Living in Iceland

Coronavirus

You should keep up to date and follow the advice of the Icelandic Authorities. Further information is available at COVID.IS (in English). You can also read our Iceland travel advice for our latest guidance.

For information on getting a COVID-19 vaccine as a UK national in Iceland see our coronavirus travel advice.

Stay up to date

You should:

• sign up for email alerts on living in Iceland

• follow the British Embassy Reykjavík on Facebook and Twitter

You can also:

• read about the EEA EFTA Separation Agreement

Visas and residency

Check the entry requirements for Iceland.

Residency

If you wereplan legallyto residentstay infor more than three months you must register with Registers Iceland beforeto 1obtain Januarya 2021national identification number (Kennitala). You will need your rightsidentification number in order to continueaccess livingmost services in Iceland aree.g. protectedopen bya thebank EEAaccount, EFTAapply Separationfor Agreement.telephone and internet connection, access to Icelandic health insurance and more.

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ReadAll UK nationals lawfully residing in Iceland at the Directorateend of Immigration’sthe guidancetransition period on residency31 December 2020 will be able to stay. If you have not yet registered, or if you are unsure of your status, you should contact Registers Iceland.

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• supportsupporting ifpeople youfacing experience language barriers or difficulty accessing online information and servicestechnology

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Passports and travel

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Passports from 1 January 2021

Check your passport is valid for travel before you book your trip.

From You1 canJanuary apply2021, foryou or renew your British passport from Iceland.

You must have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel to most countries in Europe (not including Ireland). This requirement does not apply if you are entering or transiting to Iceland, and you are in scope of the EEA EFTA Separation Agreement.

If you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the 6 months needed.

You will need to Renewrenew your passport before bookingtravelling your travel if you do not have enough time left on your passport.

As a non-EEA national, different border checks will apply when travelling to other EU or Schengen area countries. You may need to show a return or onward ticket and that you have enough money for your stay. You may also have to use separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens when queueing. YouYour passport may alsobe needstamped tofor showvisits ato returnthese or onward ticketcountries.

Entry requirements

YouFrom can1 January 2021, you will be able to travel to other Schengen area countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa for purposes such as tourism. This is a rolling 180-day period.

To stay for longerlonger, than 90 days in any 180-day period, to work or study, or for business travel, you mustwill need to meet the entry requirements set out by the country to which you are travellingtravelling. to. This could mean applying for a visa or work permit. You may also need to get a visa if your visit would take you over the 90 days in 180 days limit.

Periods of timestay authorised byunder a visa or permit will not count towardsagainst yourthe 90-day visa-free limit. Travel to the UK and Ireland will not change.

Different rules will apply to EU countries that are not part of the Schengen area.Area. Check each country’s travel advice page for information on entry requirements.

Travelling back to Iceland

TravelFrom 1 January 2021, the Icelandic Authorities advise that you should carry a letter from Registers Iceland as well as your passport when you travel. The letter is available in electronic form online, or by appointment, from Registers Iceland for 2700 ISK.

If you cannot show evidence of your status under the Separation Agreement, you may be asked additional questions at the border to enter the UKSchengen area, and Irelandyour haspassport may be stamped. This will not changed.affect your rights in Iceland.

Insurance for trips to Iceland

It is important to take out comprehensive travel insurance that includes cover for emergency medical treatment and associated costs. You must make sure you know the terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy and make sure that the policy covers any possible disruption.

Healthcare

Social security coordination is covered by the Separation Agreement for those residing in Iceland. HealthcareCurrent healthcare arrangements will continue to apply in full to UK nationals who wereare resident in Iceland before 1the Januarytransition 2021,period ends on 31 December 2020, for as long as they remain in scope of the agreement.

Once you’re resident in Iceland for 6 months, you automatically become a member of the Iceland social insurance system.

Read the guidance on who is able to access healthcare in Iceland. and make sure you are correctly registered.

If your UK employer has sent you to Iceland temporarily, your access to healthcare is different. Find out how to access healthcare as a posted worker.

State healthcare: S1

If you have a registered S1 form and wereare living in Iceland before 1the Januaryend 2021,of 2020, your rights to access healthcare will stay the same from 1 January 2021 if you are either:

• receiving a UK State Pension
• receiving some other ‘exportable benefits’
• a frontier worker who lives in Iceland and commutes to work in the UK

Read our guidance on using an S1 form in Iceland to ensure you are correctly registered for healthcare.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

If you are resident in Iceland, you must not use your UK-issued EHIC for healthcare in Iceland.

IfWhen you weretravel livingfrom Iceland for a temporary stay in Icelandanother beforeEuropean 1Economic JanuaryArea 2021,(EEA) country or Switzerland, you maycan beuse eligiblean EHIC to access state healthcare for afree newor UK-issuedat EHICa ifreduced you’re:cost.

• If you’re a UK student in Iceland

• a UKor Statehave Pensioner with a registered S1
• a frontieryou workermay withbe eligible for a registerednew S1

UK-issued EHIC. This EHIC will remain valid from 1 January 2021. Apply now for a new UK EHIC.

An EHIC is not a replacement for comprehensive travel insurance.

For more information read our guidance on healthcare when travelling in Europe and advice on foreign travel insurance.

You should also read guidance on finding English-speaking doctors in Iceland

You must check your prescriptions are legal in Iceland. You can bring personal prescription medicine for 100 days without a customs declaration, although Icelandic customs officials may ask for a formal doctor’s note.

Working in Iceland

IfYou youneed werea legallynational residentidentification innumber Iceland(kennitala) before 1 January 2021, you have the right to work,work asin long as you remain legally resident.Iceland.

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Frontier workers

If you live in Iceland and werecommute regularly commuting to work in anotheran EU or EFTA countrycountry, beforefrom 1 January 2021,2021 you willmay need a permit to showprove that you are a frontier worker. We will update this guidance when more information is available.

Money and tax

You will be issued a tax card when you register with Registers Iceland and obtain a national identification number.

The UK has a double taxation agreement with Iceland to ensure people do not pay tax on the same income in both countries. Ask the relevant tax authority your questions about double taxation relief.

Existing double taxation arrangements for UK nationals living in Iceland have not changed.

Read the guidance on:

• if you leave the UK to live abroad
• tax on your UK income if you live abroad
• paying income tax in Iceland by the European Union

Read the Icelandic government’s guidance on taxes in Iceland. Check the Icelandic Directorate of Internal Revenue.

National Insurance

Find out if you needcan to pay National Insurance inwhile theabroad UKso orthat socialyou securityprotect contributionsyour inState Iceland.Pension and entitlement to other benefits and allowances.

Banking

WhetherIf UKyou banksare canemployed provideor servicesself-employed in the EU or EEA and you have a UK-issued A1/E101 form, you will remain subject to customersUK legislation until the end date on the form.

Banking

Most people living in theEurope EEAshould isnot asee matterany ofchange localto lawtheir andbanking regulation.after 31 December 2020. Your bank or finance provider should contact you if they need to make any changes to your product or the way they provide it. If you have any concerns about whether you might be affected, contact your provider or seek independent financial advice.

Read the Money and Pension Service guidance on banking, insurance and financial services changes after 31 December 2020 for more information on cross-border retail banking.

Pensions

Read our guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and pensions while you are living in Iceland.

You must tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.

If you retire in Iceland, you can claim:

• your UK State Pension or new UK State Pension. Contact the International Pension Centre to claim

• your Icelandic pension if you’ve worked in Iceland

Read the Money and Pension Service guidance on pension and retirement changes for more information on cross-border pensions.

Life certificates for UK State Pensions

If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service, you need to respond as soon as possible. Your payments may be suspended if you don’t.

Benefits

Pensions after 31 December 2020

ReadSocial oursecurity guidancecoordination is covered by the Separation Agreement for those residing in Iceland. Current benefit arrangements will continue to apply in full to UK nationals who are resident in Iceland before the transition period ends on entitlement31 December 2020, for as long as they reside in an EEA EFTA state (Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway). This includes the right to an uprated UK benefitsState Pension.

Read the Money and pensionsPension Service guidance on pension and retirement changes after 31 December 2020 whilefor youmore areinformation livingon incross-border Iceland.pensions.

Benefits

You must tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pensions and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.

CheckYou whichmay still be able to claim some UK benefits like child and disability benefits if you live in Iceland. You should:

• read our guidance on which benefits you can claim if you live abroad
• use our tool to check which UK benefits you might be able to get while you’re abroad and how to claim them.
  them

Many income-related benefits such as pension credit and housing benefit cannot be paid to you if you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks.

You may be eligible to claim some Icelandic social security benefits. Read the European Commission’s guidance on Icelandic social security benefits.

You can request proof of the time you’ve worked in the UK from HMRC if you are asked for this.

Driving

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  you need to drive abroad
• road travel in Iceland

Bringing a UK-registered vehicle to Iceland

Read our guidance on taking a vehicle out of the UK.

Read the guidance on importing and registering vehicles in Iceland

Voting

You may be able to vote in some UK elections. You can:

• check if you are able to vote
• register as an overseas voter if you would like to vote

If you have been domiciled or resident in Iceland for more than 5 years you can vote in municipal elections. Read information from Registers Iceland.

Births, deaths and getting married

If your child is born in Iceland, you will need to register the birth abroad.

If someone dies in Iceland you can:

• read our guidance on what to do after someone dies abroad

• find a list of English-speaking funeral directors in Iceland

• read bereavement information for Iceland

Find out how you can get married abroad.

You may also need:

• to find English-speaking lawyers in Iceland

• English-speaking translators and interpreters in Iceland

• notary and documentary services for Iceland

Pets

Strict conditions apply to the importation of pets to Iceland. For information, see the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority’s website.

Emergencies

You can dial the European emergency number on 112.

If you’re the victim of crime, have been arrested, or are affected by a crisis abroad, contact the British Embassy in Reykjavik.

Accommodation and buying property

Read our guidance on buying a property abroad.

Returning to the UK

Tell the Icelandic and UK authorities if you are returning to the UK permanently.

You must tell theRegisters authoritiesIceland that you are leaving Iceland.

To move your pension to the UK, contact the International Pension Centre.

Read the guidance on returning to the UK permanently which includes information on, amongst other things, tax, access to services and bringing family members.

Disclaimer

Note that this information is provided as a guide only. Definitive information should be obtained from the Icelandic authorities. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information.