Language
The official language of the Faroe Islands is Faroese which is a Nordic language deriving from the Norsemen who settled the islands 1200 years ago.
Practically everyone can speak and write Danish and most people are capable of communicating in English too. Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic are understood and spoken by many Faroese.
Language courses
Learning Faroese will make it easier to integrate professionally and privately. There are several courses available for foreigners who want to learn Faroese.
The University of the Faroe Islands offers free courses in Faroese language for international researchers during working hours.
The University of the Faroe Islands organises international Summer Institutes on Faroese language.
The course involves an intensive and comprehensive introduction to Faroese language.
The next Summer Institute will take place at the University of the Faroe Islands in summer 2026. The course will last three weeks and university students from all countries can participate. Students must have basic knowledge of other Scandinavian and/or Germanic languages and know the basic concepts of grammar.
Faroese as a Second Language for Adults is an intensive language programme providing instruction in Faroese language and knowledge about Faroese culture and society for adult newcomers. The courses last typically between one and four years and conclude with a level or proficiency assessment.
The courses are offered at four locations across the country: Kambsdalur, Suðuroy, Vágur, and Tórshavn.
The courses are free of charge and are offered in Tórshavn, Kambsdalur and Suðuroy.
Some municipalities offer evening courses in Faroese language once or twice a week for Scandinavians and English speakers.
READ MORE - TÓRSHAVN EVENING SCHOOL.
Several self study courses in Faroese are available online and in textbooks.
Faroese - A language Course for Beginners
Faroese - A Language Course for Beginners by the publisher Stiðin is a bundle with texts, CD and grammar and is available in bookstores. The audio part of this bundle is also available on the internet and is free of charge. The instruction language is English.
Faroese Online language course
Faroese Online is a free online language course which is the result of a partnership between the University of the Faroe Islands and the University of Iceland.
The online oourse offers interactive visual and listening exercises based on themes relevant to everyday life in the Faroe Islands.
Sprotin - An online dictionary
The Faroese publisher Sprotin has developed a very popular free online dictionary containing dictionaries between Faroese and multiple other languages, including Danish, Greenlandish, English, German, French, Spanish, Russan, Chinese, and Japanese.
The Faroese dictionary contains pronunciation, conjugation and inflection forms of almost all nouns, verbs and personal names.
The Faroese dictionary contains pronunciation, conjugation and inflection forms of almost all nouns, verbs and personal names. Sprotin also contains a Faroese thesaurus (Samheitaorðabók) and a Faroese encyclopaedia (Alfrøði) with for example facts, pictures and sounds of mammals, fish and birds commonly found in the Faroe Islands.
Pictorial dictionary
A pictorial dictionary developed by the Faroese schoolbook publisher Nám can be downloaded (not available for Apple computers).