Driving in Iceland with a US or Canadian license

Is a US or Canadian license valid in Iceland?

Yes. The Icelandic Transport Authority says driving licenses from countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) are valid in Iceland for 6 months, and the Government of Canada's travel advice for Iceland says the same for Canadian licenses. That is far longer than a rental with us, which lasts at most 30 days.

• Printed in the Latin alphabet: Iceland's driving-license regulation asks that a license issued outside the EEA be in Latin letters or come with a translation into Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish or English (Regulation No. 830/2011, article 29, in Icelandic). US and Canadian licenses are printed in the Latin alphabet, Québec's French-language licenses included.
• The same vehicles as at home: under the same article, a foreign license lets you drive in Iceland the vehicles it allows you to drive in the country that issued it.

What an International Driving Permit (IDP) is: a booklet with a translation of your license (as Ísland.is describes the Icelandic one). It does not replace your license: you carry the two together. It is issued in the country that issued your license, so if you want one, get it at home before you travel. It is valid for one year.

What we ask for when you rent

• Your physical driving license for the type of car, with your photo, valid for the whole rental and held for at least one year, without major endorsements or penalty points (rental terms 3).
• No mobile licenses, screenshots or scans. Many US states now issue mobile driver's licenses (see the TSA's list), but we can only accept the card itself, so pack it.
• A passport or national ID card for the renter and every driver (rental terms 4).
• Age: every driver must be at least 20, and 25 for SUVs, 4×4s and vans (Comfort, 4×4 Adventure, Highland 4×4 and Family & Space), which drivers aged 20–24 may rent at our discretion for a young driver fee of €15 per day. There is no maximum age (rental terms 2).
• Named drivers only: only drivers named on the rental agreement may drive, and each shows their own license. An additional driver costs €10 per day.

Just renewed your license and only have a temporary paper document? Ask us before you travel: info@ringroadcars.is or +354 779 9499. All the rules for renting are in What you need to rent a car in Iceland.

What is different from driving at home

You drive on the right, as at home, and most rules will feel familiar. These are the ones that catch drivers from the US and Canada out:

• Speed: 90 km/h (56 mph) on paved roads outside towns, 80 km/h (50 mph) on gravel and 30–50 km/h (19–31 mph) in towns, unless signs say otherwise. Speed cameras send the ticket to the car's owner, which is us: we pass it on to you or give your details to the police, and charge a €10 processing fee per notice (Speed limits & fines).
• Headlights and taillights stay on at all times, all year: switch them on yourself, as the car's automatic setting may not be enough.
• No right turn on a red light, ever: the Icelandic Transport Authority says it is prohibited, so wait for green.
• Roundabouts: traffic already in the roundabout has priority. In a two-lane roundabout, use the outer (right) lane only if you leave at the first exit, and otherwise the inner (left) lane. Don't change lanes inside, and give way to a car leaving from the inner lane: it has the right of way. Signal when you exit.
• Seat belts in every seat. Children shorter than 135 cm need a car seat that suits them, and children under 150 cm may not sit in front of an active airbag (Icelandic Transport Authority). You can book child seats with the car (Extras & what's included).
• Phones: hands-free only while driving.
• Alcohol: under the Traffic Act (No. 77/2019, art. 49), a driver with 0.2‰ of alcohol in the blood is deemed unable to drive safely; as Safetravel puts it, you can't drive even after one drink.
• Emergencies: call 112. Iceland has only one emergency number, for police, ambulance, fire and rescue. After an accident, call the police (112 in an emergency) and then us (Accident & breakdown).

Rural roads: bridges, blind hills, gravel and sheep

• Single-lane bridges (sign: Einbreið brú) are still common, on the Ring Road too. The car that reaches the bridge first crosses first: slow down early and, if in doubt, let the other car cross.
• Blind hills (sign: Blindhæð): keep to the far right and slow down, as an oncoming car can be hidden just over the crest. Never stop or overtake near one.
• Gravel roads: the limit is 80 km/h, but slow down before the pavement ends (sign: Malbik endar), as tires lose grip where the surface changes. Many roads inland are unpaved, narrow and without a shoulder, and stones thrown up by other cars can damage a windshield, so slow down when you meet one.
• Sheep and horses can be on or beside the road, and sheep may run across with little warning; a lamb on one side and its mother on the other is the classic case. No cover option includes damage caused by or involving animals, and such damage must be reported to the police and to us (rental terms 19 and 36).
• Never stop on the road for photos, not even at the edge: drive on to a marked parking area or pull-out.
• Off-road driving is illegal. No cover option applies to damage caused off road, and our terms add an off-road driving fee of €1,000 (rental terms 16 and 40). Only approved 4×4s may drive F-roads (Can rental cars drive on F-roads in Iceland?).

Weather and road conditions change fast: check the road conditions every day before you set off.

Fuel, and automatic or manual

Fuel is sold by the liter: 1 US gallon is about 3.8 liters. Most stations are self-service, and you pay at the pump before you fill up, with a card and its PIN, so ask your bank for your card's PIN before you travel. No PIN? Pay with your phone where the pump accepts it, or buy an N1 prepaid card at a staffed N1 station while it is open (Fuel & paying at the pump).

Fill up with the fuel your car takes, as shown on the label of the fuel cap: Bensín is petrol (gas) and Dísel is diesel. Return the car full, refueled within 5 km of the return location.

Prefer an automatic? Every car in Comfort and Highland 4×4 is automatic. In 4×4 Adventure, the Suzuki Vitara 4x4 is automatic and the Dacia Duster 4x4 is manual. Everyday and Family & Space cars are manual only. Book an automatic category or model (Automatic cars). If you rarely drive a manual (stick shift), an automatic is the simpler choice: no cover option includes damage to the clutch or transmission (rental terms 36).

Your card, the hold and your own card's cover

The renter needs a physical credit or debit card in their own name: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, China UnionPay, Discover or Diners Club, but not a prepaid, purchasing, anonymous or virtual card. Apple Pay and Google Pay are fine for paying, but bring the card. At pickup we place a hold on it for the excess of your cover option: a hold, not a charge or a deposit, released after you return the car (rental terms 6–7).

Counting on your credit card's rental car cover? Before you travel, ask your card issuer whether its cover applies to rental cars in Iceland and to the type of car you will drive, and what it needs from you if you claim. You may decline our CDW when you book or at the desk, at the same price: the price does not go down, your liability becomes unlimited, up to the value of the car and extras, and the hold is €3,000. The rental terms advise declining only if your own card or travel insurance covers rental cars in Iceland (rental terms 35); the Theft Waiver and the two insurances required by law still apply. What each option includes: Cover & extras.

Prices are in euros. This website can show them in US or Canadian dollars as a guide, converted at the day's European Central Bank rate. We charge your card in euros or Icelandic krónur (ISK), an ISK amount at the Central Bank of Iceland's mid-rate on the day, with no card surcharge; fees your own bank or card issuer charges, such as foreign transaction fees, are yours (rental terms 6). More on cards and holds: Renting with a debit card.

Questions about driving in Iceland on a US or Canadian license