Depending on your country of origin and the duration of your stay you may need a residence permit and a work permit.
When you come to the Faroe Islands to work, you will need a civil registration number (Faroese: »p-tal«) or a temporary p-number, depending on the length of your residence in the Faroe Islands. If you are not a Nordic citizen, you will also need a work permit.
Required documents for staying in the Faroe Islands Nordic citizensIf you are a citizen of Finland, Sweden, Åland, Norway or Iceland, you already have legal rights to reside and work in the Faroe Islands. You only need to register at your local municipality within five days of moving to the Faroe Islands.
EU-citizensIf you are a citizen of Switzerland or an EU/EEA country other than the Nordic countries, you must apply for a work permit in order to work in the Faroe Islands. The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration’s website »Ny i Danmark« below contains more information and the application form.
Residence and work permit (outside Scandinavia, EU/EEA and Switzerland)Citizens from countries other than the Nordic countries, Switzerland or EU/EEA countries must in general apply for a residence and work permit in the Faroe Islands through a Danish embassy or consulate.
In some countries you can submit your application at a Norwegian embassy or consulate.
The link below to the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs guides you to where you can submit your application.
In general, you need to have an employment agreement with a company registered in the Faroe Islands before you are able to apply. There are certain exceptions, such as if you work for a foreign company that already operates in the Faroe Islands.
Please note that you must also apply for a residence permit and work permit if you engage in voluntary or unpaid work.
Some professional qualifications such as medical doctors, dentists or schoolteachers need to be authorised by Danish or Faroese authorities before you are able to use your qualifications in a professional job in the Faroe Islands.
When you come to the Faroe Islands to work, you will need a civil registration number (Faroese: »p-tal«) or a temporary p-tal, depending on the length of your stay in the Faroe Islands.
Your p-tal or temporary p-tal will be your Faroese personal identification number.
P-tal is for longer stays in the Faroe Islands
If you are working in the Faroe Islands for more than three months (six months if you are from a Nordic country), you will need to apply for a p-tal from the Faroese National Registration Office (Landsfólkayvirlitið).
You need to contact local municipality’s Citizen Services Centre to apply for the p-tal.
Temporary p-tal is for shorter stays in the Faroe Islands
If you are working in the Faroe Islands for less than three months (six months if you are from a Nordic country), you will only need a temporary p-tal from the Faroese Tax Agency (TAKS).
If you are coming to the Faroe Islands to work for more than three months (six months if you are from a Nordic country), you need to apply for a p-tal from the Faroese National Registration Office (Landsfólkayvirlitið).
Six of the Faroese municipalities can allocate a p-tal to you immediately from the National Register: Tórshavn Municipality, Klaksvík Municipality, Runavík Municipality, Eystur Municipality, Sjóvar Municipality and Sunda Municipality.
If you move to a municipality other than those listed above, your municipality will ask you to fill a form, which the municipality will forward to the National Registration Office (Landsfólkayvirlitið).
If you have previously lived in the Faroe Islands after the p-number system was introduced in 1982, you will already have a p-tal, which will be re-activated when you notify the municipality of your relocation.
If you are working in the Faroe Islands for less than three months (six months if you are from a Nordic country), you will only need a provisional p-tal.
You can request a temporary p-tal by completing the form below from the Faroese Tax Agency (TAKS). When TAKS has received your application, you will be sent a temporary p-tal, after which you can receive wages.
Make sure to apply in good time, and preferably at least 14 days before your wages are due. Your employer can also apply on your behalf.