Work and residence permits in the Faroe Islands

If you are a citizen of a Nordic country, you can freely travel to the Faroe Islands to live, study and work. You do not need a visa, a work permit or a residence permit.

Nordic citizens can enter the Faroe Islands without a passport. However, a Nordic citizen in the Faroe Islands must be able to identify himself or herself, if necessary. This can for example be the case if he or she stays at a hotel or the like. A driving licence or a debit card is sufficient.

If, on the other hand, you come from a country outside the Nordic region, you must have a work permit and residence permit in order to work in the Faroe Islands.

The Faroe Islands are not a member of the European Union (EU), and so the EU rules on free movement do not apply to the Faroe Islands.

As a foreigner, it is your own responsibility to obtain a work permit if the rules so require.

See the  Danish Immigration Service for information on obtaining a work permit in the Faroe Islands for foreigners from non-Nordic countries.

Travelling out of the Faroe Islands as a foreigner 

As a foreigner, your residence permit may be cancelled if you travel out of the Faroe Islands for a long period of time, or cease to be resident in the Faroe Islands. This also applies even if you have a permanent residence permit.

If your residence permit is cancelled, you may not be able to return to the Faroe Islands again.

If, as a foreigner, you have lived legally in the Faroe Islands for less than two years, you may spend periods of up to six months outside the Faroe Islands.

If you have lived legally in the Faroe Islands for more than two years, and you have a residence permit that can be made permanent, you may spend periods of up to twelve months outside the Faroe Islands.

If these time limits are exceeded, your residence permit will be cancelled.

Periods spent abroad due to military service or equivalent substitute service are not included.

Periods of time spent in Greenland or in Denmark are considered to be periods spent abroad.

You can apply for an exemption from the cancellation of your residence permit.

For more information contact the Faroese Immigration Office - Útlendingastovan