Studying in Iceland

EEA and non-EEA students

EEA, EFTA and Swiss students do not need a residence permit. Within three months of arrival you register your legal domicile with Registers Iceland, showing proof of enrolment, a declaration that you have sufficient funds, and private health insurance for your stay or at least the first six months (or an S1 certificate). Processing can take up to 10 working days (Registers Iceland).

Non-EEA students need a residence permit for students from the Directorate of Immigration, as below.

What a year costs

Registration fee. The University of Iceland charges a yearly registration fee of ISK 100,000, due by 4 July (ISK 75,000 for studies starting in the spring semester). It is not refundable (University of Iceland help centre).

Tuition for non-EEA students is coming. On 19 June 2026 the government announced that the Althingi had passed a law allowing public universities to charge tuition to students from outside the EEA, except students from the Faroe Islands and Greenland (Government of Iceland). The announcement does not give amounts or a start date. If you are a non-EEA applicant for 2027 or later, ask the university in writing what tuition you will pay before you accept a place.

Living costs. We could not read a current official student budget. The means of support figure below, ISK 259,951 a month, is the legal minimum the Directorate expects you to live on, not a comfortable budget.

The residence permit

Non-EEA students apply to the Directorate of Immigration (Útlendingastofnun) for a residence permit for students (island.is). You must be enrolled in full-time studies, confirmed by your institution, and be 18 or over (with exceptions for exchange students).

The money. From 18 May 2026 you must show means of support of ISK 259,951 a month for an individual, secured for as long as the permit is valid (Directorate of Immigration). A permit is granted for up to one year, so for a full year that is about ISK 3,119,412. That annual total is our calculation. Married couples need ISK 415,922 a month, plus ISK 129,976 for each additional family member aged 18 or over (requirements).

Insurance. Health insurance with at least ISK 2,000,000 of cover, valid for at least three months from registration.

Fee. The processing fee is ISK 70,000.

Deadlines and processing. The application and documents must reach the Directorate by 1 May for the autumn semester or 1 October for the spring semester (island.is). Complete applications received within the deadline are processed before the semester starts, but the Directorate warns that first residence permits in general can take up to 8 to 10 months (waiting time). Criminal record certificates must come from the highest national authority in your country, not a regional one.

Renewal. The permit lasts up to one year and is renewable. Under rules in force from 8 July 2026, you must show satisfactory academic progress at each renewal, meaning at least 75% of a full-time course load a year, and give details of any work (Directorate of Immigration).

Working while you study

Up to 60% of full-time employment without a work permit, counting all employers together. You may work more during scheduled breaks between terms and during formal workplace training (island.is). The Directorate does not convert 60% into hours, so we do not either. It checks your employment at renewal, and working over the limit can lead to the permit being reviewed or revoked.

After you graduate

Graduates with a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree from an Icelandic university can get a permit to seek employment for up to 18 months after graduation. Doctoral graduates can also renew for up to 12 months as specialists without a work permit (Directorate of Immigration). Before 8 July 2026 this was up to three years, and some island.is pages still say so: the 18-month figure is the current one.

Language

Many bachelor's degrees are taught in Icelandic; English-taught programmes are more common at master's and doctoral level. Your university sets the English requirement for each programme. Icelanders widely speak English, but part-time jobs outside tourism and many graduate jobs expect some Icelandic.

When to apply

Universities set their own application deadlines for non-EEA applicants: check yours. The Directorate's own deadline is 1 May for autumn entry, and its earlier guidance asked for complete applications before 1 June to guarantee processing before term. Apply to the university as early as possible so your permit application can go in well before 1 May.

What to watch out for

Tuition is about to change. Fees for non-EEA students have been authorised but not yet set. Get the fee for your programme and intake in writing.

The post-study period has just been cut. It is now up to 18 months, not three years. Advice written before July 2026 is out of date.

Family reunification is narrower. Since 8 July 2026 it is only for students on full-time bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees; diploma students cannot bring family.

Iceland is expensive. The means of support minimum is a legal floor. Budget above it, especially for housing in Reykjavík.

Where these numbers come from

Rules change, sometimes at short notice. Every figure above carries the date we checked it. Check the official source before you rely on it, and confirm tuition directly with your university, because fees for non-EEA students have not yet been set.