Document checklist
Zambia → Iceland: Residence and work permit due to a shortage of employees
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Checked by our automated verification on 20 Oct 2026: every source on this page resolves and the data is structurally complete. This does not confirm a person re-read the source text for accuracy.
Required documents
10 itemsIdentity
Copy of your passport
RequiredCopies of your passport's personal information page and signature page, with the machine-readable zone clearly visible. Your passport must be valid for at least 90 days after the permit would end.
Passport photo
RequiredA passport photo sized 35x45 mm.
Financial
Proof of secure means of support
RequiredYou must show secure means of support for as long as the permit would be valid. The Directorate's reference amount is ISK 259,951 a month for individuals. Social assistance, alimony, child allowance, third-party support, non-bank assets, and cash aren't accepted as proof.
Source: Directorate of Immigration (Ísland.is), Residence permit based on work: requirements
Purpose of travel
Employer's evidence of trying to hire locally first
RequiredYour employer must show they first tried to hire someone who already has unrestricted access to the Icelandic labour market, normally by advertising the job through the EURES employment service of the Directorate of Labour, and give detailed reasoning for why hiring you specifically for this job is necessary. This must be about the job, not your personal circumstances.
Insurance
Health insurance
RequiredHealth insurance that is valid in Iceland for at least three months from the date you're registered, with cover of at least ISK 2,000,000.
Employment
Employment contract
RequiredA signed employment contract between you and your employer, including your planned job and title, information about your employer, details of the pension fund payments for your work, and wages that match the relevant collective agreement. Both you and your employer must sign the application and the contract.
Other
Criminal record certificate
RequiredA criminal record certificate from your country of residence, issued by the highest authority that gives them and covering a search of the whole country. It may not be more than 12 months old and doesn't need legal authentication unless the Directorate specifically asks for one.
Payment receipt (if paid by bank transfer)
If you pay the application fee by bank transfer, include a receipt showing the payer's name and date of birth or ID number, the recipient, the applicant's name and date of birth, the amount paid, and the date of payment.
Power of attorney (optional)
If you want someone else to receive information about your application on your behalf, submit a signed Power of Attorney form.
You must be 18 or older
RequiredThis route is for applicants aged 18 or older who will be granted a work permit for a specific job with a specific employer.
Source: Directorate of Immigration (Ísland.is), Residence permit based on work: requirements
Why applications on this route get refused
Means of support not shown
If an applicant can't demonstrate satisfactory means of support through accepted evidence, the residence permit will be rejected.
How to avoid it: Send original, confirmed documents showing at least the monthly reference amount for as long as the permit would run.
No evidence of trying to hire locally first
The employer must show they tried to hire someone with unrestricted access to the Icelandic labour market before hiring a foreign national, and explain why this specific hire is necessary.
How to avoid it: Make sure your employer keeps evidence of advertising the role (for example through EURES) and prepares a clear justification before applying.
Missing or unsatisfactory documents
If satisfactory documentation isn't submitted with the application, this may lead to delays in processing or rejection of the application.
How to avoid it: Check each document against the published requirements before submitting your application.
Sources
- Directorate of Immigration (Ísland.is), Residence permit based on work: requirements · checked 24 Sept 2026
- Directorate of Immigration (Ísland.is), Residence permit based on work: supporting documents (shortage of employees) · checked 24 Sept 2026
- Directorate of Immigration (Ísland.is), Icelandic citizenship conditions (residence permit exemption) · checked 24 Sept 2026
Check your documents against this list before you pay the Iceland application fee.
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