No, Iceland is not paying men to move to Iceland and marry Icelandic women

Iceland is an island country located in the North Atlantic. Recently, Google Trends have shown an uptick in people searching about how to move to the country. 

A Facebook post claims Iceland is paying men $50,000 a month to move to the country and marry Icelandic women “due to the lack of men.” A viral video also spread the same claim on Facebook in 2018. 

THE QUESTION

Is Iceland paying men to move to Iceland and marry Icelandic women?

THE SOURCES

• Government of Iceland

• Iceland Directorate of Immigration 

• A Press Officer for the Iceland Ministry for Foreign Affairs

THE ANSWER

No, Iceland is not paying men to move to the country and marry Icelandic women.

WHAT WE FOUND

Iceland is not paying people to move to Iceland and marry Icelandic women, the Government of Iceland confirmed.

A “frequently asked questions” article on the Government of Iceland website directly addresses claims that Iceland pays men to marry Icelandic women. 

“There is no truth to this rumour, this is a hoax,” the government said.

“Iceland is not paying people to move to the country,” a Press Officer for the Iceland Ministry for Foreign Affairs also confirmed to VERIFY. 

This rumor has been circulating online on dubious websites and through unfounded social media posts for at least seven years, as the claim was also debunked back in 2016 and 2018. 

The hoax is typically spread through online articles or social media posts. Each time, the details of the alleged payment change. For example, one social media video from 2018 claimed the Iceland government would pay $5,000 per month plus housing and free beer. 

The posts usually cite population differences between women and men in Iceland as a reason to incentivize men to move to the country. But data from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency shows there’s approximately 500 more men than women in Iceland.

For those who are interested in legitimately moving to Iceland, the process involves obtaining a valid residence permit. The requirements for getting a residence permit depend on the reason for travel. 

Travel purposes that are typically granted consideration include work or school-related reasons, volunteer work or plans to join a family member in the country, according to Iceland’s Directorate of Immigration.