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Iceland by campervan

Iceland is the one country where sleeping in a campervan outside a campsite is not a grey area. Since the Nature Conservation Act took effect in November 2015, using a motorhome or campervan outside an organised campsite needs the landowner's permission, and driving off the road at all is a criminal offence with a stated minimum fine. Everything else you need before the ferry or the hire desk: F roads that open in July, two tolls, the króna, and wind that decides your day.

Published 18 September 2026Last checked 19 September 2026

Basics

Basics

Iceland is in Schengen and the European Economic Area but not in the European Union, and the two halves of that sentence matter in opposite directions. There is no passport check coming from the EU, and an EU or EEA SIM roams here at home rates: the Commission names Iceland alongside Norway and Liechtenstein in the roaming regulation, so your phone does not change behaviour at the border. What is outside the Union is the currency and the customs area. You pay in krónur, and alcohol and tobacco come in on a duty free quota rather than an open allowance.

Coloured roofs and painted houses of central Reykjavik seen from above
Reykjavik. Two thirds of the country lives within an hour of this street

The Icelandic week

  • Shops keep normal hours and open on Sunday. Bónus publishes 11:00 to 19:00 Monday to Thursday and 10:00 to 19:00 Friday to Sunday, with larger branches running longer and small-town branches shorter.
  • Alcohol is a state monopoly. A supermarket may only sell drinks up to 2.25 percent by volume. Everything else is Vínbúðin, the state off licence, and the legal age is 20.

Power, water and getting online

  • 230V, 50Hz, type F sockets. The same round two-pin plug as Germany and France. UK and Irish plugs need an adapter.
  • An EU or EEA SIM roams at home rates. Iceland sits inside the EU roaming rules with Norway and Liechtenstein, so nothing changes at the border for most European numbers.

Iceland is in Schengen, so there is no passport check arriving from the EU, but it is outside the EU customs area. Goods are checked, not people. That matters mainly for alcohol and tobacco, which come in on a per person duty free quota, and it is worth using given what a bottle costs once you are inside.

Common questions about Iceland by campervan

Can you sleep in a campervan in Iceland outside a campsite?

No, not without the landowner's permission. The Nature Conservation Act, log um natturuvernd, says that outside urban areas you must seek the permission of the landowner or other rights holder to use caravans, folding campers, motorhomes or comparable equipment away from organised campsites. That rule was added by a 2015 amendment, before the act took effect on 15 November 2015. The Environment Agency of Iceland states it as illegal to spend the night in a camper van outside organised campsites or urban areas without that permission, and ICE-SAR says wild camping in Iceland is not permitted. All land in Iceland has an owner, so in practice this means a campsite.

Is wild camping legal in Iceland?

Not with a vehicle. A traditional tent is allowed for one night on uncultivated land along a route in an inhabited area, but only if there is no campsite nearby, and permission is needed near dwellings, for more than three tents or for more than one night. A campervan, motorhome or caravan is treated separately and needs the landowner's permission outside organised campsites. Landowners can also restrict tents where nature could be damaged, and the nature conservation agency can close areas entirely.

What is the penalty for off-road driving in Iceland?

The Nature Conservation Act forbids driving a motor vehicle off roads and makes a breach punishable by a fine or up to two years in prison. Where serious damage to nature results, the fine is at least 350,000 Icelandic kronur, adjusted monthly by the consumer price index, or up to four years in prison. A court may also order the vehicle used to be forfeited to the state. Driving around a snowdrift to get past it counts as off-road driving.

Can I drive a rented campervan on Icelandic F roads?

Usually not, and it is a contract question rather than a legal one. F roads are unsurfaced highland tracks that need genuine four wheel drive, and most hire and rental campervan agreements bar their vehicles from them, so read your own agreement before planning a highland route. ICE-SAR notes that not all four wheel drive vehicles are suitable either: some F roads suit a small 4x4, others need a large one, and some need a modified vehicle. It also warns that no insurance covers damage to a vehicle while crossing a river.