Although Iceland is distanced from the rest of Europe, the scale of popularity of trips for earning money among migrants is very high. If you are planning a longer trip to this country, be sure to check how to rent an apartment in Iceland.
Entry and stay in Iceland
Iceland belongs to the Schengen zone, which allows the EU citizens to travel freely between the countries without completing any additional formalities or permits. Border control is rare, however, when crossing it you must have one of the following documents with you:
- ID card
- passport
- temporary passport
If you intend to spend no more than 3 months in Iceland, you do not need to register or apply for a residence permit. However, if you take up a job in Iceland or decide to stay longer – it will be necessary to obtain a residence permit. For this purpose, register yourself in the National Register.
Important! The application can be sent by e-mail, however, an integral part of the registration procedure in the National Register of Iceland, will be to appear in person at the place of registration and present the original travel document and birth / marriage certificate.
Kennitala
Necessary to live in Iceland, it will be to obtain an Icelandic Kennitala registration number. This is a 10-digit code that you receive for a period of 6 months. After this time has elapsed, it must be extended. Kennitala is used, among others, for:
- making an appointment with a doctor (later writing a prescription)
- setting up a bank account
- tax settlements
- purchase health insurance
- car registration
- renting an apartment
More details in the article: Moving to Iceland
Where to look for a job in Iceland? – Popular industries and earnings
The most popular industries in Iceland include:
- Gastronomy / hotel industry
- Fishing
- Agriculture
- Construction
- Manual work
Most job offers can be found in the capital of the country – Reykjavik. As for the language, it is recommended to learn Icelandic for a longer stay. Although the vast majority of Icelandic citizens know English, this will facilitate communication at work and in everyday life.
Earnings in Iceland
The minimum wage in Iceland is ISK 380,000 gross (approx. EUR 2500).
Although, as in many other European countries (especially Nordic / Scandinavian), this amount may change, depending on the decisions of local trade unions.
Check the average monthly earnings in Iceland:
| Occupation / Industry | Sample monthly gross earnings |
| Plumber | ISK 630,000 (approx. EUR 4000) |
| Paver | ISK 660,000 (approx. EUR 4400) |
| Mechanic | ISK 900,000 (approx. EUR 6000) |
| Truck driver | ISK 545,500 (approx. EUR 3600) |
| Construction worker | ISK 600,000 (approx. EUR 3960) |
| Working in gastronomy / hotel industry | ISK 472,000 (approx. EUR 3200) |
| Agriculture | ISK 578,000 (approx. EUR 3800) |
| Fishing | ISK 490,000 (approx. EUR 3200) |
Remember! Recruitment in Iceland starts much earlier. If the employer plans to hire a person from May / June, the job offer will be published in January / February.
How to rent an apartment in Iceland? – Basic information
Finding an apartment in Iceland is not easy. Unfortunately, there are too many applicants and too few apartments. If you applied for a job offer with accommodation – this problem does not concern you.
How to find an apartment in Iceland? We recommend starting by checking out these sites:
- https://www.leiga.is/
- https://leigulistinn.is/
- https://myigloo.is/
- https://felagsbustadir.is/
- https://www.bjargibudafelag.is/
- http://fasteignir.visir.is/
- https://housinganywhere.com/
Looking at rental offers on local websites, you can see that most often the offer concerns:
- non-smokers
- no pets
Apart from that, the apartments are in most cases not furnished (i.e. in the first months, the cost of buying furniture should be added to the rental price).
A parking space as an additional convenience is also rarely included in the rental offer. In addition, the vast majority of offers concern only long-term rental.
How to rent an apartment in Iceland? – Sample prices
Of course, apartment rental prices depend on the location, standard or number of rooms, but also on the landlord and the conditions offered by him. Below we will see how much on the average, does an apartment cost in Iceland:
| Type of an apartment | Sample price for monthly rent |
| Room | ISK 80,000 – 110,000 (EUR 530 – 730) |
| Studio apartment | ISK 150,000 – 250,000 (EUR 1000 – 1650) |
| 2-3 bedroom apartment | ISK 200,000 – 300,000 (EUR 1300 – 2000) |
| Cottage | ISK 300,000 – 400,000 (EUR 2000 – 2640) |
Before you sign the rental agreement, we recommend creating a separate document that lists the items which are in the apartment, and what condition they are in (e.g. you can take photos of the apartment / furniture immediately before moving in). Signing this document will allow to avoid problems at the time of termination of the rental agreement.
Important! One of the basic rules of renting an apartment in Iceland is to pay a one-time refundable deposit. Interestingly, the deposit is paid to a separate bank account that is not accessible to both the tenant and the landlord. The amount of the deposit is equivalent to 2-3 months’ rent.
Guide to Iceland – What is worth seeing?
How to rent an apartment in Iceland? What to pay attention to?
As mentioned above, the apartment rental market in Iceland is severely limited. The demand for apartments increases year by year, but unfortunately the number of rental offers does not change. Therefore, there is considerable competition among tenants.
What’s more, the landlord conducts a kind of recruitment interview during the meeting with the potential client. So it’s worth getting prepared for questions related to:
- Work
- marital status
- earnings
- habits / lifestyle
- plans for the future (especially if we are talking about economic migrants)
And that’s not over yet! Only after conducting several similar conversations with potential tenants, the owner makes his own assessment and chooses the person who suits him best.
At the time of signing the agreement, it is worth remembering that there exists a template of a rental agreement in Iceland.
Staying in Iceland – useful links
If you are planning to live in Iceland, look at:
- https://www.skra.is/ – National Register, where e.g. Kennitala’s ID number is made
- https://leigjendur.is/pl/ – Legal help point for tenants
- https://innskraning.rsk.is/ – Tax Office of Iceland
- https://www.heilsuvera.is/ – contact with medical staff
- https://www.sjukra.is/ – contact with your family doctor / change of clinic
- https://www.straeto.is/en/verslun – public transport in Reyjkiavik
- https://vinnumalastofnun.is/ – Employment Office
Before you rent an apartment, find a job in Iceland!
