EU scheme - employer not pre-approved
You are a EU citizen, and you have been offered employment by a Faroese employer that has not been pre-approved
If you are a citizen of an EU country and have been offered employment by a Faroese employer it is possible to apply for a work and residence permit even if the employer has not been pre-approved. In this case, however, you may not start working before you have received a permit.
Questions and answers
What are the conditions?
The unemployment rate must be low
To be granted a permit based on the special EU Scheme, the unemployment rate on the Faroe Islands must be below 3,5 per cent. If you are a skilled craftsman within the construction industry, you can in some cases be granted a permit when the unemployment rate is below 6 per cent.
Since the unemployment rate is currently below 3,5 per cent, it is possible to apply for a residence and work permit based on this scheme within all trades.
The scheme is suspended if the unemployment rate rises above 3,5 and 6 per cent respectively for a period 3 successive months.
Other conditions
To be granted a permit based on the special EU Scheme, you must be employed for at least 30 hours work per week.
Furthermore, you must meet at least one of the following requirements:
- You must be employed according to the terms of a Faroese collective bargaining agreement, or
- you must be employed as a researcher, educator, specialist or senior official etc., or
- you must be employed with a salary and under terms of employment that correspond to Faroese standards.
In certain cases, you must have a Danish or Faroese authorisation
In certain cases, it is required that you have a Danish or Faroese authorisation. This applies, for example, if you are to work as a medical doctor or nurse in the Faroe Islands, which requires an authorisation from the Danish Patient Safety Authority.
The Danish Patient Safety Authority on authorisation for Healthcare personnel
The Ministry of Higher Education and Science on regulated professions
If you are a doctor or semi-professional athlete or coach
If you have been offered a job in the Faroe Islands as a doctor or semi-professional athlete or coach, the special rules of the Sports Agreement apply. You can read more about the sports agreement here.
If you are an oil worker
A special scheme exists for fast processing of work permit applications within the offshore oil exploration industry.
Your application must be submitted to the Immigration Office (Útlendingastovan) for approval.
The EU scheme in the Faroe Islands
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 unemployment rate in the Faroe Islands is low, you can apply for a residence permit as EU citizen through the special EU Scheme.
The scheme does not apply to citizens of Switzerland and EEA citizens (i.e. citizens of Island, Liechtenstein and Norway).
What are my rights if I am granted a permit?
What are you allowed to do with a residence and work permit on the Faroe Islands? – and what are you not allowed to do?
Work
You are only allowed to work in the job and in the company that you have been granted a permit to work in.
If you are offered a new job, you must apply for a new permit before you start the new job. This also applies if you are offered a new position within the same company.
If you wish to take a sideline job, you have to obtain a separate permit. You can read more about sideline employment and apply here.
Residence
A residence and work permit allows you to stay in the Faroe Islands for the period of time your permit is valid.
You must not give up your Faroese address or stay abroad for a longer period of time. A violation will result in the lapse of your permit. This means that you will lose your right to stay in the Faroe Islands.
If you need to stay abroad for an extended period of time, e.g. if you are stationed abroad for a period of time by your employer, you can apply for a dispensation to prevent your permit from lapsing. You can read more about dispensation from lapse and appy for it here.
Staying abroad while serving in the military as a conscript or performing required community service will not be considered time living outside of the Faroe Islands.
Stays in Denmark or Greenland are considered as time abroad.
Public benefits
You must be able to support yourself and your family during your stay. You are not allowed to receive public benefits.
If you or your family members receive such benefits during your stay, your permit can be revoked – and you will lose the right to stay on the Faroe Islands.
How long can I stay in the Faroe Islands?
Validity period
A residence permit in the Faroe Islands can be granted with a validity of up to 1 year from the date a decision is made in your case.
Duration of the permit if your employment is less than 1 year
If you are employed for a period of less than 1 year, the duration of your permit will usually be the same as the duration of your employment. If you want to continue to work in the Faroe Islands beyond this period, you must apply for an extension of your residence and work permit.
It is very important that you apply for an extension before your permit expires.
If you submit the application for an extension in time, you are allowed to stay in the Faroe Islands and continue to work until a decision on your application is made – even though your permit expires.
Duration of the permit if your employment is for 1 year or more
If your employment is for 1 year or more, you will normally be granted a residence permit valid for 1 year. If you want to continue to work in the Faroe Islands beyond the first year, you must apply for an extension of residence and work permit based on the extension of your employment contract.
It is very important that you apply for an extension before your permit expires.
If you submit the application for an extension in time, you are allowed to stay in the Faroe Islands and continue to work until a decision on your application is made – even though your permit expires.
Shorter validity because your passport expires
A residence permit can only be valid until 3 months before the expiry date of your passport.
If your passport has a shorter validity than the otherwise possible period of stay, your residence permit will be shortened. This means that the validity of your residence permit will be shorter than it could be. When you have renewed your passport, you can apply for an extension of your residence permit – however, this can only be done 3 months before your permit expires at the earliest.
What should I do if I lose or change my job?
Your residence permit is linked to your job in the Faroe Islands. Your employment is the basis for your permit.
You must always inform the Immigration Office if you lose or change your job.
Your work permit is limited to the job that is the basis for your permit. You are not allowed to work in other positions than the one stated in your permit. This also applies if you are offered a new position in the same company.
If you lose your job
You must inform the Immigration Office if you lose your job. Your residence and work permit will be revoked as it is based on this exact job.
If you change your job
If you find a new job while working in the Faroe Islands, you must submit a new application for a residence and work permit with information on your new employment. You are not allowed to start the new job before you have been granted a new permit, unless the new employment is at a pre-approved faroese employer according to the EU scheme. You can read more about work and residence permit based on employment by a preapproved employer here.
Can my family be granted a residence permit?
A residence and work permit based on a job on the Faroe Islands allows your family to come with you to the Faroe Islands.
A permit can be granted to your spouse, registered or cohabiting partner as well as children under the age of 18 living at home.
Application form
Application form
You can find the relevant application form (AR9) below. The application form includes information on how to complete and submit the application form.
Download a printable form (AR9 (Word format)
Download a printable form (AR9) (Pdf format)
In the printable application form (AR9) the employer must complete part 2 of the form. When the employer has completed their part, you must complete part 1. Once parts 1 and 2 have been completed, they must be submitted together. Necessary documents must also be submitted with the application.
You can complete the printable application forms on screen to a certain extent before printing. Please note that signatures on the application forms must be written by hand.
Required documents:
You must submit
- Copy of all pages of your passport – including all empty pages and the passport’s front and back cover
- Employment contract or job offer. Please note that the contract or job offer must contain information as stated in section 4 of Act no. 462 dated 17 June 2008 for the Faroe Islands on the access for foreign nationals to a residence permit based on certain types of employment
- Proof of authorisation to work in your field (if the job requires a Danish or a Faroese authorization)
Your employer must submit
- Copy of anonymised employment contracts for other employees in the company with the same work tasks as the employee, if any (not relevant, if the employee is employed according to the terms of a current Faroese collective agreement or if the employee is employed as a researcher, educator, specialist or senior official etc.)
- Copy of salary slips for the last 2 months of the employment period for other employees in the company with the same work tasks as the employee, if any (not relevant, if the employee is employed according to the terms of a current Faroese collective agreement or if the employee is employed as a researcher, educator, specialist or senior official etc.)
Language
If you submit documents written other languages than Faroese, English, Danish, Norwegian or Swedish, you must also submit certified translations into Danish or English.
Submit the application
It is important that you have carefully read the conditions for being granted a residence permit before you apply and it is vital to the processing of your application that you include the correct documents.
Submit the application
You are are submitting the application abroad:
The application can be submitted to a Danish diplomatic mission or an application centre in the country where you are residing.
We recommend that you visit the local diplomatic mission’s webpage to get more information before you submit the application. The individual diplomatic mission can have additional requirements regarding payment of additional fees, submission of additional passport photos or additional copies of the application.
You are submitting the application in the Faroe Islands:
If you are staying in the Faroe Islands legally, you can submit the application at the Immigration Office in one of the following ways:
By e-mail
Send a completed and signed application, together with all relevant documents, to:
info@utlendingastovan.fo
By post
Send the completed application to:
Útlendingastovan
Skálatrøð 20
Postrúm 264
FO-110 Tórshavn
In person
Submit your application in person at the reception of the Faroese Immigration Office. Please bring your passport for identification.
Útlendingastovan
Skálatrøð 20
Tórshavn
Please ensure that all required documents are included.
Receive an answer
You can see the normal case processing time to the right on this page.
When we make a decision in your case, you will receive an answer via the Danish diplomatic representation closest to you. If you have legal residence in the Faroe Islands, you will be contacted either by letter sent to the address stated in your application or asked to appear at the Immigration Office with your passport to collect your decision.