‘Long-term residency,’ defined here as residing and actively participating in the Faroese community for a certain period at some point in one’s life, aims to capture this aspect of long-term connection and integration.

A person is deemed as having long-term residency to the Faroes if he or she has either lived in the Faroes for half their life or for 7 out of 10 consecutive years at some point in their life. 

Figures for long-term residency, determined by analysing address registrations across 10-year periods, are available back to 1995. This initial analysis considered individuals registered in the national register between 1985 and 1994.

Examples:

Below are some examples of how a person may be considered to have long-term residency to the Faroes.

Individuals with long-term residency can have lived in the Faroes either for a continuous period or for multiple shorter periods that cumulatively meet the eligibility criteria. If a person has lived in the Faroes for a total of 7 years during a 10-year period, or half of their life, the person is considered to have long-term residency.

Meeting the ‘7 out of 10 consecutive years’ requirement

• A woman moves to the Faroes to work at the age of 25. Two years later, she decides to move abroad to study. Having completed her studies after three years, she wants to return to the Faroes. She moves to the Faroes and lives and works there for 8 years. Although her initial 2 years are not sufficient to meet the criteria for long-term residency, her two periods in the Faroes amount to 7 out of 10 consecutive years.

• A couple in their twenties moves from the Faroes to Denmark to study. Having lived in the Faroes all their lives prior to leaving, they have long-term residency to the Faroes. During their time in Denmark, they have a child. When the child is 7 and is due to start school, the family moves to the Faroes. The couple still have long-term residency, but the child does not. Seven years later, when the child is 14, it has spent half its life in the Faroes and has also spent 7 out of 10 consecutive years in the Faroes and thus has long-term residency.

• A man moved from Poland to the Faroes 9 years ago. His initial work contract was for 6 months, but he enjoyed his time in the Faroes so much that he extended his contract several times. He is now 36 years old and has lived in the Faroes for 9 years. He thus has long-term residency despite not being born in the Faroes.

• A doctor from Denmark moves to the Faroes to work. After working in the Faroes for 6 years, he moves from the Faroes. But 4 years later, he again gets a job in the Faroes. After 6 years, he resigns from his job and once again leaves the Faroes. Although he lived in the Faroes for 12 years over a 16-year period, he did not meet the eligibility criteria for long-term residency to the Faroes. 

Half a lifetime in the Faroes

Children aged 10 or below are considered as having long-term residency if they have lived in the Faroes for half their lives. A boy is born in the Faroes and lives there with his parents until the age of 4 when his parents decide to move abroad for work. Three years later, the family returns to the Faroes to live. Although the boy is only 7 years old, he has lived half his life in the Faroes and thus has long-term residency to the Faroes.