Living in the Faroe Islands: What a French National Should Know Before Settling

The Faroe Islands comprise 18 mountainous islands with an area of 1,399 km², halfway between Scotland and Iceland; seventeen of them are inhabited (Faroese government). According to the statistical institute Hagstova Føroya, the population exceeds 55,000 inhabitants, with more than 40% of residents in the municipality of Tórshavn, the capital.

The status is that of a country of the Kingdom of Denmark: France Diplomatie reminds us that the Kingdom comprises Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, and that the latter have never joined the European Union. The French Embassy in Copenhagen is responsible for the Faroe Islands. The Faroese government specifies that the archipelago exercises internal and external autonomy, with its own competence over many areas, including taxation, social security, culture and education; immigration and border control are among the areas that remain a Danish responsibility. In practice, a French national living in Denmark and a French national living in the Faroe Islands have neither the same residence permit, nor the same health system, nor the same tax regime: a Danish residence permit does not allow you to reside in the Faroe Islands, and vice versa (EURAXESS).

The page Health insurance in the Faroe Islands details the cover framework; to compare with the neighbouring Kingdom, see living in Denmark.

• A very dynamic job market: the statistical institute counts about 30,000 employees, a steady rise, and registered unemployment remains very low, which opens access to the scheme reserved for EU citizens (see working in the Faroe Islands).
• A complete public system: all residents are affiliated to the national health insurance Heilsutrygd, and schooling is free for all (Faroese government).
• Demanding nature: France Diplomatie flags weather conditions that can change very quickly, with dense fog and strong winds; marked trails should be preferred, especially along the coast and near cliffs.
• An administrative framework to anticipate: residence and work permit, p-tal number, bank account and insurance are prepared from the moment you leave France. The expat health cover should be chosen before departure, as the European Health Insurance Card cannot be used.
• A distinct language community: Faroese is the official language; Danish is understood by practically everyone, and most inhabitants communicate in English (EURAXESS).

Tórshavn concentrates the administration, the main public hospital (Landssjúkrahúsið), educational institutions including ten public schools and two private schools for compulsory education, and an upper secondary school (EURAXESS). Hagstova Føroya indicates that the municipality recorded the strongest population growth in the archipelago over the period observed.

Klaksvík, in the north-east, has a public hospital and an upper secondary school; it is also the address of Heilsutrygd. Suðuroy, in the south, has a public hospital in Tvøroyri and an upper secondary school; registered unemployment there is higher than in the other regions, notably than in Norðoyggjar and Sandoy (Hagstova Føroya). The upper secondary schools in Vestmanna and Kambsdalur complete the upper secondary education offer; the municipality of Vágar also publishes welcome information in English for newcomers.

Lists of general practitioners are organised by area: the archipelago is divided into nine primary care areas (læknadømi). The choice of place of residence therefore determines the local doctor and the distance to the nearest hospital.

The currency is the Faroese krona: Danmarks Nationalbank prints Faroese banknotes, exchanged at par with Danish banknotes; the coins are those of Denmark. Faroese banknotes are not valid legal tender in Denmark. To convert a price, use the ECB reference rate for the Danish krone, which varies daily. No official comparison of the cost of living between France and the Faroe Islands was read for this page: price trends are tracked by the consumer price index of Hagstova Føroya.

Renting: the official EURAXESS portal describes a limited rental market, where properties to let are often part of a family’s house. Rent depends on location, size and standard, with no official figure published on this page. Electricity and heating are generally billed separately. The landlord usually asks for a deposit of up to three months’ rent, returned if the property is handed back in the same condition. A written contract is compulsory under the Faroese tenancy law, and notice is three months if the landlord occupies the same house, five months otherwise.

Buying: transactions mostly go through estate agents; Faroese banks finance purchases. The State refunds 35% of mortgage interest for a main residence. An average house in Tórshavn costs around DKK 4 million (about €550,000), houses outside Tórshavn being cheaper (EURAXESS). A Faroese bank account requires the p-tal number; deposits up to DKK 750,000 per person are guaranteed by a guarantee fund.

For a stay of less than three months, a French national enters with a valid passport or national ID card (France Diplomatie; the ministry recommends a passport). Beyond three months, the Faroese government specifies that EU citizens need a residence and work permit, free movement rules not applying. The categories published by the immigration office (Útlendingastovan) include notably the work permit, family reunification, higher education and the permanent residence permit.

For an employee who is an EU citizen, a specific scheme applies as long as unemployment stays below 3.5%: with a pre-approved employer, employment can start as soon as the employer has notified the hiring; with a non-pre-approved employer, the permit is required before work starts (normal processing time of three months according to the office). The permit is issued for one year at most, renewable before expiry. The spouse or partner and children under 18 living in the household may be authorised to accompany the holder.

After obtaining the permit, you must register with the municipality to obtain the identity number (p-tal), essential for opening a bank account, receiving a taxed salary and accessing social and health services. The permit can lapse in case of prolonged absence: for a person who has lived lawfully for less than two years, absence must not exceed six consecutive months, and time spent in Denmark or Greenland counts as time abroad (EURAXESS). Permanent residence is available after seven consecutive years on a work or study permit (immigration office). An assistance contract or international health insurance remains useful until affiliation to Heilsutrygd is effective.

Education is compulsory for at least nine years, from around age seven; primary school and the first cycle of secondary school (Fólkaskúlin) cover these nine years and an optional tenth year. All schooling is free, and the language of instruction is Faroese: children whose mother tongue is different receive additional Faroese lessons, and the Tórshavn evening school offers a free Faroese class for ages 8 to 16 (EURAXESS).

Upper secondary school lasts three years and exists in five towns (Tórshavn, Klaksvík, Kambsdalur, Vestmanna, Suðuroy), with mathematics, languages, technical, commercial or natural resources streams. The University of the Faroe Islands has five faculties. Municipalities organise childcare: crèches for ages 0 to 3 and kindergartens for ages 3 to 6, with registration on a waiting list possible one week after birth; a child born abroad without a p-tal number can obtain one if one of the parents already has one. Childcare is paid, with reduced rates for families with several children in care. No French school or international upper secondary school appears in the official sources consulted for this page; the French Embassy in Denmark, responsible for the Faroe Islands, can advise on the situation of French families. See also expat family insurance.

The France Diplomatie safety section on Denmark indicates a normal level of vigilance. For the Faroe Islands, it recommends staying on marked trails, especially along the coast and near cliffs, equipping yourself accordingly and allowing for weather that can change very quickly, with dense fog and strong winds. It notes that sea rescue resources are limited in the polar and subpolar waters around the Faroe Islands and Greenland and that they might not intervene in time for a cruise ship in difficulty. The emergency number is 112.

The official language is Faroese, a Nordic language descended from the speech of the Norse settlers. Danish is spoken and written by practically all inhabitants and most people communicate in English, so everyday procedures are possible without Faroese, even though learning the language makes integration easier. The “Faroese as a second language for adults” programme is free, in four levels, in Tórshavn, Kambsdalur, Vágar and Suðuroy (EURAXESS). The contacts of the French Embassy in Copenhagen (responsible for the Faroe Islands) are on the France Diplomatie website; registration on the roll of French nationals living abroad is done with it.