The Icelandic identity card is uncommon in Iceland, as most people use their driving licence as ID.[7] An updated design complying with EU standards was introduced in March 2024, allowing the Icelandic ID card to be used for travel across all countries in the EU/EFTA, which was not possible with previous cards.[8][9][10]
An electronic ID (Icelandic: Rafræn Skilríki) is issued separately from the regular ID card.[11] 97% of Icelanders had an active electronic ID (eID) in 2022.[12]
The new cards are valid abroad as travel documentation for travel across the European Economic Area (including the European Union), Switzerland and a few other countries in Europe. An distinct version of the card without travel rights is also available.[9] The card is written in Icelandic and English. They are valid for 10 years for adults and for 5 years for children under the age of 18.[10]
Countries and regions in which the Icelandic identity card is valid.
Strictly speaking, it is not necessary for an EEA or Swiss citizen to possess a valid national identity card or passport to enter the EEA and Switzerland. In theory, if an EEA or Swiss citizen can prove their nationality by any other means (e.g. by presenting an expired national identity card or passport, or a citizenship certificate), they must be permitted to enter the EEA and Switzerland. An EEA or Swiss citizen who is unable to demonstrate their nationality satisfactorily must, nonetheless, be given 'every reasonable opportunity' to obtain the necessary documents or to have them delivered within a reasonable period of time.[14]
For travel within the Nordic countries no identity documentation is legally required for Icelandic citizens due to the Nordic Passport Union, but one must be able to prove their citizenship by acceptable means,[15] which in reality means that identity documentation is needed.
ID card without travel rights
A distinct version of the ID card is available without travel rights and does not state Icelandic citizenship. This card is issued for individuals who may not be legally permitted to travel internationally and for children aged 13–18 applying for a card without travel consent from their parents/guardians.[10] Cards without travel rights have a clear warning on the card (in place of the MRZ), and the document number begins with II (instead of standard ID).[16]
Issue
ID cards are issued by local sheriffs on behalf of Registers Iceland to Icelandic citizens, regardless of age.[10] The ID cards are issued in the same way as Icelandic passports. ID cards can also be issued by Icelandic consulates abroad. Applicants are usually issued a card with travel rights, however, if the applicant is under a travel restriction due to judicial order (e.g. parole) a card without travel rights is issued, which can also be chosen voluntarily by the applicant.[10]
Applicants must turn up to the place of issue, with another valid or expired physical ID (passport or driving licence). If an ID cannot be shown, two witnesses, over the age of 18, can verify the applicant's identity straight at the place of application with their own IDs.[17]
Children
The consent of a parent/guardian must be submitted on applications for persons under the age of 13. For cards issued with travel rights for a child aged under 18, both parents/guardians must give their consent.
Cost
The nominal cost of issuance of an ID card is 9,200 ISK (ages 18–66). A reduced price of 4,600 ISK is charged for children, elderly and disabled citizens. For an expedited issuance (within 2 days) the price is doubled. The cost is the same for a card with and without travel rights.[18][19]
Electronic identification (eID)
Icelandic eID card. The EMV chip is on the other side.
Electronic IDs (Icelandic: Rafræn skilríki), introduced in Iceland in 2008, are extensively used by the public and private sectors linked to the Icelandic ID number. The most widely used version is on a mobile phone - with the authentication key held on a SIM card.
Today, this system is used by all banks, e-government services, healthcare, education, document signing and over 300 private companies for customer page logins. Since the only thing you need to remember is your own PIN code and your phone, it is very widespread and works as a sort of single-sign-on service.
In Iceland 97% of the eligible population has an active eID, including 75% of over 75s. Icelandic eID holders used their eID more than 20 times a month in 2021. eIDs are legally as valid as other physical IDs, but only for online/electronic identification and cannot be used in person.[20]
At enrollment centres (e.g. banks or phone companies) users present physical ID and create a PIN. Each time they need to identify, verify or sign something online the PIN code is validated through a SIM app, smartphone app or smartcard. Citizens or residents aged 13 or over are eligible.
Physical digital ID EMVsmartcards (Icelandic: Einkaskilríki) which are valid for 1 year and do not contain a photo, and are only usable electronically. The PIN code is validated using a smartcard reader through a PC.
SIM card digital IDs: an authentication key is held within a SIM card. When used, a prompt via flash SMS is initiated and the PIN code is validated. An Icelandic SIM card is required. This is the most widespread implementation of eIDs.[20]
App digital eID: a mobile application available on the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Biometric enrollment using an ePassport is possible using the app. Authentication is held on the device and the PIN is entered through the app.[22]
History
Icelandic 'passport' used as an identification document during wartime from 1942 to 1945.
Earlier ID cards
In medieval times, while under the control of other Scandinavian powers, internal passports were required for certain individuals. The first legal instance of internal passports, then called Reisupassi or passi, were issued from 1781 for certain individuals travelling between regions of Iceland (mostly freemen). In the 19th century, the role of internal passports was questioned, progressively unenforced, and were officially repealed in 1907.[23]
From 1942 to 1945, during the British occupation of Iceland of the Second World War, emergency laws were introduced requiring domestic identification.[24] Domestic 'passports', simple blue folded paper cards with a photograph, effectively acting as identity cards, were issued to all residents who were required to carry them at all times.[25][26] The domestic passports were abolished after the occupation in 1945.[24]
1965-2024 identity cards
Registers Iceland created the Icelandic national register in 1951, followed by a new ID number in 1959.[27] Subsequently, Icelandic identity cards were launched in 1965 and citizens and residents in Iceland aged over 12 were eligible for the ID card, but are and continue to be voluntary.[11]
They were usually distributed to all children through schools at the age of 12.[11] From 1974 cards were issued at age 14, to make photographs more recognisable at later ages as the cards were valid indefinitely.[28][29]
The ID cards were laminated white paper cards in ID-2 size, with a photograph stamped by the issuing authority. Cards were free of charge for the first issue, with a photograph being provided by the applicant.[28] The cards were only written in Icelandic and did not have an expiry date or document number. The reverse side contained an explanation of the contents of the card.[11] In earlier versions they contained the person's residential address and 4-digit postal number.[19][30]
In 1986, Icelandic ID numbers replaced older 'name numbers' and citizenship started to be included.[31] In the late 1990s to early 2000s, identity cards stopped being issued by default and had to be collected from sheriffs or Registers Iceland.[32]
Characteristics
Until their last issue in 2023, the information contained on the cards included:[11]
Citizenship (RF.XX, where XX is the two letter country code e.g. RF.IS for Icelandic citizens)
Date of issue
Photograph (dated stamp by the issuing authority, usually Registers Iceland)
Card issued in 1966
Card issued in the late 2010s
Travel acceptance
The old-style Icelandic ID cards did not fulfil international document security requirements, however did contain the holder's citizenship, but this was not clearly indicated on the card and was only written in Icelandic. The old-style cards were not certified by the Icelandic government as a travel document outside of the Nordic Countries.[33][15] Icelandic citizens are entitled to travel without a passport through the Nordic Passport Union.[34]
Debit and credit cards
In 1993, debit cards were launched which contained a picture and national ID no. (thereby containing their date of birth) of the cardholder. These were intended for cashiers to verify the identity of the payor, acting as a cheque guarantee card.[35] In 1995 photographs were also added to credit cards.[36]
As a result of their ubiquity and relative security compared to other forms of ID, bank-issued payment cards became a de facto form of domestic identification.
In conjunction with over 90% of citizens possessing driving licences, Icelandic identity cards became somewhat redundant.[37][38]
Need for a new ID card
Icelandic ID cards were becoming progressively popular, increasing from 649 cards issued in 2019 to 1,555 in 2020. Identity cards are important for citizens who live a car-free lifestyle or do not possess a passport, who previously relied on debit/credit cards as ID.[8]
There were plans in 2007 to introduce an updated ID card with a chip for digital capability which would have allowed their use abroad.[39][40] The combined ID solution never came to fruition, and separate digital-only eID smartcards (Icelandic: Einkaskilríki) were introduced in 2008 (see below).[6]
Bank cards, the de facto ID, were quite easy to falsify due to their lack of security features.[41] In 2019–2022, banks stopped printing ID photos and information on payment cards.[40] Icelandic ID cards, issued unchanged from their 1965 desgn, were relatively easy to falsify; even though identity fraud rate remains low in Iceland.[42] In the late 2010s issues began to arise from fraudulent collections of pharmacy prescriptions by using falsified ID cards.[43] Around the same time, the EU regulations on the design of national identity cards were enacted from 2019, necessitating an update of Icelandic ID cards.[44]
Issuance of the card was transferred to local sheriffs and are issued in the same way as Icelandic passports. The new cards are valid abroad as travel documents within the EU/EFTA, and are accepted by a few other European countries.[12] The cards remain voluntary. The new law also restricted the issuance solely to Icelandic citizens and introduced an issuance fee.[9] The new cards are the first in the world to adhere to the new ICAO 9303 standard with a rotated image of the card holder.[47]
Older ID cards issued before 2013 expired in December 2023 and cards issued before March 2024 will expire by 2026.[17][9]
eID development
Digital ID cards initially rolled out in 2000 to a limited number employees of government departments, large companies and the healthcare system who regularly accessed sensitive information. In late 2008 digital IDs were rolled out more widely in the healthcare and accountant sectors. A physical eID card could be paired with a smartcard reader on the client's computer to enable eID functions.[48] It was also previously possible to store one's eID on an EMV debit card.[6] eIDs are administered by Auðkenni hf., which was initially created by a consortium of banks but is now owned by the government.
In November 2013 the SIM card implementation for mobile phones was introduced, which led to a much quicker take-up of eIDs due to its ease of use.[49] By 2014, 40% of Icelanders were using eIDs, rising to 97% in 2022.[50]
Some issues arose with the mobile SIM implementation as an Icelandic SIM card was required, precluding Icelandic citizens living abroad. Additionally, they were incompatible withs increasingly prevalent eSIMs, due to international eID standards. Therefore, in 2022, a new smartphone app implementation was introduced, along with the ability to biometrically enroll using an ePassport.
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