Temporary Residence
With temporary residence registration, a person retains his legal residence and the rights that come with it, but registers the residence where he stays temporarily.
A registration of a temporary residence can be requested on Registers Iceland´s website or in Registers Iceland‘s reception in Borgartún 21, Reykjavík.
The requirements for such a registration are the presentation of the relevant documents specified in more detail below, as well as the presentation of valid identification or digital certification.
Registration of a temporary residence within Iceland is permitted for those who require it due to studies or illness. Furthermore, members of parliament and ministers, as well as their spouses and children, are permitted to keep their legal domicile in the place where they had their permanent residence before taking office and receive a registration of residence for their work.
For a registration of a temporary residence within Iceland due to illness, a certificate issued by a doctor with a license to practice in Iceland must be submitted.
For a registration of a residence within Iceland due to studies, a confirmation of one‘s studies from the school in question must be submitted
If the statutory requirements for a registration of a temporary residence are no longer met, it should either be notified in Registers Iceland‘s reception at Borgartún 21, or by sending an e-mail to skra@skra.is and request a cancellation of the residence registration.
Please note that it is not possible to have a legal domicile registration abroad and a temporary residence registration in Iceland. Furthermore, Individuals residing or studying in the Nordic countries are not entitled to a registration of residence there, in accordance with the Nordic Agreement.
Registration of a temporary residence abroad is permitted for those who require it due to studies or illness, provided that the person has had a continuous legal residence in Iceland for at least 2 years before the illness or studies began.
Icelandic citizens who work abroad on behalf of the government at embassies, commissions or consulates, as well as Icelandic citizens who are employees of international organizations of which Iceland is a member, should have their legal domicile in Iceland, but register their temporary residence in the country in which they work and reside in. This also applies to their spouses and children staying with them abroad.
For a registration abroad due to illness, a certificate issued by a doctor with a license to practice in Iceland, stating the necessity of the stay, must be submitted.
Please note that the registration is only valid for 1 year and a new certificate must be submitted if an extension of the registration is requested. A registration of a legal domicile in the country of a registered temporary residence is not permitted and therefore, a confirmation from the relevant authority in the country of residence, stating that you are not registered with a legal domicile in the country, is required if an extension of the registration is requested more than twice.
For a registration abroad due to studies, a confirmation of studies for at least 1 year or longer must be submitted. The registration is valid for up to 4 years. However, a legal domicile registration in the country of the registered temporary residence is not permitted.
For a registration abroad due to work for the government at embassies, commissions or international organizations of which Iceland is a member, a confirmation from the embassy or said organization, that the person concerned works there, is required.
If the statutory requirements for a registration of a temporary residence are no longer met, it should either be notified in Registers Iceland‘s reception at Borgartún 21, or with a registration of a legal domicile abroad and by sending an e-mail to skra@skra.is and request a cancellation of the temporary residence registration.
Please note that it is not possible to have a legal domicile registration abroad and a temporary residence registration in Iceland. Furthermore, Individuals residing or studying in the Nordic countries are not entitled to a registration of temporary residence there, in accordance with the Nordic Agreement.
Residents of Grindavík, who were registered with a legal domicile in Grindavík on November 10th, 2023, and had to leave their homes on that day according to the decision of the authorities, can apply for registration of a temporary residence.
The registration is valid until the police chief notifies Registers Iceland (Þjóðskrá) that the conditions no longer apply, but it is allowed to keep the registration for up to one year from the police chief's notification.
Individuals must notify Registers Iceland of the cancellation of residence registration when it is no longer needed, otherwise it will automatically be canceled when a year has passed since the police chief's notification.
Please note that with temporary residence registration, a person retains his legal residence and the rights that come with it, but the temporary residence is registered where they stay temporarily due to the circumstances.
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