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Unemployment

I just lost my job, what are the rules on unemployment benefits?

If you gave notice yourself you do not qualify for unemployment benefits until after 40 days. If you were laid off, you need verification from your employer that he terminated your employment. When you're not getting salary any more you register with the Directorate of Labour (DOL) office in your municipality, in Reykjavík at Engjateigur 11, and hand in your tax card. You're entitled to benefits according to how long have been working for the past 12 months and whether you were working full time or not.



People getting unemployment benefits must do active job hunting, be able to work and ready to take a job anywhere in Iceland. Between the 20th and the 25th of every month you have to verify that you're still looking for a job. Verifications can be made from the DOL website www.vinnumalastofnun.is/atvinnuleysistryggingasjodur.  You also have to fill out a form on your estimated income with your service provider and to hand in pay slips or receipts of other payments every month. If you do not hand in the relevant documents all payments to you will be terminated and you wont get paid until the next pay day after you hand in the relevant documents to the DOL.  You have to notify the DOL if you get a job or stop your job hunting for; health reasons, studying, parental leave, illness or other reasons. To get a E303 cartificate to bring back to your home country or another EEA country, you first must have received unemployment benefits for 4 weeks in Iceland and not to have refused a job. If you're entitled to income related benefits you get basic benefits for the first 10 days and income related benefits for the next 65 days (some longer). After that time you get basic benefits. Income related benefits are 70% of your average income total during a six month period ending two months before you lost your job. If you have dependent children under 18 you're entitled to 4% of full benefits for each child. The payment period for unemployment benefits is from the 20th of each month until he 19th of the next month and the benefits are paid to you the 1st of each month. Unemployment benefits are paid for all days except Saturdays or Sundays. People with work permits do not qualify for unemployment benefits until they have obtained unlimited work permit in Iceland. Further information may be found www.vmst.is , www.asi.is and www.efling.is

 


Forsíða English FAQ Unemployment I just lost my job, what are the rules on unemployment benefits?