Immigration lawyers in Iceland

Immigration and human rights law covers the rules on who may live and work in Iceland: residence and work permits, family reunification, permanent residence, citizenship, asylum and international protection, deportation and entry bans. It also covers social security rights and claims that the state has breached fundamental rights.

The legal framework

• Foreign Nationals Act No. 80/2016 (lög um útlendinga): residence permits, protection, expulsion and appeals.
• Foreign Nationals' Right to Work Act No. 97/2002: work permits for people from outside the EEA.
• Icelandic Nationality Act No. 100/1952: citizenship.
• Act No. 62/1994, which gives the European Convention on Human Rights the force of law in Iceland.

Who decides

Residence permits and asylum applications are decided by the Directorate of Immigration (Útlendingastofnun), and work permits by the Directorate of Labour (Vinnumálastofnun). Decisions can be appealed to the Immigration and Asylum Appeals Board (kærunefnd útlendingamála), usually within 15 days, and then challenged in court.

Citizens of EEA and EFTA countries do not need a residence permit, but must register with Registers Iceland if they stay longer than the permitted period. See residence permits in Iceland: the basics.

Long-term residence and citizenship

People who have held a qualifying residence permit for several years, generally four, can apply for permanent residence (búsetuleyfi). Citizenship normally requires a longer period of lawful residence, generally seven years, with shorter periods for spouses of Icelandic citizens and some other groups, as well as a clean record and a test in Icelandic.

Asylum and international protection

Applicants for international protection are entitled to a legal representative (talsmaður) during the process. The lawyer helps present the reasons for the application, reviews the evidence and handles any appeal.

When to contact an immigration lawyer

Get advice before you apply in a complex case, when an application is refused or a permit withdrawn, when you face deportation or an entry ban, or when a family member is refused reunification. Deadlines are short, so act as soon as you receive a decision. Many lawyers in this field work in English.