Leaving the Faroe Islands

You have to report your departure to the National Registration Office (Landsfólkayvirlitið) if:

• you will be gone for more than six months. Please note that if you return to Faroe Islands on holiday during your stay abroad, this will not count as reregistering, and can therefore not be subtracted from your total period abroad.
• you are gone for less than six months and you sublet or hire out your residence while you are gone. This is also called giving up the right of disposal.

You must notify the local municipality of your departure.

In Tórshavn you can contact the Citizen Services Centre (Snarskivan):

Snarskivan

Vaglið 11
100 Tórshavn

Tel. +298 30 20 10
torshavn@torshavn.fo    

When you move to a different country and deregister from the Faroese National Civil Register (fólkayvirlitið), you will lose your rights to social security services in the Faroe Islands.

It is therefore wise to check which social rights you are entitled to in the country you are moving to.

When you leave the Faroe Islands, your job and your place of residence will determine where you will be paying income taxes.
You are recommended to call the Faroese Tax Agency (TAKS) on tel. +298 35 26 00 once you have left the Faroe Islands and deregistered from the Faroese National Civil Register (fólkayvirlitið).

TAKS may possibly be able to instantly determine your tax liability and let you know which documents you need to submit to TAKS in connection with your departure from the Faroe Islands.

Before leaving the Faroe Islands, you need notify your children’s school, after-school centre, kindergarten, nursery or other care arrangements that you are going to leave. Many institutions demand a written notice, and the notice is commonly required at least two months in advance.

Some municipalities also allow you to deregister from municipal childcare services digitally. Most of the online self-services are in Faroese, but you can always get help to fill in forms at the local citizen service centre.

In Tórshavn Municipality you can deregister via the digital self-service BARN, which you can access via the link below. You will need MínLykil in order to log in:

Childcare digital self-service (new window)

Please remember always to read your meters before you move and inform your electricity and heating provider of your consumption. Otherwise you will be held responsible for the consumption until the next resident registers as a consumer, which may result in an increased bill.

If you have a Faroese bank account, you should notify the bank of your relocation and ask about the possibilities of keeping your account open for approximately one year in case you receive reimbursements, e.g. for utilities or taxes.

The Faroese Tax Agency (TAKS) recommends that you do not cancel your Faroese bank account until after you have received your holiday allowance in the beginning of May.

Similarly, you should contact your insurance company to ask about your insurance coverage in connection with the relocation and to terminate your insurances.

Tenants usually pay a deposit at the beginning of the lease of a rental apartment or house. The deposit functions as a security for the landlord to cover the cost of repairs of any non-regular wear and tear.

When you move you will usually be asked to leave the rental place in the same condition as you received it, and you will often be in charge of cleaning and painting. It is a good idea to write a formal agreement with your landlord at the start of your tenancy including pictures of repairs that are needed before you move into your rental accommodation.

When you move you will be entitled to a reimbursement of the deposit minus cost of repairs. Any surplus of utilities that you have paid in advance will also be reimbursed. The amount of the deposit spent on covering repairs will usually be settled personally between the tenants and the landlord.

You are entitled to have your holiday allowance paid out even if you leave the Faroe Islands or stop working for a Faroese employer without taking a holiday.

The Faroese Tax Agency (TAKS) recommends that you do not cancel your Faroese bank account until after your holiday allowance has been paid in the beginning of May.