You must have permanent residence in Iceland at the time when an application is submitted and decided on. Permanent residence means that your legal domicile is registered in Iceland according to lớn the national register.
Length of residence
You can apply for Icelandic citizenship when you have had legal domicile and continuous residence in Iceland for seven years.
Applying after shorter residence
You can apply for Icelandic citizenship after a shorter residence period if:
You are married to lớn an Icelandic citizen and have been domiciled in Iceland for the past 4 years since marriage. Your marital spouse must have been an Icelandic citizen for a minimum of 5 years.
You cohabit with an Icelandic citizen and have had legal residence in Iceland for the past 5 years since the registration of the cohabitation. Your cohabiting spouse must have been an Icelandic citizen for a minimum of 5 years.
You are the child of an Icelandic citizen and have been domiciled in Iceland for the past 2 years. Your parent must have been an Icelandic citizen for a minimum of 5 years.
You are a Nordic citizen and have been domiciled in Iceland for the past 4 years.
You are a refugee or have a residence permit for humanitarian reasons and have been domiciled in Iceland for the past 5 years after being granted refugee status or a humanitarian permit.
You are a stateless person under the provisions of the law on foreigners and have been domiciled in Iceland for the past 5 years.
You are a former Icelandic citizen and have been domiciled in Iceland for the past year. You lost your Icelandic citizenship because of an application and granting of a foreign citizenship.
Continuous residence
To maintain a continuous residence you must not have stayed abroad for longer kêu ca 90 days in total in each 12-month period.
If you stay abroad for longer kêu ca 90 consecutive days in a 12-month period, that stay does not count towards the qualifying residence period that applies to lớn you.
Exemptions from continuous residence
An exemption from the condition on continuous residence during the qualifying period may be granted if you have stayed abroad:
For a total of up to lớn one year during the qualifying period.
For a total of up to lớn two years, due to lớn temporary employment or circumstances beyond your control, for example, your illness or that of a close relative.
For a total of up to lớn three years for studying purposes.
Because of the employment of a spouse or a custodian parent, who is an Icelandic citizen and works abroad representing Iceland or is an employee of an international organization of which Iceland is a thành viên.
If you think you fall under an exemption, you must submit documentation in tư vấn of this, for example medical records, employment contract or school admission certificate.
Please note that an applicant must satisfy the respective residence qualification period even though an exemption is granted from the condition on continuous residence.
Example: An applicant intends to lớn apply for citizenship on grounds of seven years residence in Iceland.
After six years residence in Iceland the applicant spent one year working abroad and then moved back to lớn Iceland. Notwithstanding him/her initially having been registered as domiciled in Iceland seven years prior, the applicant has not met the residence qualification period as he/she has only resided in Iceland for six years.
The seven-year residence qualification period must be satisfied despite the applicant being exempted from the condition on continuous residence.