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Practical guide / official sources

Iceland Working Holiday for Chileans (2026)

Iceland’s Working Holiday route is a residence permit: check Chilean-passport requirements, funds and application steps, then plan your trip and Icelandic preparation.

Governments can change visa requirements at any time. Always check the official government pages before applying.

Iceland at a glance

Age when applying
18–30 inclusiveLearn moreReferences: 2 6
Annual quota
Quota to confirmLearn moreReferences: 1 2 6
Application dates
Original paper applicationLearn moreReferences: 1 2
Language requirement
No test listed · certified translationsLearn moreReferences: 2 3
Length of stay
Up to 12 months · renewal is separateLearn moreReferences: 4 5
Permit cost
ISK 40,000 for ChileansLearn moreReferences: 1
Funds for your stay
Minimum ISK 259,951 monthly · 3 monthsLearn moreReferences: 2 3
Passport and residence
Chilean passport · cultural exchangeLearn moreReferences: 2 3 6

Content reviewed by the site owner; check current requirements in the official sources. The annual quota remains to be confirmed; no remaining-place count or current availability is shown.

Traveler beside the water, with shoreline scenery in the background.

Iceland Working Holiday for Chileans (2026)

Requirements, application steps and preparation for your trip.

Step 1

Check requirements and plan my Icelandic preparation

Age when applying

The Chilean section requires ages 18–30 inclusive when submitting. Prepare to file before turning 31; printing a form is not submitting it. Age alone does not establish the other requirements.

References: 2 6

Passport and residence

Prepare a passport valid at least ninety days beyond the requested permit, with legible identity and signature-page copies. The purpose is cultural experience. For an initial application, the Chilean section requires no previous grant of this permit; renewal follows a separate process. No accompanying dependants under the agreement.

References: 2 3 6

Language requirement

The consulted checklist lists no English or Icelandic test for this category. Spanish documents require certified translation into English, Icelandic or another accepted Nordic language. Check authentication requirements for translations produced outside Iceland. Language expectations for work or study vary.

References: 2 3

Explore Icelandic courses →

Other requirements

Prepare the original application, receipt, photo, passport copies, residence-country criminal certificate no more than twelve months old, insurance, funds and return evidence. Chileans need a sworn purpose declaration. The criminal-certificate copy does not routinely require legal authentication, but an authenticated original may be requested. Spanish documents and their translations must meet official rules; confirm translation authentication.

References: 2 3

Language courses · commercial service

Prepare your language skills before travelling.

Through ViveCampus, you can get quotes for language courses with international-student discounts. Offers may vary by your country of origin and destination. Request a personalized quote to confirm available discounts and the final price. Booking a course does not guarantee a visa.

Step 2

Apply for the Working Holiday permit

Annual quota

No numeric annual quota has been established in this research. That does not mean unlimited places or confirmed availability. Check Immigration guidance before arranging your application.

References: 1 2 6

Application dates

Submit the paper application or send it by post to Immigration in Iceland. No 2027 annual opening or specific filing deadline has been established here. Allow time for documents and delivery; filing does not extend permitted visitor time.

References: 1 2

Permit cost

The application costs ISK 40,000 for Chilean citizens. Include the receipt and follow official payment instructions; unpaid applications are returned. The listed Japanese exemption does not apply to a Chilean passport.

References: 1

Decision timing

The authority publishes changing type-specific waiting information. No guaranteed time for an initial Chilean Working Holiday has been established here; renewal averages are not promises for first applications. Check the official page and allow time for further evidence and post-approval steps.

References: 7

How to prepare your application

  1. Read the Chilean requirements and obtain the current application through Immigration. Prepare the sworn purpose declaration, your support evidence and return travel. This is not a complete online application.
  2. Gather the photo, passport copies, criminal certificate, insurance and original bank-certified statements. Check Spanish-document translations and their authentication; an online bank printout does not replace bank certification.
  3. Follow official payment instructions and include the receipt. Post the original file to Dalvegur 18, 201 Kópavogur, Iceland, or use the authority’s listed in-person channels. Do not send documents to this website.
  4. Await the decision. If approved, arrange the photo and residence notification, plus a medical examination if applicable. Filing does not extend visitor time or itself allow you to start work.

Sending the file is not approval. Read Immigration’s instructions before making firm financial commitments.

References: 3, 1

Official guidance and application access

Step 3

If my authorisation is issued

Wait for the written decision before committing to flights or study. If issued an authorisation, check its entry dates and all conditions.

Length of stay

The initial permit may last up to one year. Chileans can apply to renew for up to another year; two years are not granted automatically. Complete the photo, residence notification and medical examination if applicable within ninety days of approval so the permit can be issued. Follow decision dates and avoid absences over three consecutive months, which can cause revocation.

References: 4 5

Step 4

Get ready for my trip

My preparation checklist

Tick off what you have reviewed and use the links to return to anything still to do.

Tasks to organize your trip
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A personal planning aid; ticking the list does not confirm visa eligibility. Your ticks are not saved or sent. Reloading this page starts the list again.

Funds for your stay

Evidence support for three months from permit issue at a minimum of ISK 259,951 per month on the consulted page, plus return travel. For own funds, provide an original bank-certified statement and money accessible during the stay; an online-banking printout is insufficient. The requirements section rejects third-party support and cash as satisfactory evidence. Recheck the amount before filing.

References: 2 3

Insurance throughout your stay

Immigration requires insurance valid in Iceland with at least ISK 2,000,000 cover for at least three months from legal-domicile registration, followed by national insurance according to its guidance. Chile recommends medical, hospital and repatriation cover throughout the stay. Prepare full-trip cover while confirming the national-insurance transition; approval alone does not activate it.

References: 2 6

Flights and return travel

Include a return ticket copy or funds to buy one. Filing does not extend the Schengen visitor allowance of ninety days in one hundred and eighty. Await the decision, then arrange the photo, residence notification and medical examination if applicable; tourist entry is not work permission.

References: 1 3 5

Step 5

Start my Working Holiday in Iceland

Working during the stay

The permit includes work authorisation and allows employer changes without another work-permit application. Do not confuse this right with a pending application or tourist entry. It confers no family-reunification right and is not a basis for permanent residence.

References: 4

Icelandic or other study

No Chile-specific study limit has been established here. Before paying for Icelandic or another course, confirm with Immigration and the school whether its duration and format fit your permit. Australia’s and Hungary’s study limits are not imported into Iceland.

References: 2 4

Explore Icelandic courses →

Arrival formalities and conditions

  1. Distinguish approval from issuance

    Approval notification does not complete permit issuance. Follow the entry instructions received and arrange photo, address and any medical step before treating the card as issued.

    References: 10

  2. Attend the photo appointment and notify residence

    Book the photo appointment with the Directorate of Immigration, or arrange it with a district commissioner outside the capital area, bringing your passport. Also submit the required residence notification.

    References: 10

  3. Complete a medical examination where applicable

    If your case requires a medical examination, complete it within two weeks of arrival. The authority warns that failure to complete photo, residence notification or an applicable examination within ninety days of grant prevents issuance. Do not confuse these deadlines.

    References: 10

  4. Follow card and national identification steps

    Once conditions are met the permit is issued and the card ordered; follow the collection notice. Immigration requests legal-domicile registration from Registers Iceland, which assigns the kennitala. The initial notification does not replace this sequence.

    References: 10

Your first days in Iceland

A starting point for planning, not a promise of a job or accommodation. Check your visa conditions before working or studying.

  1. Give yourself time to settle in

    Plan the route to your accommodation and keep the address available offline. Allow time to rest, get to know the area and adjust your budget to your actual expenses.

    Return to my preparation checklist →
  2. Prepare for your job search

    Update your CV in Icelandic and practise a short introduction about your experience. Read what each role asks for and prepare for interview questions. Icelandic expectations vary between jobs.

    Explore Icelandic preparation →
  3. Keep support contacts handy

    Keep the consular contact for the area where you will stay, along with your accommodation details. If you will study, ask the school what arrival guidance it provides.

    View consular contacts →

If your plans change, review the costs, dates and relevant conditions before making new bookings.

Also compare Australia

Review each destination separately. Age, insurance and study conditions differ; an age filter does not decide whether you can obtain a visa.

Read the Australia guide → · Compare other destinations →

Frequently asked questions

How are funds for the first months demonstrated?

Evidence support for three months from permit issue at a minimum of ISK 259,951 per month on the consulted page, plus return travel. For own funds, provide an original bank-certified statement and money accessible during the stay; an online-banking printout is insufficient. The requirements section rejects third-party support and cash as satisfactory evidence. Recheck the amount before filing.

References: 2 3

Why is whole-stay cover recommended?

Immigration requires insurance valid in Iceland with at least ISK 2,000,000 cover for at least three months from legal-domicile registration, followed by national insurance according to its guidance. Chile recommends medical, hospital and repatriation cover throughout the stay. Prepare full-trip cover while confirming the national-insurance transition; approval alone does not activate it.

References: 2 6

Is emailing an application enough?

Submit the paper application or send it by post to Immigration in Iceland. No 2027 annual opening or specific filing deadline has been established here. Allow time for documents and delivery; filing does not extend permitted visitor time.

References: 1 2

Is renewal part of the first application?

The initial permit may last up to one year. Chileans can apply to renew for up to another year; two years are not granted automatically. Complete the photo, residence notification and medical examination if applicable within ninety days of approval so the permit can be issued. Follow decision dates and avoid absences over three consecutive months, which can cause revocation.

References: 4 5

Can I change employers with the permit?

The permit includes work authorisation and allows employer changes without another work-permit application. Do not confuse this right with a pending application or tourist entry. It confers no family-reunification right and is not a basis for permanent residence.

References: 4

When do I need certified translations?

The consulted checklist lists no English or Icelandic test for this category. Spanish documents require certified translation into English, Icelandic or another accepted Nordic language. Check authentication requirements for translations produced outside Iceland. Language expectations for work or study vary.

References: 2 3

Useful contacts for your trip

Authorities and consular support

Submit the paper application to Immigration through its official channels. Confirm the address and instructions before sending; do not send personal documents to this website.

Iceland’s Directorate of Immigration receives the application. Chile’s consular office in Oslo, Norway, also serves Iceland; it is not located in Iceland and does not process the Icelandic permit.

Iceland Directorate of Immigration · applications and guidance

Dalvegur 18, 201 Kópavogur, Iceland

Official contact
Chilean consular support in Oslo

Official sources

Independent information. We are not a government agency and do not provide immigration or legal advice. Confirm current rules and availability with the issuing authority.

Source research recorded on 15 October 2026. This is not a human-verification date. Check current requirements and instructions on the official government pages before applying.

Official guidance for Chileans

  1. Islandia · Solicitud Working Holiday y arancel
  2. Islandia · Requisitos, Chile y fondos
  3. Islandia · Documentos de respaldo
  4. Islandia · Derechos y renovación
  5. Islandia · Pasos tras la aprobación
  6. Chile · Acuerdo con Islandia
  7. Islandia · Orientación sobre tiempos de tramitación
  8. Chile · Sección Consular en Oslo
  9. Chile · Circunscripción del consulado en Oslo
  10. Iceland · WH permit issuance

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