Hire cars · Iceland

Hiring a Car in Iceland: Licence, F-Roads, Tunnel Toll, Speed Limits and Fines

Checked 26 October 2026 against Icelandic regulations, the police, the Road and Coastal Administration and SafeTravel · skynomad

繁體中文

Iceland's roads have gravel stretches, single-lane bridges and weather that closes them without warning. A hire car here is a different contract from one in Germany or France, and the fines are steep: driving at 101 km/h on a 90 road costs 50,000 kr.

Bring an IDP or a Translation With a Non-EEA Licence

A driving licence issued outside the European Economic Area is valid in Iceland for up to 12 months, provided you meet Iceland's minimum age for the vehicle: 17 for a car. The licence must be in Latin letters, or come with a translation into Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish or English. An international driving permit counts as a licence for this rule.

So a licence in another script needs an international driving permit or an English translation. There is no official minimum age for hiring a car; ask the rental company.

Keep to 90 km/h and Leave the Lights On

Front and rear lights must be on 24 hours a day, all year. Driving without headlights costs 20,000 kr.

At a single-lane bridge, stop for oncoming traffic. SafeTravel gives 50 km/h on these bridges, and the first car to reach the bridge goes first.

Stay Off the F-Roads Until They Open, and Out of the Rivers

The mountain roads, marked with an F, open with the weather and the snow. The Road and Coastal Administration says most often do not open until late June or early July; SafeTravel says they are usually closed from mid-September.

Rivers on F-roads have no bridges. SafeTravel's warning is blunt: "no insurance covers any damage of a vehicle while crossing a river!" Read your rental contract before you drive one, and ask the desk whether the car may go on F-roads at all.

Driving off roads or tracks is against the law, except when the ground is frozen and covered in snow. F-roads and gravel roads count as roads; the ground beside them does not.

Pay the Vaðlaheiðargöng Toll Within 24 Hours

The Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel charges a toll. A single trip for a car under 3.5 tonnes costs 2,216 kr (from 2 March 2026). You pay online by number plate at veggjald.is or tunnel.is, within 24 hours before or after driving through.

Miss the window and you can no longer pay it yourself. The tunnel company bills the rental company, which charges your card the toll plus its own service fee.

Know the Fines in Krónur

Iceland's fines regulation runs to 500,000 kr. Paying within 30 days takes 25% off. You can also pay on the spot if a police officer gives you a ticket.

The speeds are the counted speed after the police allowance. Children under 150 cm must not sit in front of an active airbag.

Alcohol: under the 2019 Traffic Act, a driver with 0.2‰ blood alcohol is presumed unable to drive safely. Penalties start at 0.5‰ (0.25 mg/l of breath): a first offence at 0.50–0.60‰ costs 90,000 kr and a two-month licence suspension. I wouldn't drink at all before driving.

Expect Studs in Winter, and Ask for Them

Studded tyres and chains are banned from 15 April to 31 October, unless conditions need them. On snow or ice the car must have chains or coarse-pattern winter tyres. A car with studs must have them on all wheels. The legal minimum tread is 1.6 mm; no separate winter minimum is published.

Check the Road Before You Leave

Roads can close without warning in a storm. Check umferdin.is for live conditions, or call the 1777 line (+354 522 1100), open every day 06:30–22:00. The emergency number is 112.

Settle Damage Disputes as a Private Matter

The Icelandic Tourist Board says disputes between tourists and service providers, rental companies included, are private civil matters it cannot settle. There is no official rule on gravel, sand or ash damage: it is whatever your contract says. Photograph the car all round at pick-up, and read the damage clauses before you sign: excess and damage cover.