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jrbowe

@jrbowe

Member

American expat in Iceland

Forum

21 posts

About me

American

Lives in Reykjavik

Speaks English

Registration: 12 November 2008

Activity

jrbowe replied to a thread
14 years ago
hamza ubi

Online Friends by hamza ubi

hey All well i Don't know if i'm supposed to do this or not and especialy on this board anyway i'm moving to iceland soon maybe next few months for a student visa i speak arabic english french and spanish too ...i'm just wondering if is it ...

jrbowe

Hi guys, If you're new to Iceland, it's helpful to join this group on Facebook: facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=4894417366&ref=ts "Home away from home - living in Iceland" Making friends with Icelanders is quite difficult--not because they ... Read More

jrbowe replied to a thread
14 years ago
ArtOnIce

University of Iceland? Do people actually work there? by ArtOnIce

Because I think I've tried emailing about 20 different people with job titles including words like "aid" or "service" and have heard back from one, and that was in November. Plus the girl I called over there sounded so startled when I asked her ...

jrbowe

I've been a student there since 2008. It's true. U of I is terrible at organization and communication. After a while, you just get used to it. Unfortunately there's no magical way to get around it. The only thing that helps is to have an Icelander ... Read More

jrbowe replied to a thread
14 years ago
Fossil

Please share info about Reykjavik condition after volcano eruption by Fossil

Dear All, Some of topics in this forum show some people's interests on either studying, working, or living in Iceland, including myself. I believe a place always has both positive and negative sides. We also know that in April 2010, there was ...

jrbowe

I live in Reykjavik, and to be honest, you wouldn't even know there is a volcano erupting. The volcanic eruption is about two hours by car to the east and the winds (typically the Westerlies) blow the ash cloud over Europe. (Sorry, Europe) This ... Read More

jrbowe replied to a thread
14 years ago
HarmanSidhu

Information required on Work permit & Resident visa by HarmanSidhu

Hi All, I am a software developer and having exp. of 5yrs. Willing to settle in iceland. What is the whole process for applying work/permanent resident visa? As per other site person should have good in icelandic language, is it true?? How much ...

jrbowe

Hi Harman, You should check out the site for the Icelandic Directorate of Immigration: http://www.utl.is/english As a non-EEA citizen, you would likely need a job contract with an employer in Iceland before you could apply for the residence ... Read More

jrbowe replied to a thread
14 years ago
expat.com

Cost of living in Iceland by expat.com

Hi everybody, It would be very interesting and useful to exchange informations about the cost of living in Iceland . The idea is to help those who would like to live in Iceland. Don't forget to mention where you are living Let's compare the: > ...

jrbowe

@Ullskeg You can check out REYST -- it is a graduate program for sustainable systems and it is a consortium between the universities in Reykjavik and the geothermal energy companies. However, it costs much more than the 45.000 ISK. If you want to ... Read More

jrbowe replied to a thread
14 years ago
expat.com

Cost of living in Iceland by expat.com

Hi everybody, It would be very interesting and useful to exchange informations about the cost of living in Iceland . The idea is to help those who would like to live in Iceland. Don't forget to mention where you are living Let's compare the: > ...

jrbowe

Lars Loafer - The cost of living is cheaper in Isafjordur (undoubtedly since there is less selection in shopping/entertainment/dining/etc.) I can't quote exact rental costs for housing, but I have two friends who are currently renting an entire ... Read More

jrbowe replied to a thread
14 years ago
expat.com

Cost of living in Iceland by expat.com

Hi everybody, It would be very interesting and useful to exchange informations about the cost of living in Iceland . The idea is to help those who would like to live in Iceland. Don't forget to mention where you are living Let's compare the: > ...

jrbowe

Hi Mac29, I'm a grad student at University of Iceland so I can fill you in on the cost of school, average textbook costs, and etc. But seeing as I came here with my Icelandic boyfriend (who has a job and covers most household expenses) I'm not sure ... Read More

jrbowe replied to a thread
14 years ago
zuzubaloo

Seriously considering moving to Iceland by zuzubaloo

I love everything I've heard about Iceland, and I love all Icelandic music I've heard, for what that's worth (Bjork, of course, Sigur Ros, Mugison, Helgi Hrafn Jonsson). I also know that Iceland was hit pretty hard by the global recession. Is ...

jrbowe

Define "respected". I'm sure a degree from U of I is respected internally...if your prospective employer has clue that a country called Iceland exists. :) Bad jokes aside, I'm pretty sure it is respected internationally. It is, after all, the ... Read More

jrbowe replied to a thread
14 years ago
zuzubaloo

Seriously considering moving to Iceland by zuzubaloo

I love everything I've heard about Iceland, and I love all Icelandic music I've heard, for what that's worth (Bjork, of course, Sigur Ros, Mugison, Helgi Hrafn Jonsson). I also know that Iceland was hit pretty hard by the global recession. Is ...

jrbowe

Chicago winters DO suck (I'm from WI). Something I noticed about Reykjavik winters that differ from Midwest winters: in Reykjavik it is very, very windy (yes, windier than "Windy City") and rains more than it snows (which leads to bouts of ... Read More

jrbowe replied to a thread
14 years ago
Joshua Teodoro

Work Permit and Education permit? by Joshua Teodoro

I am moving to Iceland in August. I am going to be working,but I also want to go to school because of the said price of tuition. My question is. Do I have to apply for a Work permit as well as an Education permit? Thanks much! Check out my ...

jrbowe

Nope -- If you're already in Iceland, then there is no need for any additional student permit. Tuition is CHEAP at Uni. of Iceland -- it's only 45.000 ISK (you do the conversion; that's the only fee you have to pay for an entire year for most BA/BS, ... Read More

jrbowe replied to a thread
14 years ago
zuzubaloo

Seriously considering moving to Iceland by zuzubaloo

I love everything I've heard about Iceland, and I love all Icelandic music I've heard, for what that's worth (Bjork, of course, Sigur Ros, Mugison, Helgi Hrafn Jonsson). I also know that Iceland was hit pretty hard by the global recession. Is ...

jrbowe

As a non-EEA citizen, you will run into trouble with work permits. Technically speaking, an Icelandic company is obligated to first try to hire an Icelandic citizen before opening up a position to a foreigner. In this regards, it is easier for ... Read More

jrbowe replied to a thread
15 years ago
Mishabear

Private Insurance for first 6 Months by Mishabear

Hello, I would like to know if there are some companies you can recommend for buying private health insurance for the dreaded 6 months were we probably won't be covered as we have issues getting the E104 model here. If it is not possible to ...

jrbowe

Hi Terni, I used Sjóvá for my interim health insurance: http://www.sjova.is/english.asp?cat=1233 Granted, it's just "sickness cost insurance" which means that it's more like liability insurance than full health insurance. My policy (the cheapest) ... Read More

jrbowe replied to a thread
15 years ago
expat.com

Cost of living in Iceland by expat.com

Hi everybody, It would be very interesting and useful to exchange informations about the cost of living in Iceland . The idea is to help those who would like to live in Iceland. Don't forget to mention where you are living Let's compare the: > ...

jrbowe

Moving to Iceland to teach English may be difficult for a few reasons: 1) you would still need to procure a residence visa for living here longer than 3 months. I'm not sure how an entrepreneur would go about acquiring a visa since most visas ... Read More

jrbowe replied to a thread
15 years ago
expat.com

Cost of living in Iceland by expat.com

Hi everybody, It would be very interesting and useful to exchange informations about the cost of living in Iceland . The idea is to help those who would like to live in Iceland. Don't forget to mention where you are living Let's compare the: > ...

jrbowe

Hi Wana, That sounds like a fairly substantial scholarship! :) Considering that Bifrost is fairly isolated in the Icelandic countryside (it's well over an hour's drive from Reykjavik and the closest town is rather small but has all the basics), you ... Read More

jrbowe replied to a thread
15 years ago
cegnau

A Little Bit Of Fantasy by cegnau

I´m a young American lady. I have yet to visit Iceland (baby steps), but I already know that I would live there in a heartbeat. I have a fantasy of having a sort of "fortress of solitude" in the Icelandic countryside when I'm older. Maybe a sort of ...

jrbowe

Oh, I forgot to mention that as a single person, you would need to prove financial support for your residence permit. The minimum support for one month works out to about $1,000 for a month. So you would probably need to have about $10,000 in your ... Read More