Great Britain’s official exit from the European Union on Friday night won’t have any immediate ramifications for Icelanders who have settled in the country, Vísir reports. Nevertheless, authorities have urged Icelanders intending to remain in the UK after that time to take steps to secure residence permits in advance.
British Ambassador Michael Nevin has stressed that for the time being at least, nothing has really changed; the UK will still abide by European Union laws and regulations until December 31, 2020. He also noted that Icelandic tourists to the UK will be able to enter the country as usual until the same date. “There will be some new regulations after that,” he said, “but Britain will remain open to Icelanders.”
Icelanders who live in the UK now and intend to remain in 2021 and beyond are reminded, however, to apply for a ‘settled status’ residence permit. It’s estimated that 2-3,000 Icelanders live in the UK and thus far, 1,100 have applied for settled status. Stefán Haukur Jóhannesson, Iceland’s ambassador in London, says the deadline is June 30, but urges Icelanders not to wait til the last minute. “It’s not hard to do—there’s an app,” he remarked.
Iceland and UK both “free trade-minded”
Minister for Foreign Affairs Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson says the next step will be for Iceland to establish new agreements with the UK. Trade and business will be foremost among Iceland’s priorities when negotiating, particularly as regards the fishing industry.
“One of the things we’ve placed an emphasis on is having better access than we currently do via EEA agreements when it comes to marine products,” remarked Guðlaugur. “Because although our current access is good, we’re still not talking about a total absence of customs duties.”
The outlook for favourable trade arrangements with the UK currently seems good for Iceland. For one, both Iceland and the UK are “free trade-minded” says Ambassador Nevin. “We don’t like customs duties and have a high regard for the values of the free market. Which is why we want a trade agreement that doesn’t create any obstacles between us.”
