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Faroe Islands
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Living in Europe, Working in EuropeEntry conditions/visasFaroe Islands

Entry conditions

Entry conditions

Foreign citizens, except Nordic nationals, need a residence and work permit in order to work in the Faroe Islands.

Entry conditions requirements vary according to country of origin and length of stay.

  • Nordic citizens do not need a permit

    Citizens of Nordic countries, i.e. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, can live and work in the Faroe Islands without having a residence and work permit.

    Nordic citizens do not need a passport to enter the Faroe Islands. However, they must be able to identify themselves upon request. A driving licence is a valid form of identification.

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  • EU citizens may have quick access

    EU Scheme

    As the Faroe Islands are not a member state of the EU, the EU rules do not apply to the Faroe Islands.

    However, when the rate of unemployment in the Faroe Islands is below 3.5 per cent EU citizens can apply for a residence permit through a special EU Scheme. The unemployment rate in the Faroe Islands has been below this limit for several years. 

    Pre-approved employers
    Faroese employers can be pre-approved for employment of citizens from EU countries. EU citizens who have an employment agreement with such a pre-approved employer can start working as soon as the employment has been notified through an application to the Faroese Immigration Office. 

    The University of the Faroe Islands is pre-approved for employment of EU citizens. 

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    Not pre-approved employers
    If the employer is not pre-approved the employer will have to apply for a work and residence permeit and is not allowed to start working until a formal permit has been issued.

    A residence and work permit for the Faroe Islands is normally granted with a validity of up to 1 year.

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  • Third country citizens need a permit

    Citizens from countries outside the EU and the Nordic countries need a residence and work permit in order to live and work in the Faroe Islands. The application for a permit will be processed by the Faroese Immigration Office.

    A residence and work permit can be obtained through a Fast Track Agreement If the employer has been Fast Track approved by the Faroese Immigration Office.

    The Faroe Islands and Denmark are two distinct travel areas. A residence permit in Denmark does not give you the right to stay in the Faroe Islands. Likewise, a residence permit in the Faroe Islands does not allow you to stay in Denmark.

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    Researchers and lecturers

    Researchers and lecturers invited to teach or conduct similar activities in the Faroe Islands can work without a work permit, provided the duration of their stay does not exceed three consecutive months.

    Researchers coming to the Faroe Islands to conduct research on a short time basis must apply for a residence and work permit.

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    Researchers

    For stays longer than three months researchers from third countries must have a residence and work permit from the Faroese Immigration Office.

    Researchers must have a written job contract or job offer from a Faroese research institution specifying salary and employment conditions when applying for a permit. It is not a requirement that the applicant is employed full time as a researcher. Salary and employment conditions must correspond to Faroese standards.

    If the researcher wants to change employment to another research institution during her or her stay in the Faroe Islands, he or she must apply for a new residence and work permit before starting work with the new employer. 

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    PhD students

    Third countries citizens participating in a PhD study linked to a Faroese educational institution must have a residence and work permit. 

    PhD students are allowed to work full-time at the university at which they have been enrolled or at a company affiliated to their PhD programme with work tasks that are part of their PhD programme. In addition they are allowed to take upp additional employment besides their full-time job as PhD students at a limited scale. 

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    Medical doctors

    Medical doctors with a Danish authorisation who have been offered a job at a Faroese hospital can be granted a permit without prior approval from the Faroese Immigration Office provided the required conditions regarding salary and terms of employment are met.

    Procedure

    Applications for a residence and work permit in the Faroe Islands are processed by the Faroese Immigration Office.

    A copy of the employment contract or job offer must be attached to the application. 

    When you apply, you must attach a copy of your employment contract or job offer. All terms of employment must be stated in the contract or the job offer.

    The Immigration Office will assess whether the salary and terms of employment correspond to Faroese standards.

    A residence and work permit for the Faroe Islands is normally granted with a validity of up to 1 year.

    Extension
    Researchers who wish to extend their work and residence permit must submit an application based on the extension of their employment contract. The application must be submitted before the permit expires. The applicant is allowed to stay in the Faroe Islands and continue to work until the application has been processed.

    Mobility during stay
    A foreign resident in the Faroe Islands will lose his residence and work permit if he leaves the Faroe Islands for an extended period of time, or if he no longer maintains a residence in the Faroe Islands.

    Foreign citizens who have been staying in the Faroe Islands legally for less than 2 years are allowed to stay outside the Faroe Islands for 6 successive months.

    Foreign citizens who need to stay abroad for an extended period of time can apply for a dispensation to prevent their permit from lapsing.

    Stays in Denmark or Greenland are considered as time spent abroad.

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    Fast track scheme

    Citizens from third countries who have been offered employment by institutions or companies approved in accordance with the Fast Track Agreement can be granted faster access to residence and work permits in the Faroe Islands. 

    The Faroese Immigration Office publishes a list with all employers who have been approved to employ foreigners in accordance with the Fast Track Agreement here. 

    The processing time for applications under the Fast Track Agreement is up to 1 month. 

    The Fast Track scheme will be suspended if the unemployment rate in the Faroe Islands exceeds 3.5 per cent for a period of time. 

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    Family members

    A foreign citizen holding a residence and work permit based on a job on the Faroe Islands is allowed to bring his family to the Faroe Islands. A permit to reside in the Faroe Islands can be granted to spouses, registered or cohabiting partners as well as children under the age of 18 living at home. 

    Accompanying family members will be granted residence permit for the same period as the foreign national with a work contract in the Faroe Islands.

    The foreign national must be able to support his family members and the family must live together in the Faroe Islands.

    The spouse or cohabiting partner is allowed to work full time for the entire period of his or her permit.

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    Permanent residence permit

    Foreign nationals who have held a residence and work permit in the Faroe Islands on the grounds of work/study or as accompanying family members for seven consecutive years can apply for a permanent residence permit. 

    A permanent residence permit will not be given if the foreign national has been incarcerated or given any other form of severe criminal sentence during his or her residence in the Faroe Islands or has an overdue public debt in excess of DKK 90,000 (2024).

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