Immigration documents in Iceland

There are three most important documents related to immigration and residency in Iceland:

Passport

The image of the passport of IcelandA passport is an identity document that provides information about a specific person. In the context of immigration and residency, a passport proves that a person holds the citizenship of a certain country, Iceland for example.

The passport of Iceland is considered to be quite strong, requiring no visa to enter most of the countries. Where a visa-free entry is not available, its holder will usually receive a relevant authorisation upon arrival.

Residence permit document

The residence permit of Iceland is a document that allows a person from outside Iceland to reside in the country. An example of such a document would be the 'Búsetuleyfi'. It is usually either limited in validity length (temporary RP) or or provides an unlimited right to reside (permanent RP). As a document, most of the times it is a card similar to an ID-card or a driver's licence.

In Iceland, there are 4 main types of residence permit documents with a number of possible variations, such as specialized documents for the family members of an original document holder.

Visa

The visa of Iceland is a document that allows a person who is not a resident of Iceland to enter the country. There are several types of visas, e.g. Airport transit visa, Tourist visa, etc. They are usually distinguished by the purpose, for which the applicant wishes to enter the country. There 7 major types of visa in Iceland.