Refugee/humanitarian protection naturalization (5-year)
Citizenship in Iceland
- Eligibility
- Refugee/humanitarian protection naturalization (5-year)
- Timeline
- T1
- Renunciation
- Not required
Legal basis
Act 100/1952 §8(1) item 6:
"Flóttamaður, sem fullnægir skilgreiningu í alþjóðasamningi um stöðu flóttamanna sem gerður var 28. júlí 1951, hafi verið hér búsettur sem slíkur í fimm ár. Sama gildir um mann sem fengið hefur dvalarleyfi hér á landi af mannúðarástæðum."
(Refugee who meets the definition of the 1951 Convention has been domiciled here as such for five years. Same applies to a person who has received humanitarian-grounds residence permit.)
Example scenarios
age 30 · nationality: Eritrean
ELIGIBLE for this route. Act 100/1952 s8(1)(6): refugee per 1951 Convention + 5y IS residence. All conditions met: (1) 1951 Convention status recognized 2021; (2) 5y IS residence (2021-2026); (3) A2 CEFR Icelandic passed 2025; (4) clean criminal record; (5) s9 self-sufficiency assumed. Applicant concern re Thingskjal 17/157 (pending deprivation bill) is UNFOUNDED: the deprivation bill targets citizenship acquired through FRAUD or DECEPTION (ECN Art 7(1)(b) framework). Standard this route naturalization via legitimate 1951 Convention refugee status is NOT fraud-based acquisition. The pending bill would not affect this applicant's naturalization.
IS-NAT-07 operative at 5y for 1951 Convention refugees. Thingskjal 17/157 clarification: deprivation mechanism targets fraudulent citizenship acquisition only. Lawful IS-NAT-07 naturalization via genuine refugee status with disclosed clean criminal record is not within scope of the proposed deprivation mechanism. Applicant should proceed without concern.
Informational summary compiled from primary legal sources — not legal advice. Citizenship law changes; verify with the competent authority before acting. Last verified 2026-05-18.
Track changes to this route
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