Conditions générales

1. Vehicle type. If the reserved vehicle type is unavailable, the Lessor may provide a similar vehicle in the same or a higher ACRISS category at the same rate; a make or model is guaranteed only if agreed in writing. If only a lower category is available, the Lessee may accept it with a refund of the difference or cancel with a full refund. A substitute is F-road approved if the booked vehicle was (or the Lessee may cancel with a full refund) and never carries a fee the booked vehicle would not. All vehicles have winter tires from 1 November to 14 April.

2. Minimum age. The Lessee and every driver must be at least 20 years old. For SUVs, 4x4 vehicles, luxury cars and vans the minimum age is 25, but the Lessor may, at its discretion, allow drivers aged 20 to 24 to rent them for the young driver fee (clause 40(d)).

3. Driving license. Every driver must present at collection a physical driving license for the vehicle category, with photograph, valid for the whole rental, held for at least one year and without major endorsements or penalty points. Digital licenses, screenshots and scans are not accepted, except an Icelandic digital license verified live through Ísland.is. A license not in the Latin alphabet needs, with the original license, an International Driving Permit or, where the issuing country issues none (for example mainland China), a certified translation, or a TIDL, sworn or officially authorized translation plus a passport.

4. Identification and refusal. The Lessee and every driver must present a valid passport or national identity card, which the Lessor may require to match the booking and card. If clauses 2 to 4 are not met, the Lessor may refuse the rental, which is then a no-show, or the driver.

5. Price List. Fees are set in clause 40. Excess Amounts and the other prices are in the Price List ("Excess amounts and prices for protection, fees, missing fuel, missing extras and tires"), dated, published on the Lessor's website next to these Terms and available at the rental desk. The version in force at booking applies (clause 47); earlier versions are available on request. Voir la grille tarifaire.

6. Payment and currency. Prepaid bookings are charged when made, pay-later bookings at or after the scheduled collection. The Lessor accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, China UnionPay, Discover and Diners Club cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, and may accept cash in EUR, ISK, USD or GBP on arrival. Prices are in EUR, include 24% VAT unless stated otherwise, and may be charged in EUR or ISK; ISK charges and cash in other currencies are converted at the Central Bank of Iceland mid-rate on the day. Fees charged by the Lessee's own bank or card issuer, such as for currency conversion, are the Lessee's; the Lessor charges no card surcharge.

7. Card, pre-authorization and deposit. The Lessee must present a physical credit or debit card, even if Apple Pay or Google Pay was used to pay, in the Lessee's name, showing number and expiry date and valid for 90 days after the rental (or replaced on request); prepaid, purchasing, anonymous and virtual cards are not accepted. At collection the Lessor pre-authorizes the Excess Amount of the Lessee's Protection Tier on the card: EUR 3,000 with BASIC or without CDW; EUR 1,000 with BASIC and SCDW (bookings on the Lessor's website) or with PLUS; with MAX, no pre-authorization is taken (Price List). A pre-authorization is a hold, not a charge or a deposit, and is released after the return, subject to the card issuer's processing time. The Lessor may refuse the vehicle as a no-show without a qualifying card. The card may be charged, during and for a reasonable period after the rental, for all amounts due under these Terms; after the rental, only once the Lessor has emailed an itemized statement with supporting documents. No deposit is taken at collection. If the return inspection finds damage no waiver covers (undercarriage or water damage, including from river crossings, or sand and ash damage without SAP or MAX), its full cost is charged under clause 13, and the Lessor may place a hold of up to EUR 10,000 on the card for that cost; any part of the hold not needed is released, and any shortfall is payable.

8. Cancellation and amendments. Cancellation at least 48 hours before the scheduled collection is refunded in full. A later cancellation or a no-show (clause 10), including failure to present what clauses 3, 4 and 7 require, is not refunded, and a pay-later booking may be charged the same. Non-refundable rates are never refunded, and a rental for a specific period has no 14-day withdrawal right (Act No. 16/2016, Article 18(l)). Cancel by email to info@ringroadcars.is, or through the agent for agent bookings. The road-use charge is refunded for a canceled or uncollected booking. Amendments depend on availability and, within 48 hours of collection, the Lessor's consent; each carries the amendment fee, reprices the booking at current rates (a lower price is not refunded) and never restarts the cancellation period.

9. The Lessee agrees to the Rental Agreement/Lease and confirms receipt of a copy.

10. Collection and pick-up check. The vehicle must be collected within two hours of the scheduled time, or the booking may be treated as a no-show; the Lessor will try to hold it for a delay reported in advance. Before the vehicle leaves, the Lessor and the Lessee check it together and record all existing damage in the Vehicle Condition Report, which the Lessee signs and receives a copy of. The Lessor photographs the vehicle, records a 360° video of it and sends them to the Lessee, who may also take photographs. Damage not recorded then is presumed to have occurred during the rental, unless the Lessee shows otherwise.

11. Return. The Lessee must return the vehicle and all accessories (including tires and tools) in the condition in which they were received, with the exception of normal wear due to use: (a) by the Agreed Return Time; (b) at the Lessor's premises or another location agreed in advance (one-way fee); (c) with a full tank, refueled within 5 km of the return location (a plug-in hybrid need not be charged); and (d) clean inside and clean enough outside to be inspected.

12. Rental days and late return. Rentals are charged in 24-hour days from the scheduled collection time until the Agreed Return Time or later return. The rental ends when the vehicle and all keys are handed to staff at the agreed location. Early return or non-use is not refunded, unless an unremedied fault the Lessee did not cause prevents use (clause 29). A return more than one hour after the end of a rental day may be charged an extra day, and each further started 24 hours another at the then-current daily rate, plus documented recovery costs. Extensions need the Lessor's consent; otherwise, after trying to contact the Lessee, the Lessor may repossess the vehicle at the Lessee's cost, report it to the police and locate it by tracking. Use more than one hour after the Agreed Return Time without consent is unauthorized use, without waiver cover, unless the Lessee has told the Lessor that a road closure, weather warning or other circumstance beyond the Lessee's control prevents the return; the time is still charged. The maximum rental period is 30 days; to continue renting, the Lessee must return the vehicle to the Lessor's office.

13. Return inspection and damage. The Lessor inspects the vehicle at its Keflavík office during Opening Hours (out-of-hours returns when they next begin; returns elsewhere on reaching that office, transport damage being the Lessor's) and gives the Lessee a receipt. Risk passes when the vehicle and keys are handed to staff; a vehicle left unattended or with its keys in or on it stays at the Lessee's risk. New damage is recorded on a Damage Liability Form shown to the Lessee; signing only confirms it was shown, and refusing does not remove liability. Damage is charged at the actual repair cost on the invoice or an itemized repair-shop estimate, never above the Price List for listed items and, where a waiver applies, up to the Excess Amount, plus the damage administration fee. The Lessor emails notice with photographs and the estimate or invoice within 10 days of the return and, apart from placing a hold under clause 7, charges nothing until 20 days after it unless the Lessee agrees in writing. If the final invoice is lower than a charged estimate, the difference is refunded.

14. Independent assessment. Within 20 days of the damage notice the Lessee may request in writing an assessment by an independent repair shop using the Cabas system; nothing is charged until it is done. The result binds the Lessor; if it is lower, the Lessor pays for the assessment and refunds the difference. The damage administration fee applies in every case. The Lessee may also go to the Consumer Complaints Board (clause 44) or the courts.

15. Careful use and liability. The vehicle must be driven carefully and locked when unattended, with the keys never left in or on it. Only drivers named in the Rental Agreement/Lease may drive; the Lessee is responsible for anyone given the vehicle or a key, and the Lessee and each driver are jointly and severally liable. The Lessee is liable for damage to the vehicle and injury to passengers that no waiver or insurance pays and that results from breaching clause 16 or 17, intent, gross negligence, intoxication, or use breaching the law or the Rental Agreement/Lease.

16. Roads and off-road driving. Only a four-wheel drive (4x4, 4WD or AWD) vehicle confirmed in the booking as F-road approved may be driven on F roads, Kjölur (road 35 from road 37 to road 732), Kaldidalur (550), Öxi (939) or roads 586 and 864, only when officially open, and never on F26, F66, F88, F206, F207, F208 (except from road 26 to F224), F210, F223, F225, F228, F229, F232, F233, F235, F249, F261, F333, F337, F338, F578, F734, F752, F756, F821, F839, F881, F899, F902, F903, F905, F909, F910, F946 or F980. No vehicle may be driven off road (which is illegal), on unregistered roads or paths, or on roads closed or marked impassable (umferdin.is); leaving the road when forced to, for example by road works or the police, is not a breach. A breach carries the off-road driving or prohibited-road fee, and no waiver covers resulting damage. Statutory insurance still applies, with the insurer's legal right of recourse against the Lessee.

17. Rivers and watercourses. Driving into or across any river, stream, ford or other watercourse, even on a permitted F road, is entirely at the Lessee's own risk. No waiver covers it (clause 36); the Lessee pays the full repair cost or the vehicle's value, plus towing.

18. Road conditions and weather. The Lessee must check road classifications, closures, conditions and warnings (Vegagerðin at umferdin.is, vedur.is, safetravel.is), adapt driving to snow, ice and gravel, and in strong wind park facing into the wind and hold the doors firmly.

19. Accidents. After an accident the Lessee must notify the police (112 in an emergency) and the Lessor immediately and stay at the scene until the police arrive or decline to attend, or the Lessor permits leaving. If another vehicle is involved, both drivers sign an accident statement, sent to the Lessor at once. Theft, vandalism and damage involving animals must be reported to the police and the Lessor without delay. Failure removes waiver cover only as far as it materially impaired assessment or recovery of the loss.

20. Repairs and alterations. Without the Lessor's prior written consent (email or message suffices) the Lessee may not arrange repairs, alter the vehicle or offer it as security; changing a wheel or an emergency repair needed for safety is allowed.

21. Fuel, animals and loads. The Lessee must use the fuel type stated on the vehicle. After misfueling the vehicle must not be started and the Lessor must be called; no waiver covers the damage, and draining and repair are charged at documented cost, plus the towing and transport fee where the vehicle is moved. Animals need the Lessor's prior written consent, and cleaning they cause is charged. Roof loads need a rack approved by the Lessor.

22. Fines, tolls and parking. The Lessee pays all parking charges, entrance fees, tolls and traffic fines arising during the rental, plus the processing fee. Camera-recorded tunnel (currently Vaðlaheiðargöng), parking and site charges must be paid online by the driver by the deadline shown. The Lessor may give the Lessee's details to the police, the issuer or its collection agent so the charge is issued to the Lessee directly.

23. Permitted use. Without the Lessor's prior consent the vehicle may not carry passengers for payment, or be lent or sublet. It may never be used for racing, speed tests or driver training, to tow or push a vehicle or tow a trailer, or to carry hazardous goods beyond personal-use quantities. Smoking and vaping are not permitted and carry the cleaning fee. Children must use a suitable child restraint, fitted correctly by the Lessee even if hired, never rear-facing in front of an active airbag.

24. Mileage and odometer. Mileage is unlimited unless the booking and the Rental Agreement/Lease state a limit, and always for bookings on the Lessor's website. A limited booking includes 100 km per rental day unless stated otherwise; extra kilometers are charged unless the Lessee has upgraded to unlimited mileage. The odometer governs; a fault must be reported promptly. Interfering with the odometer or any tracking, safety or diagnostic device is a material breach at the Lessee's cost.

25. Travel outside Iceland. The vehicle may not leave Iceland without the Lessor's prior written consent. Domestic ferries are at the Lessee's own risk, and no waiver covers damage during unauthorized travel abroad or sea transport.

26. Belongings. The Lessor is not responsible for property in or on the vehicle unless it caused the loss intentionally or negligently. Sending on items found is at the Lessee's expense.

27. Business rentals. A business Lessee may not set off a claim against the Lessor's charges unless the Lessor has acknowledged it in writing or it is established by final judgment.

28. The Lessor will provide the vehicle at the agreed time, roadworthy, registered, insured and with its periodic inspection passed. If it cannot provide the booked category or higher, the Lessee may cancel with a full refund.

29. The Lessor will remedy a fault the Lessee did not cause, at no cost, as clause 51 provides; a minor fault may be repaired locally with the Lessee's consent.

30. The Lessor will explain the Rental Agreement/Lease and inform foreign Lessees about Icelandic traffic rules and signs, the off-road driving ban, river crossings and animals on roads. Any restriction on the vehicle's use is given in writing at signing, or by email during the rental, effective on receipt.

31. The Lessor maintains valid liability insurance for its operations and vehicles.

32. Limitation of liability. The Lessor is not liable for losses caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, such as eruptions, severe weather or road closures, nor for indirect loss such as missed flights, accommodation or lost profit. Its liability for direct loss is limited to the amounts paid for the rental. None of these limits applies to death, personal injury, intent or gross negligence, or where the law does not allow a limit.

33. What every rental includes. The rental price includes the insurance Icelandic law requires: third-party liability insurance up to the amount set by law, and personal accident insurance for the driver and owner; the insurer's name and terms are available on request. It also includes the Theft Waiver and, unless the booking was made without it or the Lessee declines it, the Collision Damage Waiver (CDW). Otherwise the Lessee is responsible for damage to and loss of the vehicle, apart from normal wear and faults the Lessee did not cause.

34. Protection Tiers. Every rental with CDW carries one of three Protection Tiers, stated in the Rental Agreement/Lease:

TWP and SAP are also sold as add-ons; Roadside Assistance Protection (RAP, clause 52) is sold only as an add-on. CDW is not sold on its own: a booking without it, as some third-party bookings are, must add it to buy PLUS or MAX. Website bookings, which include SCDW, can add TWP for the cover of PLUS.

35. Collision Damage Waiver (CDW). CDW limits the Lessee's liability for collision damage to the BASIC Excess Amount per Incident; damage the evidence shows is unrelated, such as impacts on different sides, counts as separate Incidents. The Lessee may decline CDW at booking or at the desk after seeing the Lessor's decline notice, and then bears the full cost of damage to or loss of the vehicle and extras up to their value; declining CDW does not reduce the rental price. Declining is advisable only where the Lessee's own card or travel insurance covers rental cars in Iceland. The Theft Waiver still applies.

36. Exclusions. No waiver, at any tier, covers damage:

• a. caused intentionally, by vandalism or by gross negligence;
• b. while the driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs or otherwise unfit to drive;
• c. from racing, speed tests, driver training, war or civil unrest;
• d. caused by or involving animals;
• e. to the interior, including burns;
• f. only to wheels, tires, suspension, batteries, windshield, roof or radios, except tire and windshield damage covered by TWP, or theft of parts and resulting damage;
• g. to the undercarriage, or to the drivetrain, engine or chassis parts from rough roads, grader ridges or stones;
• h. from driving where not permitted, such as paths, glaciers, frozen lakes, snow off maintained roads, beaches and tidal areas, or from watercourses or water entering the vehicle, unless the driver was forced off the road;
• i. from windblown sand, gravel, ash, pumice or earth, except sand and ash damage covered by SAP or MAX;
• j. during ferry or sea transport, including sea spray;
• k. while driven by an unauthorized or unlicensed driver;
• l. to the clutch or transmission, or from wrong fuel; or
• m. materially inconsistent with the incident as reported, as the Lessor must show.

37. Theft Waiver. The Theft Waiver applies at every tier if the vehicle was locked with the windows closed, the keys are returned and the theft was reported without delay (clause 19). It does not cover theft of parts or belongings, or theft made possible by keys left in the vehicle or gross negligence.

38. SCDW, ZCDW, TWP and SAP. SCDW (PLUS, and website bookings) requires CDW and limits liability for collision damage to the PLUS Excess Amount per Incident. ZCDW (MAX) limits it to zero, including damage covered by TWP and SAP; with MAX, exclusion (f) does not apply to wheels and tires, but the other exclusions in clause 36 apply, including damage only to suspension, batteries, roof or radios, and the damage administration fee still applies. TWP covers at no excess the replacement part only: a tire when only the tire is damaged, and the front windshield when damaged by gravel from another vehicle. It does not cover wheel rims, fitting or other labor, tire-shop transport, roadside assistance or emergency fees (see RAP, clause 52). SAP covers at no excess damage from sandstorms, erosion and ash, except in an area under an orange or red wind warning from the Icelandic Meteorological Office.

39. When a waiver applies. A waiver applies only until the vehicle is returned, only to named drivers, only once paid for (for pay-later bookings, from collection), and never during unauthorized use (clause 12). The Lessee may add protection at any time; it never covers earlier damage, known or not.

40. Fees. These fees are charged where they apply (a charge applying to every rental is in the booking price):

• a. Location fee: EUR 62, only where a third-party booking channel lists it in the booking. It does not apply to bookings made on the Lessor's website, is never added at the rental desk and is not a charge for the shuttle: the Keflavík Airport shuttle is included in every rental during Opening Hours, and in the out-of-hours service in (b);
• b. Out-of-hours service: EUR 75 per collection or return at Keflavík Airport outside Opening Hours, on request agreed in advance, shuttle included; EUR 150 after 12:00 on 24 and 31 December; no collection or return on 25 December and 1 January;
• c. Additional driver: EUR 10 per day per named driver besides the Lessee;
• d. Young driver fee: EUR 15 per day per driver aged 20 to 24 renting an SUV, a 4x4 vehicle, a luxury car or a van (clause 2);
• e. Amendment fee: EUR 10 per change to a booking (clause 8);
• f. Off-road driving fee: EUR 1,000 for driving off road (clause 16);
• g. Prohibited-road fee: EUR 1,000 for driving on a prohibited road (clause 16);
• h. Unauthorized-driver fee: EUR 1,000 when anyone not named in the Rental Agreement/Lease drives with the Lessee's or a named driver's permission;
• i. Processing fee: EUR 10 per fine, toll or notice about the rental reaching the Lessor (clause 22);
• j. Refueling fee: EUR 30 for a vehicle not returned full, plus the missing fuel in eighths of a tank (a part eighth counting as one) at the price per liter that N1 publishes for its station at Flugvellir 27, 230 Reykjanesbær (n1.is/is/eldsneytisverd), on the day the Lessor refuels the vehicle, without markup (the Price List gives examples);
• k. Cleaning fee: EUR 150 for an interior needing wet-vacuuming or special treatment beyond normal road dust, or signs of smoking or vaping, such as stubs, ashes or odor;
• l. Towing and transport: EUR 4.50 per km both ways, minimum EUR 200, when the Lessee is responsible for moving the vehicle, and for a call-out without RAP (clause 53);
• m. Damage administration fee: EUR 150 each time damage is charged (clause 13), at every tier including MAX;
• n. Keys, documents, tires and extras: lost or damaged items at the Price List price or documented cost (clause 13); a lost license plate, EUR 100, is never covered;
• o. One-way rental: EUR 50 between Keflavík Airport and Reykjavík; for other agreed locations, confirmed in writing when agreed;
• p. Extra kilometers: EUR 0.35 per km beyond a limited allowance (clause 24).

41. Road-use charge (kílómetragjald). The Lessor owes the State the kilometer fee (Act No. 100/2025) and for rentals of up to 30 days pays it as the official rental-car daily rate (Articles 6(4) and 12). The road-use charge, EUR 10.50 per started rental day, is (a) that rate, without markup or VAT (Article 26), plus (b) the Lessor's processing charge, including VAT. If a rental nevertheless exceeds 30 days (clause 12), the official fee for the whole rental is charged per kilometer driven (Article 6), plus (b) per day.

42. The Rental Agreement/Lease must be kept in the vehicle, and any amendment to it must be in writing.

43. Law and disputes. Icelandic law applies, including to claims outside the agreement. Disputes go to the court of the Lessor's legal venue, without depriving a consumer of any mandatory right, including under the Lugano Convention, to sue or be sued at home; a consumer domiciled in Iceland may be sued only in the home district.

44. Complaints. Complaints go first to info@ringroadcars.is. A consumer may then refer the dispute to the Consumer Complaints Board, and consumers in other EEA states may contact ECC Iceland.

45. Late payment. Overdue amounts bear default interest (Act No. 38/2001) from the due date or, if none, one month after demand (Article 5), and, after any required warning, collection costs (Act No. 95/2008). A card chargeback does not extinguish a valid debt.

46. The Lessor may assign the Rental Agreement/Lease to an affiliate or business successor assuming its obligations. If a provision is invalid or unenforceable, the rest remains in force; one unfair to a consumer does not bind the consumer.

47. Changes. The Terms and Price List in force at booking apply, except as clauses 8 and 12 provide and except for tax or statutory changes, which apply when they take effect. A specific term in the booking confirmation or the Rental Agreement/Lease, such as the Protection Tier or return location, prevails over these Terms and the Price List; one in the Rental Agreement/Lease that differs from the booking applies only if the Lessee agreed to it.

48. Information on the website. If a price or description on the website contains an obvious error, the Lessee may cancel with a full refund when told of it. Where the law allows, the Lessor is not liable for website errors or outages.

49. Vehicles may be fitted with a tracking device, shown by a sticker. Ring Road Cars ehf., as controller, collects through a telematics provider position, speed, acceleration, impact and vehicle data and the device identifier, to prevent theft, locate overdue vehicles, detect unauthorized use, establish when and how damage occurred, evidence charges, handle claims, provide assistance and manage the fleet. The data is deleted within 90 days unless needed for a claim, dispute or legal obligation. The legal basis, other personal data processed and the Lessee's rights are in the Privacy Policy at ringroadcars.is/en/privacy.

50. Every rental includes 24/7 breakdown and emergency assistance on +354 779 9499. The Lessee must call before arranging third-party assistance or repair; unauthorized repairs are not reimbursed.

51. In cases of mechanical failure or a fault caused by normal wear and tear, through no fault of the Lessee, roadside assistance is free for every Lessee, with or without RAP, including a tow and a replacement vehicle as soon as reasonably possible.

52. Roadside Assistance Protection (RAP). RAP is an optional add-on that waives call-out, labor and recovery fees, including towing, for a flat battery, a tire puncture or a lock-out only, in an emergency. It does not cover misfueling, replacement keys or tires (the part itself; see TWP), running out of fuel, recovery from closed or restricted roads, assistance in a non-emergency situation, or self-inflicted incidents, meaning incidents caused intentionally, by gross negligence or by breaching clause 16 or 17. The Lessee must adhere to all of these Terms to receive the benefit of RAP; it is lost for an incident a breach caused or contributed to.

53. Without RAP. Without RAP, a call-out for a flat battery, a tire puncture or a lock-out carries the towing and transport fee for the distance from the Lessor's office to the vehicle and back. Without RAP, or for incidents RAP does not cover, no other call-out fee is charged, but towing needed because of damage (unless a third party is liable), misuse, a breach, a return to an unagreed location or another event the Lessee is responsible for carries the towing and transport fee, whatever the conditions, and keys, tires, fuel and parts are charged. Roadside assistance is for emergencies: the Lessee must take reasonable steps to resolve minor issues, such as fitting the spare tire where one is provided, and a call-out that was not an emergency, or could reasonably have been avoided, may be charged the towing and transport fee. None of this applies to a breakdown the Lessee did not cause (clause 51).