Whether you need new tests depends on who issued your licence
Once you have made Iceland your permanent home and lived here for a while, you can apply for an Icelandic driving licence (ökuskírteini) at a district commissioner. Licences from EEA countries, the UK, Switzerland and Japan can be exchanged without retaking tests, while licences from other countries need a theory and a driving test. The office checks your driving rights with the country that issued your licence.
How it works
Swap your foreign driving licence for a local one and check what you need.
After you move, your foreign licence is usually valid only for a limited time. Licences from EU and EEA countries can normally be exchanged without a test; licences from other countries only under specific agreements, and otherwise you may need to take a driving test. You usually need your original licence, ID, proof of address, a photo and sometimes a certified translation or a medical certificate. Apply in good time, as processing can take several weeks and you may have to hand in your old licence.
Also searched as
At a glance
Bring the licence you want to exchange
Exchanges are done at the district commissioners, and you hand in your foreign licence with the application. Offices differ on whether they like a call first or take walk-ins, so see how yours works.
Guides
Related services
Understand what the electronic ID is for, how it is activated and where to go when you need help with the first setup.
For anyone importing a car or buying a used one in Iceland: what happens before the inspection, what the station does and how ownership changes are reported.
Find out who can apply, which municipality handles your case and what to check before you contact social services.
See who can get a nafnskírteini, whether it can replace a passport for travel in the EEA and where a photo is taken for your application.
Who can apply, what you do online, what happens at the district commissioner and how a child’s passport differs from an adult’s.
A quick look at who can renew an Icelandic licence, when a medical certificate comes into play and where to hand in the application.
Other countries
Moving on, or comparing before you decide? See how this works elsewhere.
Most offices in Tilburg, The Hague, and 's-Hertogenbosch
Most offices in Warsaw, Wrocław, and Gdańsk
Most offices in Liège, Tournai, and Brussels
Most offices in Augsburg, Berlin, and Bielefeld
Most offices in A Coruña, Alicante, and Almería
Where to next
Browse the offices that handle licence exchanges, city by city, and check what each one asks you to bring.
Jump straight to another part of the manual.