Moving to Iceland
Visas and residency, citizenship, tax, company and banking, cost of living and the places to live in Iceland, in one place.
Northern EuropeThinking about moving to Iceland?
Here's how long you can stay, the ways to live there for good, what you'd pay in tax and what everyday life costs, each figure from an official source.
In this guide, I'll show you:
- How long you can stay, by passport
- How long citizenship takes
- How tax works, with the rates
- What it costs, and the internet and safety
- The best places to live
- The basics: capital, currency and languages
Pick your passport at the top of the page, and the stay rule shows for you.
TL;DRKey takeaways
Iceland at a glance
How long can you stay in Iceland?
It depends on the passport you hold.
Here's the rule for the most common ones:
US passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 90 days
UK passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 90 days
EU passport (German)- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- –
Canadian passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 90 days
Australian passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 90 days
Indian passport- Rule
- Visa needed
- Stay
- –
For any other passport, pick yours at the top, or see every country on the visa-free countries map.
Iceland is in the Schengen area.
Days here count toward your 90 in any 180 across all of Schengen; count them with the Schengen calculator.
Citizenship in Iceland
Naturalization takes about 7 years of residence.
Dual citizenship is allowed, so you can keep your passport.
Work out your own timeline with the second passport calculator.
Tax in Iceland
Iceland taxes its tax residents on their income from anywhere.
See where it sits among every country on the territorial tax map.
The main rates:
- Lowest income tax band – 31%
- Top income tax rate – 46%
- Corporate tax – 20%
- VAT or sales tax – 24%
- Capital gains tax – 22%
Where you're a tax resident usually comes down to days.
Count yours with the 183-day rule calculator.
Company and banking
Compare the banks and cards that work for people abroad in the bank account finder.
Move money for less with the money transfer comparison.
Many people who live abroad run a US LLC instead; check yours with the US LLC for non-residents checker.
Cost of living in Iceland
Everyday prices in Iceland are about 118% of US prices.
That's the World Bank's price level for 2025: its purchasing power conversion factor divided by the exchange rate.
It's close to US prices, or above them.
Convert what things cost with the currency converter.
Is Iceland safe?
The US State Department rates Iceland Level 1 ("Exercise normal precautions", updated 2026-05-05), the same level it gives Austria, Portugal, Japan and Australia. Level 1 is normal travel. Some advisories are stricter for parts of a country, so read the full advisory before you go.
For a second view, the UK has no warning against travel.
See every country's level on the travel advisory map.
Internet in Iceland
In M-Lab's open speed tests across Iceland over the last 12 months, half came in above 92 Mbps download.
The fastest quarter of lines came in above 238 Mbps, closer to a good fiber connection (31,853 tests).
By place:
- Reykjavík – 105 Mbps typical
Test your own line when you arrive with my internet speed test.
The best places to live in Iceland
Compare them with places everywhere in digital nomad locations.
Iceland: the basics
| What | Iceland |
|---|---|
| Capital | Reykjavik |
| Currency | Icelandic króna (ISK) |
| Languages | Icelandic, English, German |
| Population | about 353,574 |
From GeoNames' country data (CC BY 4.0).
More tools for Iceland
- Passport index and compare passports
- Time zone overlap calculator for calls with home
- eSIM finder for data when you land
- Card fees abroad calculator before you spend
Iceland FAQs
Visa-free, for 90 days.
Pick another passport at the top of the page to see its rule.
It depends on your passport.
Pick yours at the top of the page to see the days, and whether you need a visa first.
Not that I've found in official sources as of 2026-09-29.
The digital nomad visa finder lists every country that has one.
About 7 years of residence.
Yes.
Check that your own country allows it too.
Iceland taxes its tax residents on their income from anywhere.
Check the details with a tax adviser before you move.
Everyday prices are about 118% of US prices, by the World Bank's price level for 2025.
Rent in the biggest cities can be higher than that suggests.
The US State Department rates it Level 1.
Levels 1 and 2 are everyday travel; read the full advisory for any regions it warns about.
Half of M-Lab's tests there came in above 92 Mbps download over the last 12 months.
The fastest quarter of lines passed 238 Mbps.
The places I cover there are Reykjavík.
Each has its own guide with the weather by month, internet and costs.
The Icelandic króna (ISK).
The main languages are Icelandic, English and German.
Navid Moazzez
AI business strategist & AI OS builder
Navid Moazzez helps creators and founders master AI and build their own AI Operating System (AI OS) to automate their business and life.
Navid.me is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
Places to live in Iceland
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