Iceland Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify an Icelandic Business

TL;DR. Iceland’s official business registry is the Fyrirtækjaskrá (Company Register), maintained by Skatturinn (the Icelandic Tax Authority). Basic company search is free, requires no account, and is accessible via the Skatturinn portal. The interface is primarily in Icelandic but key fields are interpretable. Iceland is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) and thus implements EU single market rules including EU-derived AML standards. Iceland is not on the FATF grey list.

What is the official Iceland business registry?

The Fyrirtækjaskrá (Company Register) is Iceland’s central public register for business entities, maintained by Skatturinn, the national tax administration. The register covers all 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 Lög um hlutafélög (Act on Public Limited Liability Companies, Act No. 2/1995) and Lög um einkahlutafélög (Act on Private Limited Liability Companies, Act No. 138/1994), both considerably amended over the years. 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 (einkahlutafélag): private limited liability company (equivalent to the UK private limited company), the most common commercial form.
• hf (hlutafélag): public limited company (equivalent to the UK plc), used for listed companies and larger entities.
• sf (sameignarfélag): general partnership.
• ses (samlagsfélag): limited partnership.
• Branches of foreign companies (útibú).

The Skatturinn portal for the Fyrirtækjaskrá is at skatturinn.is/fyrirtaekjaskra. A complementary register, Hlutafélagaskrá (the Companies Registry), manages formal corporate filings and was historically managed by a separate government body; since administrative consolidation, Skatturinn has become the primary access point for company searches.

What can you search?

The Skatturinn Fyrirtækjaskrá portal supports:

• Search by company name (Icelandic, full or partial)
• Search by kennitala (ID number)

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 kennitala system is used for individuals, making it a unified national identifier across tax, registry, and government services.

Results show: company name, kennitala, legal form, registered address, municipality, industry code (ÍSAT, Iceland’s adaptation of NACE), and operational status. For active companies, the date of registration is shown. Director and shareholder data is not directly visible in the free public search; accessing this requires the formal company register extract.

Iceland’s beneficial ownership register was introduced under Act No. 82/2019 (transposing EU AML Directive requirements via the EEA Agreement). The UBO register is maintained by the Icelandic register but access by foreign parties is handled through formal information-sharing channels rather than a public portal.

How much does it cost?

Basic online search through the Skatturinn portal is fully free. Certified extracts and formal company register documents require a formal request and fee payment; current fees are published on the Skatturinn website. As of May 2026, the ISK/USD rate is approximately ISK 137:1 (verify at the Central Bank of Iceland before any transaction).

Do you need a local account or ID?

No account and no Icelandic ID number are required for basic company name and kennitala searches via the Skatturinn portal. Ordering certified documents or accessing certain formal filings may require creating an account with the relevant Icelandic government portal (which typically requires an Íslykill — a digital access key issued by the Icelandic government — for Icelandic residents). Foreign users without an Íslykill can request documents by formal correspondence with Skatturinn or the relevant registry office.

Is the website in English?

Partial. The Skatturinn portal is primarily in Icelandic. Key navigation elements and the company search function are accessible to non-Icelandic speakers using browser translation tools. The following fields are identifiable without translation: kennitala, registered address, municipality, industry code, and status indicators. Company names in Iceland may be in Icelandic but the kennitala is numeric and universal.

The FME (Financial Supervisory Authority) portal at fme.is is partially available in English and is the better resource for verifying licensed financial entities.

What’s the turnaround time?

Online searches via the Skatturinn portal are instant. Certified document requests through the registry typically take 3-7 business days for processing and delivery. Iceland has been progressively digitizing government services; some document types may be available via Ísland.is (Iceland’s digital government services portal).

Is there an API?

No dedicated public API for the Fyrirtækjaskrá is documented for external use as of May 2026. The Ísland.is government digital platform provides some structured data access for Icelandic entities with Íslykill (digital key) authentication, but this is designed for Icelandic residents and businesses. Foreign compliance platforms must work through manual lookup or local data partners.

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, which mirrors GDPR requirements.
• Automated bulk scraping of the Skatturinn portal is not authorized.
• The beneficial ownership register data is not publicly accessible and may not be accessed through unauthorized means.

Iceland is not on any major sanctions list as of May 2026 and operates within the EEA single market framework.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• Kennitala is the anchor identifier. Every Icelandic legal entity has a kennitala: a permanent 10-digit identifier that does not change. Always collect the kennitala from an Icelandic counterparty and use it as the primary search key. The format is: six digits (birth date for individuals, registration date for companies) + hyphen + four digits.
• ÍSAT industry codes. Iceland uses the ÍSAT classification system (aligned with NACE/ISIC) for industry coding. These codes appear in the Fyrirtækjaskrá and are useful for initial risk classification of a counterparty (e.g., financial services, construction, real estate).
• EEA membership matters for data transfer. Iceland is party to the EEA Agreement, making it part of the EU single market for most practical purposes except EU citizenship and the Common Agricultural/Fisheries Policy. Iceland is covered by EU adequacy for data protection purposes, meaning GDPR-equivalent protections apply and personal data from the registry can be transferred within EEA frameworks.
• FME is the key check for financial entities. If a counterparty claims to be an Icelandic bank, investment firm, insurance company, or fund manager, verify via the FME’s public register at fme.is. The FME publishes a list of all licensed and supervised entities.
• 2008 banking crisis legacy. Iceland experienced a catastrophic banking crisis in 2008 when its three major banks (Kaupthing, Landsbanki/Icesave, and Glitnir) collapsed. The successor institutions (Íslandsbanki, Landsbankinn, Arion Bank) are now privately held or partially state-owned. Foreign compliance buyers assessing Icelandic financial counterparties should be aware of this history and verify the current ownership and license status of any bank.
• Capital controls. Iceland maintained capital controls from 2008 until they were formally lifted in 2017. As of May 2026, Iceland does not have capital controls. Currency risk remains for transactions denominated in ISK, which can be volatile.

Alternatives if you cannot access the registry directly

• FME licensee register (fme.is): for regulated financial entities, the FME’s publicly searchable register is the primary verification tool.
• Ísland.is (island.is): Iceland’s central government digital services platform, which hosts a variety of company and registry related tools for those with Icelandic digital access credentials.
• Local legal firms in Reykjavik: Icelandic law firms with company law practices can obtain certified extracts, director and shareholder information, and UBO data through the formal AML due diligence process.

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. Useful for assessing credit risk of Icelandic trading counterparties.
• Local attorneys: Reykjavik-based law firms are the most reliable route for certified document retrieval and enhanced due diligence on material Icelandic counterparties.

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 (the first six digits relate to the registration date, the next two are random, the ninth is a check digit, and the tenth is the century indicator). It is used across all Icelandic government systems, banking, and commercial transactions. It is the most reliable identifier for any Icelandic entity search.

Is Iceland a member of the EU?

No. Iceland is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but not the EU. EEA membership means Iceland implements most EU single market legislation including EU AML Directives, GDPR-equivalent data protection, and EU financial services regulations. Iceland applied for EU membership in 2009 but suspended the application in 2013; as of May 2026, the application remains suspended.

Does Iceland have a public beneficial ownership register?

Iceland has a UBO register established under Act No. 82/2019. The register is not publicly accessible online. Access is available to competent authorities and to obligated entities under AML law conducting customer due diligence. Iceland has committed to reviewing public access in line with international transparency developments following the CJEU ruling on EU UBO access.

Is Iceland on the FATF grey list?

No. Iceland is not on the FATF Increased Monitoring list. Iceland is a FATF member country through its EEA/EFTA membership and cooperates with FATF processes. Iceland’s most recent FATF mutual evaluation assessed broadly adequate technical compliance. See fatf-gafi.org for current status.

Last verified: May 2026. Sources: Skatturinn Fyrirtækjaskrá (skatturinn.is); FME Financial Supervisory Authority (fme.is); FATF (fatf-gafi.org); Creditinfo Iceland (creditinfo.is). For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.