Published 23-05-2024 - Last updated: 27-05-2024
Labour dispute on the Faroe Islands
At midnight the night before 14 May 2024, members of several trade unions on the Faroe Islands went on strike. Below, you can read how this affects the case processing of residence and work permits for the Faroe Islands.
If you already have a residence and work permit
If you already have a residence and work permit on the Faroe Islands and your employer is included in the labour dispute, you must be aware of the following:
- Your permit will not be revoked on the basis of a legal strike as long as your permit is valid.
- You must resume your job duties when the legal strike is over.
- You must still submit an application for an extension of your permit before your current permit expires. This applies even if your employer is included in the strike.
If you want to apply for a residence and work permit
In the light of the current labour dispute on the Faroe Islands, SIRI cannot grant residence and work permits to EU citizens in relation to section 3 in “Lov for Færøerne om udlændinges adgang til opholdstilladelse med henblik på visse former for beskæftigelse” (in Danish only) if the employer is included in the labour strike. This follows section 4(2) in the law. This applies to both first time applications and applications for extension.
Furthermore, SIRI will send all applications submitted under the Fast Track Agreement to Útlendingastovan (The Immigration Office) for consultation in order to assess whether the salary and terms of employment – in light of the given situation – correspond to Danish standards. This applies to both first time applications and applications for extension.
The labour dispute does not affect SIRI’s case processing of applications under the ordinary work scheme, nor applications under the Sports Agreement, and these applications will continue to be sent to Útlendingastovan for an assessment of whether the salary and terms of employment correspond to Danish standards.
SIRI expects that the current labour dispute will affect SIRI’s case processing times for applications for residence and work permits on the Faroe Islands, so that the case processing times will be extended.
SIRI will notify when the labour dispute has ended.
