The official language is Icelandic. English, Danish or German are commonly spoken. English is spoken by most Icelanders and is taught at school like Danish.
The following items can be brought into Iceland duty-free: 200 cigarettes or 250 g of tobacco (persons aged 18 and over); 1 l spirits and 0.75 l wine and 3 l beer or 3 l wine and 6 l beer or 1 l spirits and 6 l beer or 1.5 l wine and 12 l beer or 18 l beer (persons aged 20 and over) ; Max. 10 kg of groceries (including sweets) that do not exceed the value of 25,000 kr / approx. 176 € (see import ban); Residents of Iceland: clothing and luggage for personal use not exceeding a value of 88,000 kr (children under 12: max. 44,000 kr). A confirmation issued by a veterinary authority regarding the disinfection of all fishing gear (incl.
Import Restrictions
Tourists can import medicines intended for personal use (for no more than 100 days). Customs officials may request a medical certificate. Import restrictions also apply to larger quantities of flowers and plants, as well as certain telephone and other communication devices that require approval from the Post and Telecom Administration. However, it is possible to import a mobile phone without a permit. The import of hunting weapons and ammunition is only possible with a (rarely granted) permit from the Ministry of Justice. Proof of disinfection is mandatory for used fishing equipment. More information is available from Countryaah.com.
Prohibited Imports
narcotics; weapons and ammunition; raw meat; Meat products (including salami and raw ham) and dairy products from countries outside the European Economic Area; raw eggs; raw dairy products; snuff and chewing tobacco; used riding gear. Note: Meat products may only be imported if they are canned or cooked. More information is available from Icelandic Customs.
Contact addresses
Icelandic Consulate General
Consulates in Geneva and Bern.
Bahnhofstrasse 70, PO Box 1130
Zurich
Switzerland
+41 (58) 258 10 30. Embassy of the Republic of Iceland
Honorary General Consulates in Salzburg and Vienna.
Proper attire for business visits. Local business people are conservative, very accommodating, and almost all speak English, with a few speaking some German. Appointments are not essential but are recommended for business trips during the months of May to September as many local business people are abroad during this time. If you look for the phone number of your Icelandic business partner in the local phone book, you have to look under the first name. Some companies close for three weeks a year, usually in July, which is the main holiday season.
Opening hours
Business hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm (summer), Mon-Fri 9am-5pm (winter).
Business contacts
Communication
Phone
According to Abbreviationfinder.org, the country code is 00354. Mobile phones have replaced public pay and card phones.
Mobile phone
GSM 900/1800, 2G, 3G and 4G. Cellular carriers include Siminn, Vodafone and Nova. The combined coverage of all mobile operators in Iceland covers most of the country, including most of the more remote and uninhabited areas. International roaming contracts exist. Like Norway and Liechtenstein, Iceland has signed up to the EU Roaming Regulation. As a result, the fees for international roaming within the EU as well as within Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland were abolished in mid-2017 in these countries, as in all EU countries. Under certain circumstances, however, it may be worth purchasing an Icelandic SIM card. All Icelandic mobile operators sell pre-paid phone cards.
Internet
The main providers are Siminn, Vodafone, Nova and Hringidan. 4G mobile Wi-Fi hotspots are available from Trawire. Internet cafes are available in towns. Many hotels and hostels offer free Wi-Fi.
Post office
Postal deliveries to mainland Europe are fast and reliable. Post offices are generally open Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, the post office on Austurstraeti in Reykjavik is also open on Saturdays 10am-2pm (June-August).
Radio
Numerous German-language radio stations can be received via Astra satellites or via the Internet, among other things.
