If you leave the Faroe Islands for a limited period of time
You plan to stay outside of the Faroe Islands or you have already stayed outside of the Faroe Islands for an extended period of time, and you wish to know about the rules that can cause your permit to lapse.
Questions and answers
What does it mean if my permit lapses?
If you give up your Faroese address or stay outside of the Faroe Islands for an extended period of time, your residence permit can lapse. This means that your residence permit will no longer be valid and that you will lose your right to stay on the Faroe Islands.
If your permit lapses, you must start over again by submitting a new application for a residence permit on the Faroe Islands. Your new application will be processed according to the rules in force at the time of application. Consequently, it is of no importance how and why you initially were granted your residence permit.
What can cause my residence permit to lapse?
If you give up your address
Your residence permit lapses automatically if you give up your address on the Faroe Islands, e.g. if you sell or discontinue your residence on the Faroe Islands and leave the country.
This also applies if you hold a permanent residence permit on the Faroe Islands.
If you leave the Faroe Islands for an extended period of time
If you plan to leave the Faroe Islands for an extended period of time without giving up your address, you should take notice of the rules for when your residence permit lapses.
If you have been staying on the Faroe Islands legally for less than 2 years, you are allowed to stay outside of the Faroe Islands for 6 successive months.
Not returning within the period relevant to you will automatically cause your residence permit to lapse. This applies even though you keep your address on the Faroe Islands.
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.
How can I prevent that my residence permit lapses?
If you plan to leave the Faroe Islands for a longer period of time than what you are allowed to, you can apply for a dispensation to prevent your permit from lapsing.
If you have already exceeded the limit on how long time you are allowed to stay abroad, you can apply for that your residence permit should not be considered as lapsed.
Dispensation
To apply for a dispensation that enables you to stay outside of the Faroe Islands for a longer period of time than what you are allowed to, you must submit your application before you leave the Faroe Islands. Subsequently, the Immigration Office will decide on whether you can be allowed to stay outside of the Faroe Islands for the desired period without it causing your residence permit to lapse.
You can only be granted a dispensation, if you intend to resume your residence on the Faroe Islands after your stay abroad and if you continue to meet the conditions for your residence permit at the time you intend to return to the Faroe Islands.
If you meet the basic requirements, it is also a requirement that your stay outside of the Faroe Islands is temporary, and it must have a well-founded purpose, such as:
- Work
- Education
- Stationing for a Danish/Faroese authority, institution, organisation or company based on the Faroe Islands,
- Stationing for an international institution, organisation or company based on the Faroe Islands
The duration of your dispensation period depends on why you are applying for a dispensation, how long time you have been living on the Faroe Islands and your ties to the Faroe Islands. Normally, you cannot be granted a dispensation for more than a maximum of 3 years. However, you can apply for an extension of your dispensation period before your initial dispensation period ends.
If you do not return to the Faroe Islands before your dispensation period ends, your residence permit will lapse automatically. You will have to submit a new application for a residence permit if you want to continue to stay on the Faroe Islands.
If you are granted a dispensation to prevent your permit from lapsing, the dispensation can also apply to your spouse, cohabiting partner or children living at home under the age of 18.
Family members must submit their own application for a dispensation.
Your residence permit should not be considered as lapsed
f you have already left the Faroe Islands and exceeded the limit on how long time you are allowed to stay abroad, you can apply for that your residence permit should not be considered as lapsed.
For example, the Immigration Office can decide not to consider your permit as lapsed if
- your intention was to return to the Faroe Islands within the time limit, but you were prevented from returning by unforeseen circumstances, such as illness, imprisonment, war-like situations, natural disasters or problems leaving the country in which you were staying.
It is important that you apply as fast as possible, i.e. as soon as you can return to the Faroe Islands.
How to apply
You can apply for dispensation, that is, you can request that the Immigration Office permit you to stay outside of the Faroe Islands for longer than the six month limit without your residence permit lapsing. You must apply before leaving the Faroe Islands, and it must be your intention to remain outside of the Faroe Islands temporarily.
In addition, you must have a specific purpose for leaving the Faroe Islands, such as:
- work
- education
- foreign posting for a Danish/Faroese authority, institution, organisation or company
- foreign posting for an international institution, organisation or company headquartered in the Faroe Islands
How long is the dispensation period?
Decisions about dispensation are made on a case-by-case basis, and will depend on a number of factors, such as: why you are applying for dispensation, how long you have lived in the Faroe Islands, and your ties to the Faroe Islands. Normally, the dispensation period can be extended to a maximum of three years. If you do not wish to return the the Faroe Islands within this period, you can apply for an extension of your dispensation period. Applications for extension must be made before the original dispensation period expires.
If you do not return to the Faroe Islands before the dispensation period ends, your residence permit will lapse. This means that if you wish to return to the Faroe Islands, you will need to apply for a new residence permit.
Family members
If you have been granted dispensation, it can also be applied to your spouse/cohabiting partner as well as any children under the age of 18 who are living with you. The length of your family members' dispensation will be the same as yours.
Each family member must then also submit an application.
If your spouse/partner remains in the Faroe Islands, and if he/she holds a temporary residence permit on the grounds of family reunification, his/her residence permit can be revoked, as the requirement that you share the same address would no longer be met.
Requesting that your residence permit not be considered as lapsed
You can request the Immigration Office not to consider your residence permit as lapsed if you remain outside the Faroe Islands for longer than the permitted length of time.
The Immigration Office can decide that your residence permit should not be considered as lapsed if:
- it was your intention to return to the Faroe Islands before the six month time limit, and
- you were prevented from returning to the Faroe Islands by unforeseen circumstances beyond your control. Such circumstances include: illness, imprisonment, war-like situations, natural disasters or problems leaving the country in which you were staying
It is important that you apply as soon as you are able to return to the Faroe Islands.
How to apply
Please remember to include all the necessary information and documentation in your application. Doing so ensures that the Immigration Office can process your application as quickly as possible.
Each application form contains a detailed description of how you should complete the form, and which documents you must attach.
Please note that form BF1 is to be used when applying for dispensation before leaving the Faroe Islands. BF1 is also used when applying for an extension of the dispensation period.
BF2 is intended for use when requesting that the Immigration Office not consider your residence permit as lapsed even though you have remained outside the Faroe Islands for longer than the permitted length of time.
You can fill in the application form in Word format on your computer before printing it out. The application form is also available as a PDF file that can be printed out and filled in by hand.
Form to use if you want to apply for dispensation from lapsing
Form to use if you want to apply to have your residence permit not be considered as lapsed
Applications should be submitted to the Immigration Office (Útlendingastovan).
If you are outside the Faroe Islands, you can submit your application at a Danish embassy or consulate general in the country where you are staying. Your application will then be forwarded to the Faroese Immigration Office for processing.
If there is no Danish diplomatic mission in the country where you are staying, the Faroese Immigration Office may allow you to submit your application in another country. You can find information about Denmark’s embassies and consulates at the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
If you are outside the Faroe Islands and would like to apply for dispensation, you must apply before returning to the Faroe Islands.
Processing your application
When the Faroese Immigration Office has received your application, it will be processed along with the attached documentation and other information. The Faroese Immigration Office will also check to see if you have been reported to the Schengen Information System (SIS).
If the Faroese Immigration Office receives information that does not correspond with the information you have provided, you will be asked to explain any discrepancies before the Faroese Immigration Office issues a decision.
How do you receive the decision?
If you apply for dispensation before leaving the Faroe Islands, the Faroese Immigration Office will send its ruling to your Faroese address. If the Faroese Immigration Office has turned down your application, this means that you may only leave the Faroe Islands for the normal period of time (six months). If you exceed this time limit, your residence permit will lapse. In this case, the letter with the decision will include information about how to appeal the decision.
If you request that your residence permit not be considered as lapsed, and the Immigration Office rules in your favour, the decision will be sent to your address in the Faroe Islands or another country or to your attorney.
If your application is turned down, and you are in the Faroe Islands, the Immigration Office will send the decision to your address or to your attorney.
If are outside the Faroe Islands, the Faroese Immigration Office will send the decision to the embassy or consulate general where you submitted your application. The decision will then either be sent you or you will be asked to pick it up in person. If the Faroese Immigration Office turns down your application, you cannot return to the Faroe Islands and will have to apply for a new residence permit. If this is the case, the letter with the decision will include information about how to appeal.