The sooner you apply, the sooner payment can start
Unemployment benefit (atvinnuleysisbætur) is paid by the Directorate of Labour to people who have worked in Iceland, live in the country legally and can take ordinary work. You apply online, and payment starts from the day of your application, not from the day it is approved. Every month you confirm that you are still looking for a job. If you worked in another EEA country before, ask about counting that work.
How it works
Claim unemployment benefit after losing your job.
If you lose your job, you may be entitled to unemployment benefit, usually if you have worked and paid contributions for long enough. Apply as soon as possible, because a late claim can cost you days of payment. You usually need your ID, your employment contract or dismissal letter, a certificate of employment from your employer and your bank details; work in other EU countries can count towards your entitlement. In many countries you must also register as a jobseeker. The benefit office decides whether you qualify and how much you receive.
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At a glance
Offices support the claim, they do not replace it
Your claim is submitted online with the Directorate of Labour, not at a counter, and the regional office then helps with questions and counselling. Offices in Reykjavík, Keflavík and Akureyri each work in their own way, and you also confirm each month that you are looking for work.
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.
Check how licences from the EEA and from other countries are treated, what to bring to the district commissioner and when you can apply.
Other countries
Moving on, or comparing before you decide? See how this works elsewhere.
Most offices in Barcelona, Valencia, and Málaga
Most offices in Berlin, Bremen, and Aachen
Most offices in Gorzów Wielkopolski, Łódź, and Opole
Most offices in Aalst, Antwerp, and Arlon
Most offices in Amsterdam, Almelo, and Enschede
Where to next
Regional offices that support people claiming unemployment benefit, from questions about the claim to counselling for the job search.
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