Key facts
Iceland is a country located in Northern Europe. The country has no land neighbors. The official language of Iceland is Icelandic.
The national currency in Iceland is Icelandic króna (ISK). The krona (kr) is subdivided into 100 eyrir.
Icelander
Banknotes
kr500kr1000kr2000kr5000
Icelander
Coins
kr1kr5kr10kr100
Check with your bank before your trip to find out if there are any fees for using your card abroad. Some banks do not charge fees when you use a foreign ATM or pay in foreign currency, but others may charge a fixed cost for each transaction or allow a limited number of free withdrawals. The travel card provided by Wise.com, Revolut or Monose might be an excellent option to cut down on transaction fees.
Ookla® Speedtest The average fixed internet speed in Iceland is 354.29 Mbps and mobile is Mbs.The global average is 192.62 Mbps and 126.54 Mbps respectively.
ATM Density Iceland has more ATMs than most other countries.70.43 ATMs per 100,000 people.The global average is 39.49.
SIM Registration You can buy a SIM card in Iceland without having to register it with your ID or passport.
Socket types
There are 2 socket types used in Iceland. Type C is a popular socket type throughout Europe (except the United Kingdom), Russia, and certain Asian countries.
The sockets’ shapes and voltage differ from country to country and a travel plug adapter may be required. Portable devices, such as phones, notebooks or tablets, usually handle the entire range of voltages used across the world (110-240V).
Public holidays
In the year 2024, Iceland will celebrate 16 national public holidays. The next one Christmas Eve will take place on December 24.
| Date | Holiday name | |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2024Moving holiday | New Year’s DayNýársdagur | |
| March 28, 2024Moving holiday | Maundy ThursdaySkírdagur | |
| March 29, 2024Moving holiday | Good FridayFöstudagurinn langi | |
| March 31, 2024Moving holiday | Easter SundayPáskadagur | |
| April 1, 2024Moving holiday | Easter MondayAnnar í páskum | |
| April 25, 2024Moving holiday | First Day of SummerSumardagurinn fyrsti | |
| May 1, 2024Moving holiday | May DayVerkalýðsdagurinn | |
| May 9, 2024Moving holiday | Ascension DayUppstigningardagur | |
| May 19, 2024Moving holiday | PentecostHvítasunnudagur | |
| May 20, 2024Moving holiday | Whit MondayAnnar í hvítasunnu | |
| June 17, 2024Moving holiday | Icelandic National DayÞjóðhátíðardagurinn | |
| August 5, 2024Moving holiday | Commerce DayFrídagur verslunarmanna | |
| December 24, 2024Moving holiday | Christmas EveAðfangadagur | |
| December 25, 2024Moving holiday | Christmas DayJóladagur | |
| December 26, 2024Moving holiday | St. Stephen’s DayAnnar í jólum | |
| December 31, 2024Moving holiday | New Year’s EveGamlársdagur |
Sources
- EF English Proficiency Index (EF Education First)
- Speedtest Global Index® (Ookla®)
- Automated teller machines (ATMs) (per 100,000 adults) (The World Bank Group)
- Registration Policies Per Country (Prepaid Data SIM Card Wiki)
Tourism
What hotel chains are present in Iceland?
There are no Mariott hotels in Iceland.
The Hilton hotel chain operates in Iceland.
The IHG hotel chain operates in Iceland.
There are no Best Western hotels in Iceland.
There are Radisson hotels in 2 cities: Keflavik and Reykjavik.
There are no Accor hotels in Iceland.
What fast food chains are present in Iceland?
The McDonald’s chain does not operate in Iceland.
The KFC chain operates in Iceland.
The Burger King chain does not operate in Iceland.
The Subway chain operates in Iceland.
The Domino’s Pizza chain operates in Iceland.
The Starbucks chain does not operate in Iceland.
Sources
- Country by National Dish (Samson Daniel)
Weather
What is the weather like in Reykjavik?
Weather data for Reykjavik (capital city) by Open-Meteo.com
Transport
Railways There are no passenger trains available.
Subway Systems There is no subway system in any city.
Taxi Apps Unfortunately neither Uber nor Bolt are available in Iceland.
Sources
- List of high-speed railway lines (Wikipedia)
- List of metro systems (Wikipedia)
- Left- and right-hand traffic (Wikipedia)
- The Global Enabling Trade Report 2016: Road connectivity (World Economic Forum)
Safety
Emergency phones in Iceland
Sources
- Iceland Travel Advisory (United States: Department of State)
- Travel Advice for Iceland (United Kingdom: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)
- Mortality caused by road traffic injury (The World Bank Group)
- Corruption & Economic Crime (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Smoking & Alcohol
Smoking ban Smoking is forbidden in all public indoor locations, with limited exceptions.
Cananbis legality Both recreational and medicinal use of cannabis is prohibited.
The minimum age for bringing alcoholic beverages into Iceland is 20 years and 18 years for tobaccos.
Alcohol allowance
Examples of possible combinations:
- 1 litre spirits and 0.75 litre wine and 3 litres beer or
- 3 litres wine and 6 litres beer or
- 1 litre spirits and 6 litres beer or
- 1.5 litres wine and 12 litres beer or
- 18 litres beer
Tobacco allowance
200 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco
Sources
- Duty free imports (Iceland Revenue and Customs)
- List of smoking bans (Wikipedia)
- Legality of cannabis (Wikipedia)