Normal processing time
0-30 days

You can start the job
Immediately after notification

The EU scheme in the Faroe Islands

As the Faroe Islands is not a member state of the EU, the EU rules do not apply to the Faroe Islands.

However, when the rate of unemployment 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). 

Some faroese employers are pre-approved for employment of citizens from the EU countries. If you being an EU citizen have an employment agreement with such a pre-approved employer and fullfill the following conditions, then you can start working as soon as the employment has been notified through application to SIRI. SIRI will subsequently process the application, and you will receive a response.

What are the conditions?

To be granted a permit based on the special EU Scheme, the rate of unemployment on the Faroe Islands must be below 3,5 per cent. If you are a workman within the construction industry, you can in some cases be granted a permit when the rate of unemployment 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 rate of unemployment rises above 3,5 and 6 per cent respectively for a period 3 successive months.

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, it is required that you have a Danish or Faroese authorisation. This applies, for example, if you are a medical doctor, and you will then be required to have 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 semi-professional athlete or coach who is guaranteed to earn at least 52% of the normal weekly income for hourly paid individuals on the Faroe Islands, you can be granted a non-workplace-specific work permit in order to take a part-time job.

Your income from the part-time job must not exceed 48% of the normal income for work with a standard hourly wage on the Faroe Islands.

If you are offered a job as a medical doctor at Landssjúkrahúsið, Klaksvikar Sjúkrahús or Suðuroyar Sjúkrahús, and you have a Danish authorisation, you can be granted a permit without prior approval from the Government of The Faroe Islands, provided that you meet the conditions on salary and terms of employment.

Applications from circus performers are not sent to the Government of the Faroe Islands for approval as circus performing is not a recognised profession on the Faroe Islands.

A special scheme exists for fast processing of work permit applications within the offshore oil exploration industry. 

This means that you, as an oil worker, can submit your application to the Police on the Faroe Islands and that your application will sent to the Faroese Immigration Office (Útlendingastovan) for approval.

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?

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 again apply for a work and residence permit under the EU scheme on the basis of employment at a preapproved faroese employer you may start working as soon as you have submittet the application to the faroese police or to SIRI.

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.

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 have been staying in the Faroe Islands legally for less than 2 years, you are allowed to stay outside of the Faroe Islands for 6 successive months. 

If you have been staying in the Faroe Islands legally for more than 2 years and you hold a residence permit that can be made permanent, or if you already hold a permanent residence permit, you are allowed to stay outside of the Faroe Islands for up to 12 months.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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. 

Read more about the passport requirements.

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 SIRI 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.

 

 

You must inform SIRI if you lose your job. Your residence and work permit will be revoked as it is based on this exact 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 if the new employment is also at a pre-approved faroese employer according to the EU scheme.

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. 

Read more about accompanying family members here.

What more do I need to know before I apply?

An application for a residence and work permit on the Faroe Islands must generally be submitted to a Danish diplomatic mission or an application center receiving applications on behalf of the Danish diplomatic mission.

Here you can see the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affair’s guide to where you can submit your application 

You can find the relevant application form, FO8/AR8, on the 'How to apply' tab to the right. 

Your employer must fill in one of two parts of the form.

SIRI will contact you or your employer if we need further information to process your case.

Below you will find a step-by-step guide to submitting an application to the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

It is important that you have carefully read the conditions for being granted a residence permit before you begin step 1. You can do this on the tab 'Need to know' on the left.

It is a good idea to gather the necessary documents before you start to complete the application form. You can use the check list below.

If you submit documents not written in English, German, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish, you must also submit certified translations into Danish or English.

You must submit

Your employer must submit

Expect to use

30 minutes

completing the application

2 persons

You and your employer are each required to complete a part of the form.

 

Notification of employment of EU citizens at a pre-approved Faroese employer

In this step you and your employer have access to the relevant application form FO/AR8.

Make sure that you have completed all the preceeding steps before you begin.

All our application forms contain careful instructions on how to complete the form and what kind of documents you must submit along with the form.

You can read more about how we process your personal data here.

In the printable application form FO/AR8 your employer must complete part 2 of the form. When the employer has completed their part, you must complete your part. Once parts 1 and 2 have been completed, they must be submitted together – read more in the next step.

You must submit the necessary documents with the application.

The printable application form in Word format can be completed on screen before you print. The application form in pdf format must be printed first and then completed by hand.

 

Download the printable form FO/AR8 (Word format) (in Danish only)

Download the printable form FO/AR8 (Pdf format) (in Danish only)

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.

See the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ list of diplomatic missions or application centres where you can hand in your application (opens in a new window)

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 Danmark

If you are in Denmark you can submit the applicaton in one of SIRI’s branch offices.

If you plan to submit your application in one of SIRI’s branch offices, you must remember to book an appointment

You can also send the application to SIRI.

You are submitting the application in the Faroe Islands

If you are staying in the Faroe Islands, you can submit the application to the police in the Faroe Islands.

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.

SIRI will contact you or your employer if we need further information to process your case.

Read more about what you can expect while you are waiting for an answer.

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