Procedure

Since January 2010 the case handling of work- & residence permits - both first time applications and extensions - follow these guidelines:

1) Applications for work- and residence permits from EU-citizens can be considered according to the special rules for EU-citizens. If and when the government makes these special rules inactive, applications from EU-citizens will be treated equal to other applications, meaning they must meet the requirements in the Aliens Act valid for the Faroe Islands.

2) One main criteria in the Aliens Act for the Faroe Islands is that cases should be considered in relation to the current employment situation in the Faroes as a whole, see § 9, 2, no. 3, of the Aliens Act (see link above).

3) Applications for changing job are considered on the same basis as first time applications. However, there are exceptions, see below (no. 4).

4) If the applicant for the last two succeeding years has worked legally in the Faroes in the same job or same kind of job, his/her application for an extended permit can be processed without considering the current employment situation. However, standard requirements still apply, meaning a written job offer of at least 40 hour per week is still required, also employment conditions and salaries must meet Faroese standards in that particular field.

Applicants, who have formerly been granted job-changes according to the “2008-agreement” or the special EU-rules that were in force 2008/09, can also be granted extensions despite the employment situation, but only if they for the last two succeeding years have worked legally in the Faroes in the same kind of job.