Individuals and legal entities have their own digital mailbox. It publishes specific personal information and messages from the government to individuals and companies.
Table of contents
My digital inbox
Under the three-year plan and the Digital Post Office Block Act, all public sector bodies are obliged to provide digital publications by 1 January 2025. The Act establishes the government's view that the main channel of communication with natural and legal persons will be digital and centralised in one place, via a digital mailbox on Ísland.is.
It is planned to implement the digital inbox for all government agencies by 2025. After that individuals and companies can access all major government data in the mailbox.
The digital mailbox is a closed area on Island.is. It publishes and stores specific personal information and messages from the government to individuals and companies. All individuals and companies with an Icelandic ID number (including system ID) have their own mailbox.
How do companies open the digital mailbox?
Power of attorney holders of companies open the mailbox with their personal electronic ID and switch to the company on My pages.The power of attorney holder can grant access to the mailbox to others in the company. Skatturinn takes care of the registration of power of attorney holders.
Why Digital Mailbox?
The digital mailbox promotes efficient public services, increases transparency of procedures and administrative efficiency and ensures safe channels for the distribution of data to natural and legal persons.
The goal is to make the main channel of communication between governments and natural and legal persons digital and centralised in one place.
Data types
Public bodies shall publish in the mailbox all material concerning the specific interests of of the mailbox owner. This applies to any type of written and other forms of data resulting from the handling of a case by the government, such as notices, decisions, and rulings.
Public bodies shall not use the mailbox to publish advertising material or other material that does not concern the specific interests of the mailbox owner. This includes, for example, information on changed opening hours, surveys, newsletters, public challenges, or general indications of deadlines for the submission of data.
Public entities may publish in a digital mailbox both general and sensitive personal data of individuals as defined in the Act on Data Protection and the Processing of Personal Data.
Legal effect of publication
A piece of data in a digital mailbox is considered to be displayed when it has become available in the recipient's digital mailbox.
Children's data
Legal guardians have access to their children's data in a digital mailbox up to the age of 16.
What about those who don't want digital?
Individuals or legal entities may request that government agencies send them documents in a different way than to the digital mailbox. Those who wish to request it should contact the relevant government agency. The data, however, will remain available digitally.
Benefits for government agencies
User-friendly display on central website as well as in app
Saves paper and shipping costs
Increase efficiency and data security of individuals and legal entities
Content in a digital mailbox is considered published when it becomes available in the recipient's digital mailbox
Promote that the government's main communication channel with these parties becomes digital
"Hnipp" - Notifcations
The Digital mailbox uses common notification framework to notify recipients either by email or by a push notification to the Ísland.is app that a new document is waiting for them in their mailbox.
Recipients can opt out in the settings in the top right corner of My pages/Digital mailbox. Contact is made via email/push:
IF the document provider (sender) wishes
AND recipient has not opted out of the notification.
The digital mailbox is a communication solution that enables the government to send data securely to individuals and legal entities. Individuals and legal entities gain overview of and access to all documents and data sent by government agencies and municipalities.
All data is hosted by the government agency that creates it but via the digital mailbox individuals and legal entities can view through My pages on Island.is. When the user selects certain documents or data in the digital mailbox it becomes visible in their browser but not moved to the inbox.
That the agency in question establishes a secure connection between their own technical environment and the digital mailbox.
Government agencies already publishing documents in the digital mailbox:
The Administration of Occupational Safety and Health
Directorate of Health
District Commissioners
The Financial Management Authority
Fiskistofa, the Directorate of Fisheries
Greiðslustofa lífeyrissjóða
Iceland Revenue and Customs
Icelandic Health Insurance
Icelandic Police
Landspítali, the national university hospital
Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
Municipality of Akureyri
The National Police Commissioner
Portal to notify of Internet security breaches
Registers Iceland
Reykjavík city
Social Insurance Administration
Uppsveitir environmental and technical department
As stated in laws number 105/2021, government agencies should use the digital mailbox to share data regarding specific interests of individuals and legal entities. The digital mailbox enables the government to maximise security when it comes to sending data and gives individuals and legal entities a secure site to access their data.
Government agencies, i.e. the state, municipalities, their institutions, and other government agencies, send documents to the digital mailbox.
All individuals with and Icelandic ID according to laws on individual registration and all legal entities registered at the given time according to laws on company registration have access to their personal digital mailbox.
Information for individuals
The digital mailbox is an access controlled mailbox for receiving documents from government agencies. It's accessible via Island.is. The inbox publishes and stores specific, personal information and messages from government agencies to individuals and legal entities.
All individuals and legal entities that have an Icelandic ID (kennitala).
There is no need to sign up. All individuals and legal entities with an Icelandic ID automatically have access to their digital mailbox via My pages on Island.is. After login, the inbox is accessible under "Documents".
By logging in to My pages on Island.is and selecting "Documents".
The inbox is a secure way to deliver information, documents and other data from the government to individuals and legal entities. It enables government agencies to send all individual data to one secure access controlled site. The digital mailbox also reduces cost when it comes to mailing, printouts and travelling with documents. Consequently it is an environmentally friendly way to communicate.
Everyone has a duty to open and view their digital documents. The documents come from government agencies and can contain decisions or information that require action. Therefore it is necessary to check the mailbox regularly for new documents, just like you check your mailbox at home.
You can set up notifications for new documents in your mailbox.You can receive notifications to the email address added to your profile on Ísland.is. They will also be sent as push messages to your phone with the Ísland.is mobile app.
From 1 January 2025 all new documents sent by government agencies to individuals or legal entities will be in the mailbox. Until then you can find an overview of which agencies send documents to the mailbox and which data they send on Island.is. Until 1 January 2025, when the mailbox will be fully implemented, individuals and legal entities will also receive documents from some government agencies the traditional way.
To access their mailbox, individuals and legal entities must log in using their electronic ID.
You can get your electronic ID at your bank. At the bank you must present a valid identification document and have a cell phone with an Icelandic phone number. More information about electronic ID.
Individuals and legal entities can request documents and data are not sent to their digital mailbox. Those who wish to be exempt, should contact the relevant government agency.
If you cannot open one document in a mailbox, the connection to that particular organization is broken, contact that organization.
