Family

The Faroe Islands are considered to be a family-friendly society with a safe and peaceful environment and generous child and parental benefits and child care provision.

Spouses

The accompanying spouse or cohabiting partner of a foreign researcher with a work permit in the Faroe Islands is free to take on any job position.

Occupation

Job vacancies can be found in the local newspapers or in the Employment Registry . Everyone with a Faroese ID-number is also free to post his or her CV in this registry. In some cases the research institutes may assist with finding a job position for the accompanying spouse.

Another option for the accompanying spouse will be to study.

Parental leave

Parents are entitled to paid leave for a total of 52 weeks after the child is born.

Mothers have the right to paid leave 4 weeks before childbirth and 14 weeks after birth. Fathers and co-mothers have the right to paid leave for 4 weeks.

On top of that the parents are entitled to paid leave for 34 more weeks that they can divide between them as they wish.

Academic employees receive normal salary from their employer for the entire parental leave period.

Parental Leave Fund

Employees who do not have the right to paid parental leave from their employer may be eligibile to parental allowance from the Parental Leave Fund. The allowance is based on the average salary received during the last 12 months prior to giving birth. The grant cannot exceed DKK 25,000 per month.

For Nordic citizens income earned in another Nordic country counts as basis for grant from the Parental Leave Fund.

Parental Leave Fund

Child health care

Health services during pregnancy and childbirth and health services for children up to the end of school age (16-17 years) are free of charge.

Children´s nurses

Children’s nurses examine the children in their home regularly up to the age of 18 months. If the child or the family has special needs, the nurse´s home visits can continue up to school age.

Foreigners moving to the Faroe Islands with small children must contact the children´s nurse in order to receive home visits.

Gigni (in Faroese)

Medical checks

General Practitioners provide medical checks up to the age of 5 and vaccinations according to a vaccination programme.

School nurses

School nurses provide regular medical checks and personal interviews as well as parental guidance and information.

Day care

The municipalities provide day care for children.

Children can be registered on a waiting list for day care one week after birth. Children who are born outside the Faroe Islands and do not have a Faroese Civil Registration Number, can book a place at day care or after-school care if at least one of the parents has a Faroese Registration Number.

Nurseries and kindergarten

Day care for children up to school age is provided in nurseries for children up to 3 years and in kindergarten from children from 3 to 6 years. Some children attend day care in private homes.

Children with special needs can receive specialized pedagogical assistance in the day care centres.

Parents have to pay a fee for day care for their children. In some mucipalities the fee will be reduced if the family has several children in day care.

Tórshavn Municipality - Childcare

After school care

After school care is provided in most municipalities for children up to 3rd grade.

In some municipalities children may attend after-school youth clubs from the ages 13 to 18.

A fee has to be paid for after school care.

Tórshavn Municipality - Childcare

School and Education

The education system in the Faroe Islands is made up of three main levels: elementary school, secondary school, and higher education.

Education is compulsory for at least 9 years, normally beginning at the age of 7.

Faroese is the language of education in all Faroese schools. Children who do not have Faroese as their first language are entitled to extra lessons in Faroese.

The evening school in Tórshavn also has a free Faroese class for children aged 8 to 16 years.

All education in the Faroe Islands is free of charge.

Primary and lower secondary school

Fólkaskúlin is the municipal primary and lower secondary school in the Faroe Islands. Fólkaskúlin offers 9 years of compulsory basic education and an elective 10th year.

In Tórshavn municipality, there are 10 public primary and lower secondary schools, two private schools and one special education school.

Many public elementary schools also offer pre-school classes for six years old children.

Upper secondary school

Students who have completed 9th or 10th grade at lower secondary school or a foreign equivalent degree may attend one of the Faroese upper secondary schools or vocational schools for free.

There are five upper secondary schools in the Faroe Islands - in Tórshavn, Klaksvik, Kambsdalur, Vestmanna and Suðuroy.

Upper secondary school takes three years and provides access to institutions of higher education. Students can choose between a mathematical, a linguistic, a technical, a business, or a natural resources line of study.

Adults who wish to take a higher education can attend a 2 years´ Higher Preparatory course (HF).

It is also possible to take a basic year of commercial or technical study after which the student can either enter an apprenticeship or continue at the school for two more years and pass an examination which provides access to institutions of higher education.

Finally, there are maritime schools in Tórshavn and Klaksvík offering studies to become a shipmaster or a marine engineer. And in Suðuroy there is a college of social and health care offering studies to become a health care assistant or an assistant nurse.

The diplomas awarded by the Faroese secondary schools are equivalent to those awarded in the Danish educational system.

Higher education

Students with upper secondary degrees may apply to attend the University of the Faroe Islands for free, or other universities abroad either for free or at a cost.

The University of the Faroe Islands has five faculties and offers a number of degree programmes.

Bachelor degrees are awarded after three years of study. Master degrees build on bachelor level qualifications and are awarded after two years of study. Ph.D. is a three-year research degree awarded after the defence of a doctoral thesis.