Pre-registration of vehicle

All vehicles transported to Iceland must be pre-registered with the Icelandic Transport Authority. This applies to new and used vehicles.

Before transporting a vehicle to Iceland, please be sure to check if registration is permitted, if your vehicle meets road vehicle regulations and what taxes and fees may apply.

The process

Apply for pre-registration

An application for pre-registration may be submitted when a vehicle is in transit to Iceland. The following original documents must be submitted with the application:

• bill of lading (name of applicant must be the same as that on the bill of lading)

• certificate of conformity (COC) or certificate of origin (CO)

• registration certificate or title letter

• manufacturer’s certificate or technical certificate (if the vehicle is not imported from the EEA).

If the application is approved, the vehicle will be pre-registered and assigned a registration number. A confirmation of registration is sent to the applicant. The Icelandic Transport Authority orders number plates and sends them to an inspection station. Number plate production time is 3 business days.

Customs clearance

A customs declaration can be sent to Customs when the pre-registration process is finished.

When the declaration has been processed by Customs and the import fees have been paid the vehicle is formally customs cleared and ready for inspection.

Insurance

The vehicle must be insured before receiving temporary number plates in order to transport the vehicle to an inspection station.

Temporary number plates

The Icelandic Transport Authority and most inspection stations sell temporary number plates (made of cardboard). At the Icelandic Transport Authority the price for each day with temporary number plates is 1.114 ISK. The vehicle must be pre-registered and insured before recieving temporary number plates.

Picking up the vehicle

When the vehicle has been formally customs cleared and temporary number plates have been received the vehicle may be picked up from the shipping company and brought to an inspection station, which should have received an online confirmation from Customs.

Registration at an inspection station

The vehicle must be brought to an inspection station for a registration inspection and to receive permanent number plates. The inspection station will register the vehicle and notify the owner’s insurance company.

Cost

Taxes and fees must be paid upon registration and import of a vehicle. Charges may vary according to the price of the vehicle, further information can be found here.

You will also need to pay for registration and registration inspection, prices are determined by each inspection station.