Icelandic visa resources
After you arrive in Iceland
Once your permit is approved you collect the entry (D) visa if needed, travel to Iceland, attend a photo appointment, complete required steps within 90 days, and get your kennitala and legal domicile
Important
For a non-EEA/EFTA national, the residence permit is normally granted before travel. If you need a visa to enter, the Directorate sends a request for an entry (long-stay D) visa to the relevant Icelandic embassy — such as London, New Delhi, Beijing or Washington D.C., or a Danish/Norwegian embassy acting for Iceland — where you collect it. You then travel to Iceland.
After arrival you must complete the remaining steps so the residence permit can actually be issued and your card produced. Missing the deadlines can mean the permit is not issued.
Steps to complete after arrival
- Attend the booked photo appointment (bring your passport) for the residence permit card
- Submit a notification of residence to register your address
- Complete a medical examination within two weeks of arriving, where applicable
- These steps must be completed within 90 days of the permit being granted, or the permit will not be issued
Getting your residence card and kennitala
- Once the requirements are met, the permit is issued and the card is ordered
- You receive an email, and around five days later you collect the card where you had the photo taken
- The Directorate requests registration of your legal domicile with Registers Iceland (Þjóðskrá)
- Registers Iceland assigns your kennitala (personal ID number), needed for work, banking, tax and healthcare
Legal domicile registration
- Register a legal domicile if staying six months or longer
- A legal domicile must be a definite physical street address (not a guesthouse, hospital or camp)
- Handled by Registers Iceland (Þjóðskrá), Borgartún 21, 150 Reykjavík — skra.is
Next steps
Official sources
For the most accurate and up-to-date information, always refer to the official government sources.
Verified against official sources · last reviewed 2026-08-21. Information only — not legal advice.