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Iceland · Work

Iceland Post-Study Employment-Seeking Residence Permit

10 facts quoted from the official source

For a foreign graduate who completed a Bachelor's, Master's or Doctoral degree at an Icelandic university and renews the student permit to seek work matching the qualification.

Route type
Work
Can bring
—
Not stated in the official source
Requirements
5
each quoted below
Who qualifies

Who this route is for

Every item below is the government’s own wording, quoted from the official source. Whether you personally qualify depends on your full profile.

5 requirements quoted from the official source.

The conditions that decide it
  • Icelandic University Degree RequiredThe qualifying degree must have been completed at an Icelandic university.
  • Job Search Related To Qualification RequiredThe stay is for seeking employment based on the completed qualification.
  • Permit Months MaxThe maximum post-study job-search residence period is eighteen months.
  • Prior Student Residence RequiredThe route is obtained by renewing the graduate's student residence permit.
  • Qualifying DegreesThe current rule covers Icelandic Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral graduates.
Also stated by the source
  • Eligibility summarymay now renew their student residence permit for up to 18 months after graduation
  • Intended Next RouteThe official guidance describes the status as a bridge to an expert work residence permit.
  • Official source basismay now renew their student residence permit for up to 18 months after graduation
  • Report summarymay now renew their student residence permit for up to 18 months after graduation
  • Separate Work Permit RequiredA graduate in the employment-seeking period may work under the student-permit work-right framework without a separate work permit.
Family

Who you can bring

— Not stated in the official source. The official page for this route does not address dependent-family rights, so we do not publish a claim either way.
How it works

From here to a yes

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Apply with the official sourceThe application itself always happens with the government — the enacting authority linked below. The report points you straight at it.
FAQ

Straight answers

01Who qualifies for this route to Iceland?
The official source states: For a foreign graduate who completed a Bachelor's, Master's or Doctoral degree at an Icelandic university and renews the student permit to seek work matching the qualification.

Every answer is quoted from the official island.is page for this route, last read 2026-07-26.

We checked 10 points against the official source; 10 are quoted on this page. The other 0 are either not addressed by the source or not yet backed by a quote — we would rather show you the edge of the record than fill it with a plausible guess.

See the 0 open points

Fees, validity and processing time are not published in the official source for this route. We publish a number only when the official text states that number.

Not stated in the official source — the official source names no exclusion for this route.

The source

Where every quote comes from

Official government source island.isLast read 2026-07-26 Every quote on this page is from this Iceland government page.
Compiled from official sources · pending independent re-check · Last checked 2026-07-26 · Our methodology
 · Compiled by António Mira · How we verify · Not legal advice — rules change; confirm with the official source before deciding.
Same category, same country

Other work routes to Iceland

6 other work routes to Iceland.

Expert Knowledge Residence and Work PermitFamily Reunification Temporary Work PermitLabour Shortage Residence and Work PermitPost-Doctoral Specialist Employment-Seeking RenewalService Contract or Academic Collaboration Residence and Work PermitSpecial Circumstances Temporary Work Permit
Same category, elsewhere

Work routes in other countries

224 other countries publish at least one work route. Nearest first.

Denmark30 work routes Norway29 work routes Ireland14 work routes Finland13 work routes United Kingdom13 work routes Sweden9 work routes

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