Good to know

Iceland has a population of 390.000 people.

Around 67.000 (17% of those living in Iceland) are foreign nationals.

All inhabitants live along the coastline. No one lives in the interior of the country, the Central Highlands.

The majority of the population (65%) lives in the capital area. The capital of Iceland is called Reykjavík.

Iceland‘s currency is called Íslenska Krónan (Icelandic Krona), ISK for short.

The most common form of payment is via credit and debit cards. Note that American Express is not accepted everywhere.

The Icelandic economy is built on three main pillars:

• the revenues created through tourism
• the export of marine products
• the export of manufacturing products (aluminium)

There are 16 public holidays annually in Iceland.

In addition to public holidays, there are also other feasts and traditions which are celebrated throughout Iceland. Click here to learn more.

Iceland is known for high quality seafood since fishing has been a fundamental part of the country´s history and culture for many centuries.

Lamb is also an important element of Icelandic food traditions.

In recent years, vegetarianism and veganism have been growing rapidly. Vegetables are grown all year around using geothermal water and green energy.

Click here to learn more about Icelandic food.

Find restaurants in Iceland by clicking here.

The average work week is 40-hours, including lunch time and breaks. For more information on workers‘ rights you can visit Work in Iceland and The Icelandic Confederation of Labour‘s website.

All workers pay into a pension fund. Workers also make membership payments to a union, which in turn enables them to enjoy the rights associated with union payments, such as educational grants and holiday cottages. For more info on pension funds and unions click here.

Iceland‘s official language is Icelandic.

The majority of people also speak English.

In addition, many speak either Danish, Norwegian or Swedish.

On haefni.is you can find a list of common vocabulary used in tourism. The glossary is in three languages: Icelandic, English and Polish.

Iceland is a democratic republic.

Parliamentary elections are held every four years.

Iceland‘s parliament is called Alþingi (located in central Reykjavík) and is the oldest running parliament in the world.

Iceland is a member of the Schengen Agreement, according to which travellers from 26 EU countries are extempt from border controls. Residents of a Schengen country can stay in Iceland for 90 days without applying for a visa.

Residents outside the Schengen area need to present a valid passport (valid for at least three months beyond the date of entry). Here you can find a list of countries whose residents need a visa to enter Iceland.