Guidance

Iceland: Knowledge Base profile

Published 1 May 2024

About: Iceland

This document contains useful information about Iceland which will assist HM Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

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Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 3.0
• published for Home Office staff on 25 April 2024

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with minor formatting changes.

Iceland: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Iceland.

Names in Iceland consist of up to:

• 3 forenames
• 2 surnames

A person can have no more than 5 names.

A surname indicates either the forename of the father (patronymic), or the forename of the mother (matronymic). For example, the children of Jón Einarsson will not have the surname Einarsson, but it will become:

• Jónsson, if the child is the son of Jón (Jóns + son)
• Jónsdóttir if the child is the daughter of Jón (Jóns + dóttir)

A family name can be used, this must be authorised by the Icelandic Naming Committee.

Parents have to register the child’s name within 6 months of the birth.

Change of name

Name changes are allowed in Iceland.

The Minister of Justice do name changes. All changes of name must be:

• recorded on the Personal Names Register
• approved by the Personal Names Committee

A change of name for a child (under the age of 18 years), must have the consent of a person with parental responsibility. Children over the age of 12 years must agree to any change of name request made for them.

If a child is adopted, an adoption permit may show:

• the child’s original name
• the name the child will be known by following the adoption

Where an Iceland citizen married:

• before 1997, they were allowed to use their partner’s family names or surnames following marriage:
  • they can continue to use the name if it was adopted in Iceland before the law changed
  • if this name is adopted while living abroad, they will be expected to discontinue using their adopted name if they become resident in Iceland
• after 1997, they are not allowed to use their spouse’s family names or surnames as their own name

Where a foreign national marries an Iceland citizen, they can use their spouse’s family name or the forenames of their father or mother in law, with the suffix:

• son (for a male)
• dóttir (for a female)

A transgender citizen can change their name with Registers Iceland (Icelandic: Þjóðskrá Íslands) the civil registry for Iceland.

Iceland: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Iceland.

Dual nationality is recognised in Iceland since 1 July 2003.

Former Iceland citizens who lost their citizenship before this date had until 1 July 2007 to reclaim it.

Iceland: legitimacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy in Iceland.

Legitimacy

Iceland recognises a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births.

A child will be considered:

• legitimate if born to:
  • married or registered cohabiting parents
  • unmarried parents (at the time of birth) who marry later and the father completes a voluntary declaration of parentage
• illegitimate if parents:
  • never marry; or,
  • do not register as cohabiting

Iceland: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Iceland.

Adoption is legal in Iceland.

Adoptive parents must be residents of Iceland or have a connection to the country.

If a child is adopted, an adoption permit may show:

• the child’s original name
• the name the child will be known by following the adoption

Iceland: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Iceland.

Surrogacy is not legal in Iceland.

Iceland: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in Iceland.

Transgender citizens are recognised in Iceland. They can change their name and gender with Registers Iceland (Icelandic: Þjóðskrá Íslands) the civil registry for Iceland.

Iceland: civil partnerships and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships and marriage in Iceland.

Registered partnerships (Staðfest samvist) were introduced in 1996 and were available for same sex couples.

Same sex marriage (Hjónaband samkynhneigðra) is legal in Iceland since 27 June 2010.

Iceland: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents in Iceland.

Birth, marriage and death registrations are held on a National Register since 1953. Records before 1953 are held by local churches.

Certificates for birth, marriage and death are available in Icelandic and bilingual (Icelandic and English) formats.

Birth certificates

Most births are registered immediately. The parents have 6 months to name the child.

Replacement birth certificates can be obtained.

If a mistake is made on an original birth certificate, the document will be corrected, and a new certificate issued.

Marriage certificates

There are no specific time limits for a marriage to be registered. Marriages are reported to the National Register monthly.

Death certificates

Death certificates are issued following the registration of a death in Iceland.