Step 1 – Registration
After you have submitted an asylum application, the Directorate of Immigration will register it. Within the Directorate of Immigration, the Asylum Unit will assess which country is responsible for processing your asylum application, per Dublin regulation. Upon registration, you will receive a certificate of applicant of international protection from the registering authority. It is important that you keep these documents in a safe place and that you always carry a copy of them with you.
➡️You can find on Island.is the contact details of the Directorate of Immigration.
If Iceland is responsible for handling your asylum application, the specialised officers of the Asylum Unit within the Directorate of Immigration will proceed with the assessment of your asylum application. The Directorate of Immigration will initiate the procedure, which generally takes up to 6 months.
After your application has been registered, you will have asylum-seeker status until a final decision is made. As an asylum-seeker, you will be placed in an accommodation centre. In exceptional cases, the court may authorise your detention.
Step 2 – Interview
You will be given the opportunity to explain the reasons for seeking asylum in Iceland during an individual interview. The asylum interview is a very important step in the asylum procedure.
During the interview, you have an opportunity to provide as much information as possible in support of your asylum application and present all available documents in support of your asylum claim.
It is important to give a full account of what happened to you and what you fear if you are returned to your country of origin. You can safely disclose any specific needs and may request an interpreter if you need one.
The Icelandic authorities will not share any of the information you provide during your application for asylum (documents, records during asylum interview with you) with your home country or anyone else.
