Fast Track Faroe Islands

You have been offered employment at a company that is Fast Track approved by Útlendingastovan (the Immigration Office in the Faroe Islands).

Normal processing time
1 month

Due to the ongoing labour dispute on the Faroe Islands, the current processing time might be
1-3 months

Processing fee
No fee

As of September 1, 2024, the Faroese authorities have taken over the responsibility of processing applications for residence and work permits in the Faroe Islands from SIRI and the Danish Immigration Service. In the future, you will have to apply for a residence and work permit via Útlendingastovan's website.

If you have submitted an application to SIRI before September 1, 2024 for a residence permit in the Faroe Islands, SIRI will process your case. If you have any questions about your pending case or additional information, new documents or comments, please contact SIRI.

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What is Fast Track Faroe Islands?

You can apply under the Fast Track Agreement, if Útlendingastovan (the Immigration Office in the Faroe Islands) has Fast Track approved your employer.

When a company has been approved by Útlendingastovan (the Immigration Office in the Faroe Islands), it means that an employment agreement made with the company in question, meets the requirements for salary and terms of employment that must correspond to the Faroese standards.

Therefore, applications concerning residence and work permits under the Fast Track Agreement will only be sent into further assessment by Útlendingastovan (the Immigration Office in the Faroe Islands), if the employment contract does not meet the required salary and terms of employment that corresponds to Faroese standards.

If you reside legally in the Faroe Islands, you can submit your application from the Faroe Islands under the Fast Track Agreement.

You are not allowed to start working before you have received your residence and work permit from SIRI.

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What are the conditions?

You can only apply for a residence and work permit under the Fast Track scheme, if your employer has been Fast Track approved by Útlendingastovan (the Immigration Office in the Faroe Islands). If your employer wishes to find information on how to be approved under the Fast Track Agreement, they must contact Útlendingastovan (the Immigration Office in the Faroe Islands).

Útlendingastovan (the Immigration Office in the Faroe Islands) will publish a list containing all of the companies that have been approved and have gotten permission to hire foreign labour under the Fast Track Agreement of the Faroe Islands Agreement.

You can see the list here (opens in a new window).

Please note that your employer must apply for a Fast Track approval at Útlendingastovan (the Immigration Office in the Faroe Islands), even if the company has already been given a prior approval under the EU scheme.

As you are employed by a Fast Track approved employer, it is a rule that your employment will be based on the Faroese standards for salary and terms of employment.

If the informed salary and terms of employment do not correspond to Faroese standards, we can send your employment contract in for further assessment by Útlendingastovan (the Immigration Office in the Faroe Islands). An example of a situation where this might happen, could be that you have been offered part time employment.

When we say that your salary and terms of employment must correspond to Faroese standards, we mean that:

  • Your salary, holiday entitlements, terms of notice etc. must not be inferior to the standards within the professional field in the Faroe Islands, in which you are going to work.

  • You must work full time, which corresponds to 40 hours per week.

The Fast Track agreement will be suspended if the unemployment rate exceeds 3,5 pct. for an extended period of time.  In this case it is no longer possible to apply for a residence and work permit based on the Fast Track Agreement.

If the Agreement is suspended, SIRI will publish a notification on www.newtodenmark.dk

If the agreement is suspended and you already have a residence and work permit based on the Fast Track Agreement, you are allowed to continue to work until your work permit expires. However, you are not able to apply for an extension of your Fast Track permit, and must instead apply for a new first time residence and work permit based on the standard rules.

In certain cases, it may be a requirement that you have a Danish or Faroese authorisation. This applies,e.g. , if you are a medical doctor, who is required to have an authorisation from the Danish Patient Safety Authority.

Please note that if you are applying for a residence and work permit for a job as a doctor at Landssjúkrahusið, Klaksvikar Sjúkrahús or Suðuroyar Sjúkrahús, your application will automatically be processed under the Sports Agreement.

You can read more about the Sports Agreement here (at the bottom of the page)

Read more about regulated professions on the website of the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science (opens in new window)

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What are my rights if i am granted a permit?

 What are you allowed to do with a residence and work permit in the Faroe Islands, under the Fast Track agreement ? – and what are you not allowed to do?

You are not allowed to work before you have been granted a permit.

You are only allowed to work in the position, and at the company, for which you have been granted a permit to work.

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 in the Faroe Islands, you must apply for a special permit for this.

A residence and work permit allows you to stay in the Faroe Islands for the period of time your permit is valid. 

If you are a citizen who does not need to have a visa for your stay in the Faroe Islands, you can stay in the Faroe Islands for up to 90 days after your residence and work permit has expired. You are not allowed to work during a visa free stay.

You can read more about who needs a visa for entering the Faroe Islands here.

Your residence permit will lapse if you give up your address in the Faroe Islands, or if you stay abroad for more than 6 consecutive months. This means that you will lose your right to stay in the Faroe Islands.

Stays in Denmark or Greenland are considered as time spent abroad.

You can read more about lapse and dispensation options, and apply for it here

You must be able to support yourself and your family during your stay in the Faroe Islands. Therefore, You are not allowed to receive public benefits.

If you or your family members receive public benefits during your stay in the Faroe Islands, your permits can be revoked – and you will all lose the right to stay in the Faroe Islands.

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How long can I stay in the Faroe Islands?

A residence permit in the Faroe Islands can be granted with a validity of up to 1 year, starting from the date a decision is made in your case.

 A residence and work permit in the Faroe Islands can only be granted for a maximum of 1 year at a time. This also applies if you are hired for a job or a position that lasts for more than 1 year.

If you wish to continue to work at your job after your permit has expired, you must remember to 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 before your current permit expires, you are allowed to stay in the Faroe Islands and continue to work until a decision on your application has been made – even though your permit expires in the meantime.

You can read more about the rules concerning extension of your residence and work permit, as well as apply for it here

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 period of stay that you would otherwise be able to be granted a permit for, this will result in your residence permit to be shortened. This means that the validity of your residence permit will be shorter than it normally could be.

If you wish to extend your permit, you can submit an application 2 months before your permit expires, at the earliest. Please note that you must attach a copy of your renewed or extended passport.

You can read more about the requirements for extension of your residence and work permit, as well as apply for it here

Read more about the passport requirements here

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What should I do if I lose or change my job

Your residence permit in the Faroe Islands is linked to the job and the employer that is written on your permit.

You are not allowed to work in other positions, or for other employers, than the one stated in your permit. This also applies if you are offered a new position in the same company.

You must inform SIRI if your employment changes. This may be because of situations such as:

  • You lose your job

  • You change your position

  • You change your job and work for another employer

You can send us your information via our contact form at New to Denmark.

 

 

You must inform SIRI if you lose your job. You can let us know via our contact form at New to dennmark. 

Your residence and work permit will be revoked as it is based on this exact job.

If you find a new job or is offered a new position while you are working, you must submit a new application for a residence and work permit with information on your new employment.

If you change your job, please note that you can only submit an application from the Faroe Islands, if your new employer is also Fast Track approved by Útlendingastovan (the Immigration Office in the Faroe Islands).

You are not allowed to start at your new job or in your new position before you have been granted a new permit.

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Can my family be granted a residence permit in the Faroe Islands?

You can bring your family with you to the Faroe Islands, if you have been granted a residence and work permit in the Faroe Islands.

Accompanying family can be: 

  • A spouse

  • A cohabiting partner

  • A registered partner

  • A child under the age of 18 living at home

As an accompanying family member to an applicant who currently holds, or is currently applying for a residence permit under the Fast Track Agreement for the Faroe Islands, you have the option of submitting your application in the Faroe Islands, if you have legal residence.

 Read more about accompanying family members here

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When can i submit an application?

You can submit an application for a residence and work permit 6 months before you start your new job, at the earliest.

If you submit an application earlier than 6 months before you start your new job, you can expect to receive a refusal.

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As of September 1, 2024, the Faroese authorities have taken over the responsibility of processing applications for residence and work permits in the Faroe Islands from SIRI and the Danish Immigration Service. In the future, you will have to apply for a residence and work permit via Útlendingastovan's website.

If you have submitted an application to SIRI before September 1, 2024 for a residence permit in the Faroe Islands, SIRI will process your case. If you have any questions about your pending case or additional information, new documents or comments, please contact SIRI.

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Last updated 28-11-2024 - Published by: SIRI

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