The Faroe Islands, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, is responsible for both immigration and integration processes. The responsibility of processing permit applications started on 1 September, 2024, and the new Integration Act came into effect on 1 July 2025 (New to Denmark, 2024) (Personal communications, 2025).
Working through the Immigration Office and operating under the Ministry of Justice, the Integration Authority is the main body responsible for coordinating immigration and integration efforts (Útlendingastovan, n.d.). It conducts mandatory integration consultations with immigrants (Løgmálaráðið, 2024) and provides information on migrants’ rights and responsibilities. The Immigration Office also promotes integration by collaborating with other actors, including municipalities, public authorities, and institutions. By 1 of July 2026, each municipality – either individually or in co-operation with others – must appoint an integration coordinator tasked with organising regular meetings with immigrants and coordinating these efforts with the Immigration Office (Løgmálaráðið, 2024). Municipalities are generally in charge of providing local services and social integration measures.
The Faroese national Integration Act was adopted in 2024 and entered into force on 1 July 2025, with additional provisions taking effect on 1 January and 1 July 2026 (Løgmálaráðið, 2024). These include a civic orientation course for newcomers, a course on parenthood, a health visit for children by a nurse, and Faroese language courses for adults and children of different ages (Ministry of Justice, 2024a) (Personal communications, 2025). The Act also places special emphasis on migrants with children under 18, requiring them to attend an integration consultation shortly after arrival, regardless of their permit type. This is the first formal integration law of the Faroe Islands formerly characterised by uncoordinated solutions. With an increasing arrival of migrants and limited human resources in the Faroe Islands, the Integration Act introduced a comprehensive framework outlining migrant rights and responsibilities, defining migrant categories, and establishing the Integration Authority. It also outlines the roles of municipalities in the integration process (Løgmálaráðið, 2024). The Act aims to provide consistent information to migrants, promote language acquisition and knowledge of Faroese culture and society, support labour market integration, and improve the well-being of newcomers.
The Integration Act divides migrants into three categories: (1) labour migrants and accompanying family members who have a residence permit for employment purposes, (2) individuals who have a residence permit under the rules on family reunification, and (3) displaced persons from Ukraine, despite the Faroe Islands not being bound by the European Temporary Protection Directive, TPD (Løgmálaráðið, 2024). Protection seekers from Ukraine are legally defined in the same way as in Denmark (see section about Denmark).
All migrants who apply for a permanent residence permit in the Faroe Islands are required to have participated in one integration consultation. However, follow-up consultations are now considered for those who express the need for them (Personal communications, 2025). In addition, a course in Faroese as a second language is offered (700–1,200 hours depending on language proficiency), and a civic orientation course is also planned as of 2025. All courses are offered free of charge (Løgmálaráðið, 2024).