Work and Travel in Faroe Islands

VOLUNTEER AND PAID WORK OPPORTUNITIES IN FAROE ISLANDS FOR TRAVELLERS

The Faroe Islands are a set of islands to the west of Norway and to the far north of the UK. They’re remote, relatively untouched, and known for a near unlimited amount of nature. If you love the great outdoors then work and travel on the Faroe Islands is for you.

Go where few people have with our travel guide to the Faroe Islands. You’ll find out about some of the work you can partake in and how you can extend your time here.

1. Conserve Whales on the Faroe Islands

Everyone has heard about the stories regarding the Faroe Islands and the massacre of the whales that happens each year. But that doesn’t mean you can’t help with the charities trying to protect the whales.

All you need is the motivation to help to join these volunteer opportunities on the Faroe Islands. It can be difficult to secure these positions, but if you do you’ll be helping conservationists to protect the whales and to make sure that as many of them are kept safe as possible.

It also helps that this is one of the best whale spotting destinations on the planet.

2. Work on a Farm on the Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands holds the distinction of having one of the smallest capitals in the world. Unsurprisingly, most of the population lives in small villages and on farms.

This is why you can position yourself within a homestay and enjoy getting to know the locals. It’s relatively easy work, but it does involve long hours and a willingness to involve yourself in the family environment.

3. Help with Renovations on the Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands is not a rich part of the world. Most people are used to managing things themselves. This includes construction and renovation work.

If you’re handy, you could find yourself working in a home in the rural areas of the Faroe Islands. You don’t need to be an experienced housebuilder to find this type of work.

For example, you may be good at painting and decorating. Alternatively, you may be an artist who can paint cool murals.

Anyone with some manual skills will be able to find work on the Faroe Islands.

VOLUNTEER WORK VISA / PERMIT REQUIREMENTS FOR FAROE ISLANDS

Travel on the Faroe Islands isn’t as a difficult as you might think because the Faroe Islands is an autonomous region of Denmark. For more info click here.

Technically, a Faroese visa does exist (and it’s not valid for visiting Denmark), but the Faroe Islands have an open border with the Schengen Area, so in practice all you need is a permit to enter the Schengen Area and you can travel on the Faroe Islands.

All Nordic citizens can enter the Faroe Islands with a national ID card, and they can stay for any purpose for as long as they like. For more info click here. The same goes for all EU citizens because they are already part of the Schengen Area.

US, Canadian, Mexican, South Korean, Japanese, Australian, and Kiwi citizens can only stay for 90 days in every 180 days in the whole of the Schengen Area. This does leave a bit of a grey area because the Faroe Islands are not technically part of the Schengen Area but has an agreement where there are no border checks.

In theory, you could work and travel on the Faroe Islands without eating into the length of your permit, but it’s not within the spirit of the rules. However, nobody is going to check because there’s no border control.

Russians, Chinese, and South Africans need to apply for a Schengen visa from an embassy in advance of beginning their journey to the Faroe Islands.

SEASONAL BACKPACKER SKILLS NEEDED IN FAROE ISLANDS

SPRING WORK

What shocks many is how mild temperatures in the Faroe Islands are throughout the year. You can experience all four seasons in one day because of how quickly the weather can change.

But spring is an ideal time to travel on the Faroe Islands because of the long daylight hours. Spring also sees relatively mild temperatures, so joining a homestay and working on construction projects should be at the top of your list.

SUMMER JOBS

The summer season is without a doubt the best time to work and travel on the Faroe Islands. The days are incredibly long and it rarely gets dark. In June, the days can be as long as 19 hours.

For this reason, farming work is an ideal project. These volunteering opportunities in the Faroe Islands are available in abundance. The locals always need help on both short-term and long-term farming projects.

You’ll have the chance to connect with locals and find out more about Faroese culture in the process.

This is also the time when the pilot whales reach the islands. As well as being the traditional whaling season, it’s also a great time to involve yourself in conservation projects. You’ll have the chance to explore the coastline and protect these creatures.

AUTUMN

You should refer back to the ‘Spring’ section of this article to find out more about the things you can do throughout autumn.

Take note daylight hours tend to get shorter in autumn.

WINTER

We don’t recommend work and travel on the Faroe Islands in winter. Days can be as short as four to five hours, which makes the majority of projects impossible.

Some homestay projects are available, but those Faroese who can usually take their holidays in winter to avoid the depressing conditions.

ATTITUDE TO FOREIGNERS WORKING OR VOLUNTEERING IN FAROE ISLANDS

The Faroese are a rugged people and can come off as cold at times. But tourists are so rare that if you happen to work on the Faroe Islands you’ll be largely welcomed.

Indulge in the culture and show an interest in their way of life and you’ll see how warm the locals can be. Just make sure you’re prepared for the weather changes and the differences in daylight hours.

Do you have what it takes to work on the Faroe Islands?