Information for citizens of the United States

Samtökin ’78  understand that the political climate and situation for LGBTIQ+ people in the United States is quite scary right now. Over the last days, Samtökin have gotten a surge of outreach from USA citizens who want to move to Iceland. However, since the States are classified as a “safe country” in Icelandic law, our recommendation to you would be to contact the Directorate of Immigration directly. As an immigrant, you have the same rights as anyone else outside the EEA/EFTA region entering the country and the Icelandic Government is required by law to treat all people equally, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or sexual characteristics.

Remember, you are not alone and Samtökin ’78 are here for you when you arrive, offering counseling and support. Please note that it may take us a few days to get back to your request.

Here are a handful of links to get you started:

Multicultural Information Center, FAQ for those not from EEA/EFTA region

The Directorate of Immigration processes applications for residence permits, Icelandic citizenship, international protection and visa. The Directorate also decides on foreigners’ right to stay in the country and issues travel documents for refugees and passports for foreign nationals.

The Directorate of Labour appertains to The Ministry of Social affairs and manages, amongst other things, the employment service for the entire country, the daily handling of the Unemployment Insurance Fund, the Maternity / Paternity Leave and Parental Leave Fund, the Wage Guarantee Fund, as well as numerous other labour market related projects. Here you can find information about work permits.

The Tourism Skill Center creates educational and support material for managers and staff in the tourism industry with the aim of promoting skills and quality in the industry. Here they have gathered information for citizens outside the EEA / EFTA area. Citizens must have a work and residence permit. The Directorate of Immigration decides on the issuance of residence permits. The applicant may not start working at all until both the residence and work permits have been approved and administered.