How to Search for DMW Jobs in Iceland

In 2007, the Labor Office Attaché of the Philippines in Reykjavk made a deal with Iceland about the country’s new policies on labor immigration. As of January 1, 2012, there are 1,464 Filipinos living and working in Iceland, and 911 of them are citizens of Iceland. Most Filipinos live in the area around the capital, but there are some who live in the countryside. In the past 20 years, many Filipinos from developing countries have moved to Iceland because of the country’s economic boom, which has given them more opportunities. A big reason to move to Iceland, besides work, is to be with family again.

If you are a Filipino jobseeker or based in the Philippines, below is an awesome list of compiled Scandinavian jobs you can search for. Many of these jobs are remote or require working abroad.

Table of Contents

Requirements

Click this link for more information about the documents that you need to prepare for searching for jobs in Iceland.

Qualifications

An applicant must be at least 23 years old and have a technical vocational diploma or a bachelor’s degree to be qualified for work. He/she must also be physically and mentally fit for the job.

Important Steps

There are a lot of Filipinos in Iceland due to the booming economy, warm atmosphere and nice people. While there are various internet sites that give jobs offer to the Filipinos in Iceland but some common steps should be made by them as they go job hunting in Iceland.

In this guide we’ll look at some of the most popular sites, how they work and what you need to consider when using them.

I. Job Search

Searching for a Job in Iceland as a Filipino citizen can be a challenging experience, one that you need help with. That is why we searched the net and found these sites that are probably going to provide you with the help you need and will make your search easier.

Capacent

https://www.vimabgroup.com/

As a foreigner, many people in your country and potential employers find it hard to read your resume or LinkedIn profile. So, the goal of this resource is to make it easier for you to start looking for jobs in Iceland by showing you how to use Capacent, a job search platform that Icelandic employers like.

To start searching using this website, you may follow the steps below.

1. Click the link above to view the website. Click ‘English’ to translate the contents of the site.

2. On the upper right corner, click ‘Search’.

3. A search bar will appear. On the search bar, enter the job title. Then, click the SEARCH to proceed.

4. Then, job results will appear. Click on each job posts to see what ‘s suitable for you.

5. You may press the selection on the left side to know the qualifications needed.

JobsAbroad.com

https://jobs.goabroad.com/

JobsAbroad.com is an online platform for job seekers and businesses offering work-related opportunities all over the world. Jobs abroad range from entry level to managerial positions, and they are everywhere.

Follow the steps below to search for jobs in Iceland.

1. Click the link above to redirect you to the website.

2. In the drop-down menu, choose ‘Iceland’. Click ‘FILTER PROGRAMS’.

3. You will see programs that suited for you.

Alfred

https://alfred.is/

Alfred is a job search site that allows you to post and find jobs remotely, as well as sync your CV/resume. With this blog post you will learn how to use Alfred to search for jobs in Iceland.

Start searching for jobs in Iceland through following the steps below.

1. Click the link above and take a look at the website. Switch to ‘English’ language.

2. In the search bar, enter the job position that you wish to apply for. Hit ‘Enter’.

3. Job lists are revealed. You may click in each one to know more about the job.

DMW Website

https://www.dmw.gov.ph/approved-job-orders

The Department of Migrant Workers is an organization which has been receiving complaints and also helping workers in terms of legal advice. However, a lot of Filipinos have found this as the main resource to look for work abroad.

To start searching, you may want to follow the steps below.

1. Click the link above.

2. In the search bar, enter ‘Iceland’.

3. Job lists will appear. As of 2023, there are no job offers from Iceland in the DMW website.

Note: If you use these websites to look for a job in Iceland, you have to send a message to the agency that has the job offer. Before you apply, make sure you have your resume, cover letter, high school diploma, and birth certificate ready. The employer will want to see these as soon as possible. Keep applying for jobs until someone gives you one. You will need to get a work permit after giving the agency or employer any other documents they ask for.

II. Getting a Work Permit and Work Visa

Foreigners who want to work in Iceland must first get a work permit and then a D visa for a long stay. Applications for work permits must be sent to the Directorate of Immigration along with any supporting documents. If the foreign national meets the requirements for a residence permit, the Directorate of Immigration then sends the application to the Directorate of Labour. Usually, you have to register within the first three months after you arrive in Iceland and can use this visa to apply for a residence permit.

Icelandic Work Permit

EMPLOYMENT

The Directorate of Immigration will forward all work permit applications to the Directorate of Labour, which processes and issues them. Please include all requested information and supporting documents in the original application package to avoid delays. Make sure your application is signed by you and your employer.

Temporary work permit for expert-level work

Foreign experts from outside the EEA, EFTA, and Faroe Islands must apply for a work permit in Iceland.

Work permit requirements:

Expertise

Your education, skills, and expertise were unavailable locally or in the EEA, EFTA, and Faroe Islands.
The company needs your expertise.
Your potential employer signed a contract.

YOU MUST PROVIDE

1. Your expert-required temporary work permit application. Check that the application form is complete and that the relevant Icelandic trade union has confirmed the terms and conditions of employment conform to Icelandic collective agreements in section IV. Sign the application with your employer.

2. A contract with your employer that specifies your job title, description, and pension fund. Your employment terms must match those of other industry experts.

3. Your English or Icelandic diploma(s) certified.

4. If your expert knowledge is based on extensive experience, include evidence of your positions, duties, and employment duration. A university degree usually requires at least seven years of relevant work experience.

5. Your employer must report its attempts to hire an Icelandic, EEA, EFTA, or Faroese national before hiring you.

6. Confirmation that your employer will pay for your return to a specified country if your contract is terminated or you become disabled.

Only items 1 and 2 are needed to extend your expert work permit. Temporary work permits for specialized jobs can lead to unrestricted work permits.

LEGAL PROFESSION

Your qualifications must be accredited by Icelandic authorities if your job requires a legal professional title.

The Ministry of Industries and Innovation should accredit technical services and design professionals:
English-language application

Icelandic resources and links

Medical professionals apply at the Directorate of Health. Icelandic medical professionals with legal titles are listed here.

Icelandic Work Visa

It can take up to 180 days to get this visa.

Steps in Obtaining a Work Visa

In general, this is how it works:

1. Get the letter of employment or work contract from your Icelandic employer.

2. Prepare your application for a visa and get the other documents you need for it.

3. Prepare to move to Iceland by applying for a D visa for a long stay.

Qualifications

You must have a passport or other travel document that is good for at least 6 months.
You must have the skills and experience that are needed for the job.

You need enough money to pay for your stay.
You must have a job offer from an Icelandic company.
You should have good morals and be in good health.

You must have valid travel insurance that covers the whole length of your stay.
There may be other requirements, and your employer will tell you what they are.

Requirements

Form for applying for a visa, filled out and signed.
Recent photo the size of a passport.
Copies of their work history from their past employers.

Copies of a letter from an employer offering a job.
Valid passport copies (like the bio page, past visas, etc.).
If you are not a citizen of the country where you live, please show proof that you are legally living there (e.g. residence permit, etc.).

Certificates of character and health (as applicable).
Copies of travel insurance for health care.
Visa fee payment receipt.

The person who has an Iceland residence permit can go to Iceland and stay there for more than three months. If the applicant meets all of the requirements set by the Icelandic Directorate of Immigration, he or she is given the permit.

With an Iceland residence permit, you can do many of the same things as an Icelander. People with different types of residence permits are allowed to work. In certain situations, you will need a work permit.

Icelandic Residence Permit

Iceland residence permits are not required for everyone. Some privileged groups can settle in Iceland without a residence permit.

Icelandic residents do not need a residence permit:

Iceland

EU
Liechtenstein
Norway

Switzerland

These nationals must register at the Registration Office within three months of arrival in Iceland.

Iceland Residence Permit Documents

Collecting documents for an Iceland residence permit is the most important part. Two groups of documents:

Basic requirements, regardless of residence permit type.
The specific residence permit requirements.

Residence Permit Basics

Basic Iceland Residence Permit requirements.

Payment. Banks issue receipts for residence permit payments. Name it.
Residence permit request. Download the correct application form for your residence permit type. Save, fill, and print. Remember to sign it.
ID photo (35 mm x 45 mm).

Passport copy.
Copy all passport pages. Make sure your passport is valid for three months after your Icelandic stay.
CRC.

Get a criminal record certificate from your country of residence. It must be six months old and have an apostille or double authentication.
Health insurance certificate.
Submit an Icelandic or foreign insurance certificate. The insurance will last six months after Registers Iceland registration.

Finances.

You must prove you have enough money to support yourself and your family in Iceland.

Iceland Working Residence Permit

Employment.

Work permit request.

Iceland Residence Permit Processing

The Icelandic Directorate of Immigration processes applications in 180 days. Your residence permit renewal will be processed within 90 days.

III. Preparation in Going to Iceland

Iceland’s geysers, volcanoes, glaciers, northern lights, and mountains make it Europe’s second largest island after Great Britain. Since 2008, it has been named the most peaceful nation. Iceland is the most welcoming country for foreigners, and most people speak English. The job market is always hiring in many sectors. If you’re considering moving to Iceland, don’t miss out on a dream job.

Iceland basics.

Iceland’s capital is Reykjavík, its currency is the króna, and its language is Icelandic. It has geysers, volcanoes, steaming lava fields, black sand beaches, mountains, waterfalls, and an extreme climate with 22-hour summer days and opposite winters. This helps you visualize Iceland, but we’re not done.

Iceland culture

Iceland is a unique expat destination due to its health and happiness. Icelanders value family and instill self-sufficiency in children. Icelanders have patronymic names, not surnames. Example: Anna Einarsdottir and Johannes Einarsson. Family dominates social life.

Their gender equality and tolerance are high, but nature is their greatest pride. The northern lights and stunning landscapes draw tourists. Nature inspired many songs, paintings, and stories and still influences culture.

Two-thirds of Icelanders live in Reykjavík or its suburbs and consider themselves Nordic rather than Scandinavian. Expats are welcomed at work.

Icelandic food

Icelandic cuisine comes from harsh natural conditions. Though simple, try it. Viking descendants eat meat.

Fish is high-quality in national dishes because of its ocean location. Lamb and skyr (a type of yoghurt) provide an overview of the Icelandic diet for thousands of years. If you want something more unusual, try a whale of puffin meat, which is famous but controversial.

The most intriguing and sometimes controversial meals are

Hákarl (fermented shark) (fermented shark)
Kjötsúpa (lamb soup) (lamb soup)
Beztu Pylsur (Icelandic hot dog)

Rúgbrauð (rye bread) (rye bread)
(Sheep head)

Icelandic cuisine isn’t for everyone. There are meals in shops and restaurants that meet everyday standards, but trying local food is a big part of traveling, so try it!

Work in Iceland

Iceland may not be your first choice for living and working abroad. However, many expats chose to live there.

Hierarchical structure is less prevalent in Europe. Icelanders are straightforward in business meetings. Meetings usually happen over lunch or coffee. Iceland also leads the world in gender equality.

Monday to Friday, 40-hour weeks, €2823 net salary. Tourism is the country’s biggest industry, followed by fishing, geo and hydropower, pharmacy, and aluminum smelting.

Iceland Taxes

After landing that Icelandic job, you’ll need to get a personal ID number (kennitala) and an electronic ID (rafraen skilríki) connected to your mobile phone’s SIM card for authentication. With ID, you can apply for a kennitala at the Icelandic Register (jóðskrá). This allows you to register for tax and job contracts. Income tax starts at 17% and municipal tax at 14.45% in Iceland, along with other contribution taxes.

Icelandic Lodging

Iceland’s bars, restaurants, and city activities are in Reykjavik, making accommodation difficult. If you like something in this city, take it! Prices are high and apartments are scarce. It’ll be gone tomorrow. Once you decide, decide where you want to live—if it’s Reykjavik, prices vary depending on whether you’re downtown or a bit farther away—and then start looking at Facebook groups (which are very helpful) for accommodation in that area. Iceland accommodation websites include Mbl.is Rent.is/Leiga.is The Rental List/Leigulistinn Vísir – leiga.

Icelandic Living Costs

Being such a remote destination, it’s hard to find diversity in products, and with a moody and unpredictable climate, it’s hard to find fruits, vegetables, and other groceries from icelandic sources, so they have to be imported. It’s also hard to find accommodation for locals, so prices are high. Iceland, a beautiful, high-quality-of-life country, has expensive treats.

Iceland expats

Young people from Asia, Europe, and America are moving to Iceland to enjoy its quality of life, stunning landscapes, and hot spring baths. As with other Nordic countries, Icelanders receive free healthcare, education, and a pension, and they are known to be some of the kindest and most welcoming people in the world. Are you ready to explore Iceland?

Icelandic lessons

Icelandic is one of the hardest languages due to its long words and complex grammar. When over 300,000 people, almost half the population, can speak Icelandic!

Although most people speak English, it’s good to know some basic sentences. Language helps us communicate with Icelanders and understand their culture. This is one of many free online courses. In-person lessons are also available. Most on-site courses are paid. Here are some course prices. Your future employer will notice that you’re studying Icelandic, which shows that you’re committed to this job and place.

Icelanders are famously happy. Rich culture, social wellness, and welcoming nationals make it an expat-friendly country, even if it wasn’t your first choice. Iceland is less isolated than expats expected, and once you settle in, you can explore. Lots to discover. Fair salaries, living standards, and work culture offset high living costs.

IV. Arrival in Iceland

The majority of passenger and air freight flights into and out of Iceland as well as a crucial hub between Europe and North America are handled by the Leifur Eirksson International Air Terminal in Keflavk, which is 48 kilometers from Reykjavk. The terminal’s amenities are up to the highest standards, and the interior was primarily created with the traveler in mind.

ARRIVAL

The Keflavk airport is open around-the-clock, and all visitors can use the free Wi-Fi. In contrast to most international airports, the arrival hall offers tax- and duty-free goods right away, so arriving travelers should proceed there right away. Please take into account the current Covid-19 entry requirements.

CAR RENTALS AND BUS SHUTTLES

In conjunction with every flight arriving and departing from Keflavk International Airport, a flybus is running between Reykjavik and the airport. Tickets can be bought at the airport, online, and on Icelandair aircraft. Reykjavik can be reached from Keflavik Airport in 40 to 50 minutes by car. Additionally, there are four car rental companies with desks in the arrivals area, and taxis are always available.

DEPARTURE

Approximately 2.5 hours before flight departure, flybuses depart from Reykjavk. Taking an earlier bus is advised because it is advised to arrive at the airport earlier due to Covid-19 to reduce lines. Self-check-in terminals and service desks can be found in the departure hall on the ground floor.

ADVICE FOR TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN AND SPECIAL NEEDS

There are pushcarts, strollers, and a play area for children if you’re traveling with children.

A trained airport employee will provide assistance upon request from passengers with limited mobility. Sunflower lanyards are accessible at all information and check-in desks for travelers with concealed disabilities who require additional support.

TAX-FREE

People who live permanently outside Iceland are eligible to recoup the value-added tax (VAT) they paid on purchases they made while visiting Iceland.

Prior to checking in your bags, you must claim your tax refund at the Arion Bank counter, which is conveniently located next to the check-in desks.

SOUVENIR EATING AND SHOPPING

After check-in, a wide variety of brands are available in the stores at the Leifur Eirksson Air Terminal. In comparison to other European airports, the products and services offered at duty-free shops are very affordable. Since the departure hall is a duty-free zone, all retail transactions and services there are duty- and tax-free.

Video: 3 Tips Kung Gusto Mong Pumunta sa Iceland ll Alamin kung Ano Ito

In this video, a Filipino couple shares three tips in going to Iceland. Watch the video above for more information.

welkieandmerry

Frequently Asked Questions

For more information about job searching in Iceland for Filipinos, check the commonly asked questions below.

1. Is it easy to find work in Iceland?

Iceland has been named the country where foreigners feel the most welcome. The job market is always looking for new people in many fields, and most of the people there speak English. If you’re thinking about moving to Iceland, don’t pass up the chance to find your dream job here.

2. How many work days in Iceland?

From 2015 to 2019, Iceland ran the world’s biggest test of a 35- to 36-hour workweek instead of the usual 40 hours, and no one asked for a pay cut to match.

3. How are workers treated in Iceland?

Workers in Iceland rely on unions and collective bargaining to set fair wages and working conditions. However, an employer and employee can agree on the terms of employment as a group. The employee still has the right to ask for more time to talk or more money.

4. How long do you have to live in Iceland to become a citizen?

You can apply for Icelandic citizenship after living there for seven years and having a legal place of residence there.

5. Can I live in Iceland without knowing Icelandic?

Even though Icelandic is the official language, about 98% of Icelanders speak English well, so knowing English is enough to start a new life in Iceland. If you are not a native speaker, keep in mind that you must be fluent if you want to do anything other than clean the house or wash the dishes.

Summary

This article shows the requirements and steps you need to take in order to land a job in Iceland. Aside from reading this how-to guide, there is one more important thing — for you to take the first step. So, what are you waiting for? Start your job search now!