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.

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

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 aploy for a new residence and work permit before starting work with the new employer. A permission for sideline work can be granted if the work is relevant to the main employment. 

For stays longer than three months PhD students from third countries must have a residence and work permit. 

PhD students must be enrolled at a Danish or Faroese university. PhD students enrolled in a PhD programme abroad doing part of their programme in the Faroe Islands may also be granted a work permit. PhD students must have sufficient funds to support themselves during their residence in the Faroe Islands.

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. They are also allowed to take upp additional employment besides their full-time job as PhD students at a limited scale. 

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Medical doctors with an authorisation from the Danish Patient Safety Authority who have been offered a job at a Faroese hospital can be granted a permit without prior approval from the Faroese Immigration Office.

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Applications for a residence and work permit in the Faroe Islands are processed by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) in consultation with the Faroese Immigration Office. The application must be filed by the researcher and his or her employer together. The application must be submitted to a Danish diplomatic mission in the country where the researcher is residing.

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

Processing time for correctly completed applications for residence and work permit is normally within 3 months.

Extension

Researchers who wish to extend their work and residence permit must submit an application for an extension no later than one month 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.

Citizens from third countries employed by pre-approved companies in the Faroe Islands can be granted faster access to residence and work permits in the Faroe Islands according to a Fast Track scheme. . 

The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration processes applications for the individual residence and work permits from applicants outside the EU who wish to work in the Faroe Islands at a pre-approved company.

The processing time is up to 1 month from application date. 

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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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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Foreign nationals who have held a residence and work permit in the Faroe Islands under the same conditions for seven consecutive years and have achieved a substantial attachment to the Faroese society, will normally qualify for a permanent residence permit.

In order to be granted a permanent residence permit the foreign national must still meet the requirements for a 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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