Before you start

Passport for a prepaid SIM
Kennitala and an Icelandic payment method for a contract
An unlocked or eSIM-capable handset
An identity check, for SIM-based electronic ID

Step-by-step

1
Buy a prepaid SIM on arrival
Available at petrol stations, supermarkets and operator shops, active immediately. Data allowances are generous and prices are reasonable, so prepaid is a perfectly workable medium-term option, not just a stopgap.
In personWho: YouDay 1
2
Move to a contract once you have a kennitala
Postpaid plans are cheaper and often bundle home broadband and television. Iceland's operators are few, so the comparison is quick.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
3
Decide whether your electronic ID lives on the SIM or in an app
Rafræn skilríki can be issued to your SIM card or held in an authenticator app. The SIM version is convenient and breaks the moment you change operator or replace a lost phone. The app version survives an operator change. Choose deliberately.
In personWho: You
4
Get fibre if the building has it
Reykjavík is very well served by fibre through the municipal network, and speeds are high for the price. Check what the building already has before ordering.
OnlineWho: You
5
Keep your number when switching, and reissue electronic ID
Porting is straightforward. What people forget is that a SIM-based electronic ID does not survive the move and must be reissued, which means being locked out of Ísland.is and your bank in the interval if you do not plan it.
OnlineWho: You
6
Do not rely on coverage outside the populated areas
Mobile coverage is good across the capital region, the ring road and the towns, and unreliable in the highlands, on mountain passes and in the fjords. Anyone travelling outside the settled areas should use the 112 Iceland app's location check-in and, for the interior, carry a satellite communicator.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport for prepaid
Kennitala for a contract
Icelandic bank details
Address confirmation, for fibre

Things most newcomers don’t know

Your SIM can be your legal identity, which makes changing operator a real decision.

Icelandic electronic ID can be issued onto the SIM card itself, and it is what authenticates you to Ísland.is, the tax authority, your bank and your health records. Switching operator, losing the phone or replacing the SIM invalidates it, and until it is reissued you cannot log into any of those. The app-based alternative avoids the problem. Very few newcomers are told the choice exists, and they discover it at the worst moment.

Source: Ísland.is

The 112 Iceland app does something no ordinary emergency number does.

The official 112 Iceland app lets you leave a location check-in that search and rescue can retrieve if you go missing, and lets you send an emergency call with your GPS position attached. In a country where a large proportion of rescue callouts involve people whose exact position is unknown on an empty road or a mountain, that is materially useful. It is free, it is official, and it should be installed before your first trip out of the city.

Source: 112 Iceland / ICE-SAR

Iceland is in the EEA, so an Icelandic SIM roams free across the EU.

Roam-like-at-home covers the European Economic Area, and Iceland is a member despite not being in the EU. An Icelandic plan therefore works at domestic rates in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Berlin and Madrid — and conversely a Swedish or Finnish SIM works at domestic rates in Reykjavík. People assume Iceland's non-EU status excludes it, and buy travel eSIMs they do not need in both directions.

Source: Electronic Communications Office of Iceland

Coverage stops in the places where it matters most.

Mobile networks cover the capital region, the ring road and the towns well, and the highlands, mountain passes and some fjord roads poorly or not at all. Because the populated coverage is so good, people extrapolate. Anyone driving the interior, walking a mountain route or travelling in winter should treat the phone as unreliable, leave a plan with someone, use the 112 app's check-in and consider a satellite communicator for the F-roads.

Source: ICE-SAR / community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Changing mobile operator without reissuing SIM-based electronic ID and losing access to Ísland.is and your bank.
Assuming Iceland is outside EEA roaming and buying a travel eSIM unnecessarily.
Relying on mobile coverage in the highlands or on mountain passes.
Ordering fibre without checking what the building already has.
Travelling outside the capital region without the 112 Iceland app installed.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.