be shown, with a clean record and no pending expulsion. The application fee is ISK 60,000 (ISK 30,000 for a child). Permanent residence is a stepping stone toward Icelandic citizenship (generally after seven years' residence).
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