Workflow checklist
- Identify the registry. www.skatturinn.is/fyrirtaekjaskra/
- Check access requirements. Account required: No. Local ID required: No.
- Plan budget. Price range: USD 0.00. Payment methods: Bank transfer (gjaldskra; credit card not accepted for ehf/hf/svf/ses registration fees).
- Anticipate friction. Captcha / 2FA: No. English UI: Partial.
- Plan turnaround. Expected: Unknown.
- Verify recency. Last verified: 4 Sept 2026. Confirm current pricing at the official registry before submitting.
TL;DR. Iceland’s official business registry is the Fyrirtaekjaskra (Company Register), maintained by Skatturinn. The page at https://www.skatturinn.is/fyrirtaekjaskra/ carries a working search form asking for Nafn, Heimilisfang, Kennitala or VSK-numer, with no login and no captcha. Certified extracts are priced on https://www.skatturinn.is/fyrirtaekjaskra/gjaldskra/: stadfest vottord ISK 1,500, serutbuid vottord ISK 3,000. No turnaround time is published for the search form; confirm at source. Iceland is in the EEA, not the EU.
What is the official Iceland business registry?
The Fyrirtaekjaskra (Company Register) is Iceland’s central public register for business entities, maintained by Skatturinn, the national tax administration. The register covers legal entities operating in Iceland: limited liability companies, public limited companies, partnerships, cooperatives, branches of foreign companies, and sole traders.
Iceland’s company law is governed primarily by Log um hlutafelog (Act on Public Limited Liability Companies, Act No. 2/1995) and Log um einkahlutafelog (Act on Private Limited Liability Companies, Act No. 138/1994). Iceland is an EEA member (not an EU member) and implements EU company law directives and AML directives through the EEA Agreement.
The main company forms in Iceland include:
- ehf (einkahlutafelag): private limited liability company, the most common commercial form.
- hf (hlutafelag): public limited company, used for listed companies and larger entities.
- sf (sameignarfelag): general partnership.
- ses / slf: limited partnership and related forms.
- Branches of foreign companies (utibu).
The Skatturinn portal for the Fyrirtaekjaskra is at https://www.skatturinn.is/fyrirtaekjaskra/. A complementary historic label, Hlutafelagaskra, referred to formal corporate filings; Skatturinn is the current access point.
https://www.fme.is now redirects to https://sedlabanki.is/, the Central Bank of Iceland. fme.is is no longer a separate search site.
What can you search?
The Fyrirtaekjaskra search form at https://www.skatturinn.is/fyrirtaekjaskra/, and also at https://www.skatturinn.is/fyrirtaekjaskra/leit, titled Leit i fyrirtaekjaskra. No login. No captcha. Its labels are:
- Nafn (name)
- Heimilisfang (address)
- Kennitala (ID number)
- VSK-numer (VAT number)
The form states it searches Fyrirtaekjaskra, arsreikningaskra (annual accounts register), and VSK-skra, and that only one field needs to be filled. The page also lists newly registered entities with kennitala links. The result fields beyond those form labels are not described here.
The kennitala is Iceland’s primary identifier for both individuals and legal entities. For companies, the kennitala is a 10-digit number (format XXXXXX-XXXX) assigned at registration.
The same Skatturinn page links to Skraning raunverulegra eigenda (registration of beneficial owners) under Act No. 82/2019. That is a filing obligation page, not a public UBO search form.
How much does it cost?
Tariff page: https://www.skatturinn.is/fyrirtaekjaskra/gjaldskra/, titled Gjaldskra.
| Item | Cost (ISK) | Cost (USD, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic name/kennitala/VSK search (no price shown on the form) | Unknown | Unknown |
| Stadfest vottord ur fyrirtaekjaskra (certified extract) | 1,500 | Unknown |
| Serutbuid vottord ur fyrirtaekjaskra (special extract) | 3,000 | Unknown |
| Endurrit on paper | 1,500 | Unknown |
| Endurrit electronically sealed, obtained on the web | 1,000 | Unknown |
| Electronic copy of annual-accounts data obtained on the web | Gjaldfrjals (free per the tariff page) | Unknown |
The ISK 3,000 special extract is the highest search-related fee published. The search form itself shows no price, and no US dollar equivalents or exchange rate are given. Incorporation fees on the same table, such as ISK 140,500 for an ehf, are formation charges rather than search products.
The tariff page states that registration fees for ehf, hf, svf and ses cannot be paid by credit card. The bank details it gives are: Skatturinn, fyrirtaekjaskra, Katrinartun 6, 105 Reykjavik; kennitala 540269-6029; Islandsbanki 0515-26-723000; IBAN IS290515267230005402696029; SWIFT GLITISRE.
Do you need a local account or ID?
No. The search form has no account and no Icelandic identity field, and no captcha. Ordering certified documents, or using Island.is services that require an Islykill, is not offered on the search form. Foreigners have been reported as requesting documents by correspondence; confirm at source.
Is the website in English?
Partial. The search form is in Icelandic. https://www.skatturinn.is/english/ is the Iceland Revenue and Customs English hub and includes a Company Registration section. That section is registration guidance, not the Fyrirtaekjaskra search form.
What’s the turnaround time?
Turnaround is unknown. The search form works, but no result timing is published, and no certified-document delivery time is given; confirm at source.
Is there an API?
No dedicated public API for the Fyrirtaekjaskra is documented on the search or tariff pages. Island.is structured access for Icelandic entities with an Islykill is not an open API for foreign buyers.
What you legally cannot do
Iceland implements EU-derived GDPR equivalent data protection through Act No. 90/2018 (the Data Protection Act, aligned with the GDPR under the EEA Agreement). Restrictions include:
- Processing personal data of directors and officers from the Icelandic registry must comply with Act No. 90/2018.
- Automated bulk scraping of the Skatturinn portal is not authorized.
- The beneficial ownership register is not a public search form on the Fyrirtaekjaskra page; the link there is to registration of raunverulegir eigendur, not an open ownership query.
Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers
- Kennitala is the anchor identifier. Every Icelandic legal entity has a kennitala: a permanent 10-digit identifier. Use it as the primary search key. The search form accepts a kennitala in the kt field.
- ISAT industry codes. Iceland uses the ISAT classification system (aligned with NACE/ISIC) for industry coding. Those codes are not described on a result page here.
- EEA membership matters for data transfer. Iceland is party to the EEA Agreement. Iceland is covered by EU adequacy for data protection purposes.
- Sedlabanki for financial entities. fme.is now redirects to https://sedlabanki.is/. Verify licensed financial entities against the Central Bank of Iceland, not a separate FME site.
- 2008 banking crisis legacy. Iceland’s three major banks collapsed in 2008. Successor institutions should be verified on current license status.
- Capital controls. Iceland maintained capital controls from 2008 until they were formally lifted in 2017, and has been reported as having none since; confirm at source.
Alternatives if you cannot access the registry directly
The Fyrirtaekjaskra search form is reachable without an account.
- Sedlabanki (https://sedlabanki.is/): where fme.is now redirects. Use for regulated financial entities.
- Island.is (https://www.island.is): Iceland’s central government digital services platform. Its credential rules are not covered by this guide.
- Local legal firms in Reykjavik: for certified extracts and enhanced due diligence.
Local data suppliers
Iceland does not have a well-known domestic commercial credit bureau covering the international compliance market. Options include:
- Creditinfo Group (creditinfo.is): Iceland-based credit bureau that is part of the international Creditinfo Group. Provides credit reports and risk scores for Icelandic companies.
- Local attorneys: Reykjavik-based law firms are the reliable route for certified document retrieval.
FAQ
What is the kennitala in Iceland?
The kennitala is Iceland’s universal identifier for individuals and legal entities. For companies, it is a 10-digit number formatted as XXXXXX-XXXX. It is used across Icelandic government systems, banking, and commercial transactions. The search form has a Kennitala field.
Is Iceland a member of the EU?
No. Iceland is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) and EFTA, but not the EU. EEA membership means Iceland implements most EU single market legislation including EU AML Directives and GDPR-equivalent data protection. Iceland applied for EU membership in 2009 and suspended the application in 2013.
Does Iceland have a public beneficial ownership register?
Iceland has a beneficial ownership filing regime under Act No. 82/2019. The Skatturinn page links to registration of raunverulegir eigendur, not a public ownership search; confirm at source.
Is Iceland on the FATF grey list?
Iceland is a FATF member country. For current status see fatf-gafi.org.
Last verified: 2026-09-04. Sources: Skatturinn Fyrirtaekjaskra (https://www.skatturinn.is/fyrirtaekjaskra/, search form); Leit (https://www.skatturinn.is/fyrirtaekjaskra/leit); Gjaldskra (https://www.skatturinn.is/fyrirtaekjaskra/gjaldskra/, vottord ISK 1,500 and 3,000); the English hub (https://www.skatturinn.is/english/); and fme.is, which redirects to Sedlabanki (https://sedlabanki.is/). FATF: fatf-gafi.org. For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.