Emigrants from Russia generally prefer warm countries to move. But in recent years, we can talk about the growing migration popularity of the northwestern states, and in particular Iceland. It cannot be said that the migration policy there is soft and loyal. To obtain Icelandic citizenship, you must go through many well-ordered, highly regulated procedures and fulfill a number of requirements.
Who can become a citizen of Iceland
Citizenship law here is similar to all Scandinavian countries and many other countries. The main reason for granting citizenship is the right of blood. You must be born on the territory of the country or abroad, having one of the parents of an Icelandic citizen.
Also, an Icelandic passport can be issued after naturalization, after living in the country for seven years or during a reduced period provided in some cases.
Who Can't Become a Citizen
Those born on the territory of the country from two foreigners will not receive citizenship. Also, if an Icelander father is not officially recognized by the father and is not married to a foreign mother, and the child was born on the territory of another state, he will not be able to apply for Icelandic citizenship.
Ways to obtain citizen status
There are several ways to get an Icelandic passport. They are not all equal, and they are not suitable for everyone. The first and most direct one is origin.
Birth and origin
A person becomes a citizen if his mother is a citizen of Iceland. In the case of a citizen father, he must be officially married to a foreign mother.
If the marriage is not officially concluded, the father must be indicated on the birth document. In this case, the child, regardless of whether he was born in Iceland or in another country, must apply for citizenship before he reaches the age of 18.
Marriage
There is an interesting nuance with citizenship by marriage in this country. Firstly, a foreigner or foreigner who has married Icelandic nationals must have lived in Iceland until the moment of applying for citizenship, not seven years, but only three years.
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Secondly, the marriage may not be formalized. It is enough to prove the fact of cohabitation in Iceland for five years. That is, civil marriage is also taken into account.
Naturalization
A foreigner can become a citizen by living in the country for seven years and naturalizing. For citizens of other Scandinavian states, this period is four years. Persons officially recognized as refugees wait five years for naturalization.
Naturalization by marriage involves a three-year wait, but the spouses must live together for four years, and the Icelander spouse must be a citizen for at least five years.
If the parents (parent) have been citizens for five years or more, the term for naturalization of their children is two years.
If a child is not born here of Icelanders, but cannot obtain citizenship of another country, the term of his naturalization is three years.
Persons who were citizens of the country, but lost citizenship (for example, due to the ban on dual citizenship, which existed before 2003), restore it in one year.
When a child under 12 is adopted by citizens of the country, he / she automatically receives citizenship.
Education
If you are unlucky enough to be born of Icelandic citizens, studying at an Icelandic university can be a good way of immigration for young people. There are not many institutions in which training takes place in English in the country, but they do exist.
When applying for a student residence permit, you will need confirmation from the university that the student is accepted, payment of tuition. You will have to confirm the relevance of your stay at the university every semester.
In order to study the seven years necessary for naturalization, one can enroll here for a magistracy, especially since in the absence of scholarships for students, a system of grants is provided for masters.
Work
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It is quite possible to find a job in this country. Moreover, it is highly paid, which makes it possible to lead a decent life. But if the applicant is not an EU citizen, he will need a special permit. To obtain permission to hire such an employee, the employer must first search in Europe, and only not finding a worthy candidate there who agrees to the proposed conditions, he can accept a non-EU citizen.
Three months after the conclusion of the contract, the foreigner will receive a residence permit. Then the naturalization process is carried out on a general basis.
The property
Buying real estate does not guarantee not only citizenship, but even permanent residence. A residence permit will be given for a year, but only on the condition that the transaction amount is not less than one hundred thousand euros. The land can only be rented.
To apply for resident status after becoming the owner of real estate, you need to permanently reside in Iceland for three years.
Doing Business
The so-called "economic citizenship" is not very popular in Iceland. To remain here as an entrepreneur, you will need permission from the Ministry of Commerce. Any form of business ownership can be, except for individual entrepreneurs. But the tax rates are quite high here, there is an additional ten percent tax.
And most importantly, the business does not automatically make the owner the owner of the residence, although it significantly increases the chances of obtaining it on a general basis. You can open a company while living in Iceland with a multiple entry visa.
Double citizenship
Until 2003, dual citizenship in Iceland was prohibited by law. Now it is allowed without restrictions - with those countries that also have a permit for dual citizenship.
Receiving procedure
It is important to first obtain a residence permit and fulfill all the conditions (duration of residence, no problems with the law). Then you need to collect a package of documents.
Submitted documents.
- Two photos;
- International passport;
- Internal passport;
- Duty paid;
- Family composition certificate or marriage certificate;
- Proof of income, bank account;
- Medical certificate confirming the absence of serious illnesses;
- Confirmation of no criminal record in Russia and Iceland;
- Statement;
- Three recommendations from the citizens of the country;
- Documents of legal seven-year residence in Iceland.
Important! For a positive decision, you need to know Icelandic and have sufficient financial support to live in the country.
Where to contact
Citizenship can be obtained both through the Icelandic Embassy in the Russian Federation and through the Icelandic Migration Service on its territory. The procedure begins only if you have a residence permit. At the time of registration, documents can be submitted (translated) in both Icelandic and English.
Procedure:
- An application is filled in, the form of which the applicant receives from the migration service. Language - Icelandic or English. Filling - personal;
- There are three Icelander guarantors who are able to give recommendations to the applicant. Not relatives, not lawyers and not subordinates;
- All documents in Russian are translated and certified;
- The required income is confirmed;
- Housing is rented or bought;
- The entire package of documentation is submitted to the migration service, which forwards it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
How much does it cost and how quickly can you get
The cost of duty only is about 300 euros. To this price must be added the costs of translations and notary fees. It may turn out about 400 euros.
The general procedure for consideration takes up to six months on average. According to the law, this period is from 6 to 12 months, but the year of the application is considered very rarely.
The simplified procedure provides for a period from one month to three.
Why citizenship may not be given
Icelanders are very sensitive to the health of citizens. A foreigner with a serious illness that poses a danger to the inhabitants of the country will not become a citizen.
Also, citizenship will definitely be refused if there are any violations of the law and problems with the law, even at the level of administrative violations, by the applicant. A person who is unable to maintain himself normally may not be allowed to become a citizen.
Iceland is one of the most stable countries in terms of economic performance. There is a high standard of living and reasonable prices. You can find a job or start a business. Housing prices are not exorbitant. And the climate is not at all as harsh as people think about it. The beautiful nature is unique, the inhabitants are peaceful and law-abiding. All this is forcing an increasing number of foreigners, including Russians, to become citizens of Iceland.
