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The Icelandic identity card (Icelandic: Nafnskírteini), is an identity document issued by Registers Iceland since 12 April 1965. It is one of three official identity documents accepted in Iceland, along with the Icelandic passport and Icelandic driving license. It is issued to residents aged over 14. Due to its lack of security features and lack of indicatation of citizenship it cannot currently be used outside Iceland or as a travel document in the EU/EEA. Identification documents are not compulsory in Iceland.

This is unlike most identity cards in the European Economic Area (EEA), which can be used for travel within the EFTA and the EU/EEA. An updated design in line with EU standards is due to be introduced in December 2023, which will allow the Icelandic ID card to be used for foreign travel.

For travel within the Nordic countries no identity documentation is legally required for Nordic citizens due to the Nordic Passport Union, therefore the Icelandic identity card might be accepted in the Nordic countries for identification (despite not stating nationality)

Earlier ID cards
Passports had been in use since the early 1900s for international travel but were uncommon. In 1941, during the British occupation of Iceland of the Second World War, emergency laws were introduced allowing passports to be used internally/domestically. From 1942 until 1945, passports (essentially acting as identity documents) were issued by Icelandic police to all residents, and were required to bear them at all times. The requirement to bear them at all times was abolished after the occupation.

Unusually, in 1960, a bylaw was introduced on the island of Vestmannaeyjar, based on the authority of the 1942 law, whereby all children aged 12 to 18 were required to carry their passports at all times. This was presumably due to unruly children on the island.

1965 identity cards
In 1951, a new agency, Registers Iceland, was created and began the Icelandic national register. In 1959 a new form of ID number was taken into use, called a 'name number' (Icelandic: Nafnnúmer).

The passports in use during the Second World War were not designed for everyday use and a new identification solution needs to be found. Following the launch of the new 'name numbers', 'name cards' (Icelandic: Nafnskírteini) were created, the current form of identity cards were created in 1965.

The new identity cards were not compulsory. Use of the cards was somewhat necessary for children, as they were subject to curfews until the age of 16, and must prove their age after hours.

Debit and credit cards
Credit and debit cards were launched in the 1980s, and contained a picture and national identity number of the owner of the card (thereby indicating age). These were intended for a clerk to be able to verify the identity of the person paying or writing a check.

Over time, bank-issued payment cards became a de facto form of identification, with most shops, domestic airlines and banks accepting them. In conjuction with most citizens possesing driving licenses (which domestically are officially accepted everywhere), the state-issued ID cards became somewhat redundant.

Bank cards were notoriously easy to falsify, due to their lack of any security features, mostly for youngsters to purchase alcohol underage. Eventually in the 2010s, banks stopped printing photographs and ID numbers on payment cards.

Need for a new ID card
Identity cards issued until 2023 remain unchanged from their original 1965 design, a laminated white paper card, with a personal photograph stamped by the issuing authority. They are slightly larger than regular plastic credit cards and do not fit in most wallets. They are becoming increasingly popular with issuances increasing from 649 in 2019 to 1,555 in 2020. They are important for citizens who live a car-free lifestyle and do not posess a passport, who previously relied on debit/credit cards as ID.

The Icelandic ID cards are easy to falsify with the right equipment, although identity fraud remains low in Iceland. In the late 2010s issues began to arise from faudulent collections of pharmacy prescriptions.

Around same time, the EU regulations on the design of national identity cards were updated in 2019 and the current ID cards do not fulfil security requirements.

New EU-Standard ID cards
In 2022 it was announced that an updated design, in line with EU standards would be introduced in 2023. A new law was passed in June 2023 and the new ID cards are due to be introduced in December 2023.

The new credit card-sized ID cards will be made of plastic, and include digital biometric features. Personal data on the card may include fingerprints, and 'other biometric data', if deemed necessary at a later date. The new cards will only be issued to Icelandic citizens, and will be valid abroad as travel documentation for travel within the EU and European Economic Area. The new cards remain non-compulsory and compliment other existing forms of identification.

Older design ID cards issued before 2013 will cease to be valid in December 2023, and all previous designs will cease to be valid in 2026.

Issue
ID cards are issued by Registers Iceland to all Icelandic citizens over 14 years old, as well as foreign nationals who have had a legal domicile in Iceland for 1 year. The consent of custodians must be submitted for persons under the age of 18. Two printed photographs are required in the application. Applicants must turn up to the place of issue (Registers Iceland or local sheriff's office), with another physical ID (passport or driver's license). If another ID cannot be produced, two witnesses, over the age of 18, who can verify the applicant’s identity must be present at the place of application with their ID.

The first issue of an ID card is free of charge, however a reissue costs 5,500 ISK. The ID cards do not have an expiry date, however it is reccomended to update the photo as needed. With the introduction of the new ID card design, all ID cards issued before 2013 will expire in December 2023 and all previous designs will expire in January 2026.

Travel document
The current Icelandic ID cards do not state nationality and do not fulfil document security requirements, are therefore not eligible for use as a travel document outside Iceland.

As a member of EFTA, Icelandic citizens have freedom of movement to live and work in other EFTA countries in accordance with the EFTA convention. Moreover, by virtue of Iceland's membership of the European Economic Area, Icelandic citizens also have freedom of movement to live and work across all EEA member states (including EU member states).

After the introduction of the new ID cards in December 2023, as an alternative to presenting a passport, Icelandic citizens are entitled to use a valid national identity card to exercise their right of free movement in EFTA, EEA and EU. Strictly speaking, it is not necessary for an EEA or Swiss citizen to possess a valid national identity card or passport to enter the EEA and Switzerland. In theory, if an EEA or Swiss citizen can prove their nationality by any other means (e.g. by presenting an expired national identity card or passport, or a citizenship certificate), they must be permitted to enter the EEA and Switzerland. An EEA or Swiss citizen who is unable to demonstrate their nationality satisfactorily must, nonetheless, be given 'every reasonable opportunity' to obtain the necessary documents or to have them delivered within a reasonable period of time.

The UK and the Crown Dependencies previously allowed EU/EEA ID cards to be used for entry, however after Brexit it only allows EU/EEA and Swiss citizens fulfilling specific requirements to use national identity cards, until at least 31 December 2025.

For travel within the Nordic countries no identity documentation is legally required for Nordic citizens due to the Nordic Passport Union.

Characteristics
Current identity cards issued until December 2023 remain unchanged from their original 1965 design. The ID card is a laminated white paper card, with a personal photograph stamped by the issuing authority. Written information is laser printed on the paper. They are slightly larger than regular plastic credit cards and do not fit in most wallets.

The ID cards are only written in Icelandic. In the top left, NAFNSKÍRTEINI is written.

Current Design Information

 * Full name
 * Icelandic identification number (Icelandic: Kennitala), containing date of birth
 * Town of residence
 * Place of issue
 * Date of issue
 * Photograph

New EU-Standard ID cards
The new credit card-sized ID cards, issued from December 2023 will be made of plastic, and include digital biometric features. Personal data on the card may include fingerprints, and 'other biometric data', if deemed necessary at a later date. The new cards will only be issued to Icelandic citizens, and will be valid abroad as travel documentation for travel within the EU and European Economic Area.

See also[edit]

 * National identity cards in the European Economic Area
 * European identity card
 * Icelandic nationality law
 * Visa requirements for Icelandic citizens
 * Icelandic passport
 * Norwegian identity card