Students from countries within the EEA membership need to apply for a Residence Permit after they arrive in Iceland. Citizens from countries outside the EEA membership need to apply for a Residence Permit and be granted one before they enter the country. Citizens from the nordic countries do not need a Residence Permit. For further information contact the Immigration Service,your country's embassy or consulate in Iceland, or mail: office@res.is.
Income Tax
Everybody earning wages in Iceland is required to pay income tax. There is a certain minimum amount per month that is not taxable. Anything exceeding that is taxed at the 35,72% tax rate.
The employer is responsible for payment of the tax and deducts the appropriate amount from the salary of the trainee. In order for the employer to deduct taxes, the employee has to be issued a tax card from the Internal Revenue Office (Ríkisskattstjóri ), which he presents to his employer. The IRO is at Laugavegur 166, 105 Reykjavík. The student is obliged to file a tax return with the IRO, which must be done no later than one week before the student's departure.
Scholarships are not subject to taxation if they do not exceed the minimum amount, but you might have to bring a tax card to the granting body.
For further information contact:
Immigration Service (Útlendingaeftirlitið)
Borgartún 30, 105 Reykjavík
Tel: 510 5400
Office of Statistics Iceland (Hagstofa Íslands)
Skuggasund 3, 101 Reykjavík
Tel: 560 9800
The Ministry of Social Affairs (Félagsmálaráðuneytið)
Hafnarhúsið, Tryggvagata, 101 Reykjavík
Tel: 560 9100
Directorate of Internal Revenue (Ríkisskattstjóri)
Laugavegur 166, 105 Reykjavík
Tel: 563 1100
Embassies and Consulates
It is a good idea to register at your country's embassy or consulate when you arrive. You might, for example, want to vote in your country's general elections if they are held while you are in Iceland.
Embassies in Reykjavík:
China: Víðimelur 29, tel: 552 6751, fax: 562 6110
Denmark: Hverfisgata 29, tel: 562 1230, fax: 562 3316
Finland: Túngata 30, tel: 562 1577, fax: 562 3880
France: Túngata 22, tel: 551 7621, fax: 562 5567
Germany: Laufásvegur 31, tel: 551 9535, fax: 552 5699
Norway: Fjólugata 17, tel: 520 0700, fax: 552 9553
Russian Republic: Garðastræti 33, tel: 551 5156, fax: 562 0633
Sweden: Lágmúli 7, tel: 581 2022, fax: 568 9615
United Kingdom: Laufásvegur 31, tel: 551 5883, fax: 552 7940
U.S.A.: Laufásvegur 21, tel: 562 9100, fax: 552 9529
Consulates:
Poland
Consul: Mr. Friðrik Gunnarsson 1989
Office: Sólbraut 18, Seltjarnarnes
Tel.: 561 1761
E-Mail: fridrikgunn@simnet.is
Home: Sólbraut 18, 170 Seltjarnarnes
Tel.: 561 1761
Slovakia
Consul: Mr. Runólfur Oddsson 2001
Office: Kaldasel, Dalvegur 16 B, Reykjavík
Tel: 544 4333
Telefax: 544 4330
E-Mail: kaldasel@islandia.is
Home: Undraland 4, 108 Reykjavík
Tel: 553 3255
If you want further information about consulates, you should contact:
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Utanríkisráðuneytið)
Rauðarárstígur 25, 105 Reykjavík
Tel: 560 9900, fax: 562 2373
Higher Education Institutions
Higher education institutions in Iceland can be classified as universities and colleges. Universities have research responsibilities and offer more than one programme of study. The University of Iceland is by far the largest of these institutions and offers programmes of study in all traditional university subjects, while the other two universities are more specialised. Colleges offer technical and vocational courses as well as courses in the arts.
Day-to-Day Living
Dial 112 to reach police, ambulance, or the fire department. 112 is an emergency number for the entire country.
Social Security
If you are working in Iceland, your employer is obliged to provide accident insurance for you. The amount of salary does not affect the insurance coverage. The employer is responsible for registering you in the accident insurance plan.
Foreign citizens with a valid work permit and a legal domicile for six months or more are entitled to health insurance benefits in Iceland. If you as an employee are away from work on account of illness or accident at work, you are entitled to wages from your employer for a specific time, which may vary according to the length of time you have been in his employ.
Money
The Icelandic monetary unit is the króna (plural: krónur), which is equivalent to 100 aurar (singular: eyrir). The denominations of the coins in use are: 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 krónur. The denominations of the notes in use are 500, 1000, 2000, and 5000 krónur. Because the aurar coins are of such small value, you will usually find prices rounded off to the nearest króna.
Exchange rates can be found on the Central Bank of Iceland website.
Banks
The four leading Icelandic banks all have branches in Akureyri
Landsbanki Íslands, Strandgata 1
Kaupþing, Geislagata 5
Glitnir, Skipagata 14
BYR - Sparisjóður, Skipagötu 9
Banking hours are Monday - Friday from 9:15 - 16:00
Many foreign students choose to keep most of their money, at least to begin with, in a foreign currency account (gjaldeyrisreikningur), which is a service provided by most banks. Apart from that, the recommended account would be a bank account with a debit card (debetkort). To open such an account, you will need to produce your ID number and student identity card or other valid identification. You can pay directly with the debit card in most shops and services, and you can withdraw money in banks or at automatic teller machines (ATMs) by using your PIN number.
Credit Cards
The major credit cards in Iceland are VISA and Eurocard/Mastercard. They are widely used and accepted throughout the country, but Diners Club, American Express, and other credit cards are less known. You can also use your credit card to withdraw money in banks and at ATMs if you have a PIN number.
Foreign Exchange - Cambio
All banks offer foreign exchange service during banking hours.
Shopping
Iceland has two main types of food stores: the supermarket and the "corner shop." Food sold in supermarkets is, on the whole, comparatively cheaper than food sold in corner shops. Corner shops, however, often stay open later than supermarkets and are often open all day Saturdays and Sundays.
General shopping hours in Akureyri are
Monday - Friday from: 9:00/10:00 - 18:00
Saturday from 10:00 - 14:00/15:00/16:00
Vínbúð (ÁTVR)
Wine, liquor, and beer can only be bought at the state liquor shop, called Vínbúð (Winestore). The store is open Monday - Thursday from 11:00 - 18:00, Friday 11.00-19.00 and Saturday from 11:00 - 16:00. The store is located at Hólabraut 16. It is forbidden to sell alcohol to minors (under 20).
Buses - public transportation is free in Akureyri
The most economical way to travel around Akureyri is by bus, the bus is free of charge. Akureyri's buses, yellow or green in colour, can be caught at bus stops marked with the logo "SVA" (Strætisvagnar Akureyrar) and generally run at the following times:
Monday - Friday from 6:20 - 23:40 and on weekends from 12:00 - 18:00.
Bicycle
For 10.000 - 15.000 krónur you could buy a good second-hand bicycle. Even so, this healthy form of travel is not as popular among students here in Iceland as it is with students in most other countries.
Taxi
A taxi (leigubíll) can be obtained by phone (461 1010) or on the move. Taxis are clean and reliable but quite expensive. Tips are not customary in Iceland, since service charges are always included in bills.
Driving
If you buy or rent a car you may drive on your national driver's licence for one year from the date of entry into the country.
Telephones
There are two types of public telephones in Iceland: coin-operated and card-operated. A telephone card (símakort) can be bought at all post offices and telephone stations. Since most people in Iceland use cell phones, public phones are rare and can be difficult to find. Phone call charges in Iceland vary greatly, depending on the time of day, the day of the week, and the distance of your call.
Post Office
Most post offices (pósthús)are open: Monday - Friday from 9:00 - 16:30. The post office is located in Hafnarstræti 102.
Radio and TV
The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (Ríkisútvarpið) was founded in 1930. It is owned and operated by the state and serves the whole country by broadcasting news, weather, and a wide range of programmes. Ríkisútvarpið operates two radio
channels:
Rás 1 (Channel 1): FM 91.60
Rás 2 (Channel 2): FM 96.50
Following a change in government legislation in 1983, there is now a variety of Icelandic radio stations such as:
Bylgjan: FM 92.70
The National Broadcasting Service also operates one TV channel, Sjónvarpið, a name meaning The TV. Another television station is Stöð 2 (Station 2). Both produce their own news and entertainment programmes but also broadcast soaps, movies,etc.
News in English
Rás 1 (FM 91.6) broadcasts The News in English throughout the summer (June - September), Monday - Friday at 7:30 in the morning.
