Health Insurance
Everyone who has had legal residency in Iceland for six consecutive months is covered by national health insurance. Icelandic Health Insurance is residency-based and it is therefore recommended to register legal residence in Iceland as soon as possible.
Icelandic Health Insurance determines whether citizens of EEA and EFTA countries are eligible to transfer their health insurance rights to Iceland.
Services covered
Payments for services provided at healthcare centres and hospitals are covered by the system, as well as health services for self-employed doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists and psychologists. For additional information, click here.
EEA citizens that had a health insurance in another EEA country before moving to Iceland can apply for health insurance from the day that they register their legal residence in Iceland. Click here for information on process, requirements and application form.
Private health insurance for citizens outside of EEA/EFTA
If you are a citizen from a country outside of EEA/EFTA, Switzerland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, you are advised to buy private insurance during the time you are waiting to become health insured in the social insurance system.
For temporary workers from outside the EU health insurance is one of the primary conditions for issuing a residence permit. As temporary workers from outside the EEA do not have public health coverage, they must apply for coverage from private insurance companies.
Examples of insurance companies in Iceland:
Useful links
- Apply for Health Insurance
- Health - island.is
- Health Service Map
- Emergency - 112
- Icelandic Health Insurance - Sjúkratryggingar Íslands
- Heilsuvera - Health related information and assistance
Everyone who has had legal residency in Iceland for six consecutive months is covered by national health insurance.