Minister redirects question on tourist driving permits

Iceland’s infrastructure minister has referred a question about requiring foreign tourists to show an international driving permit before renting a car to the minister responsible for business affairs, mbl.is reports.

Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, a member of parliament for the Independence Party, asked whether the requirement had been considered and, if not, whether the rules might be reviewed to improve road safety. Infrastructure Minister Eyjólfur Ármannsson said laws governing the rental of registered vehicles fall under the Ministry of Business Affairs and that questions about rental conditions should be directed to its minister, Hanna Katrín Friðriksson.

According to Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration data, 232 foreign tourists were injured or killed in traffic accidents in Iceland in 2024, up from 198 the year before. One foreign tourist died in traffic in 2025, according to the Icelandic Transport Authority. Run-off-road crashes and vehicle rollovers are among the main types of accidents involving foreign tourists, the Icelandic Tourist Board says.

On October 3, two foreign tourists in their 60s died and two others were seriously injured in a four-car collision at Háreksstaðakvísl on Jökuldalsheiði, a heath. All eight people in the vehicles were foreign nationals; some lived in Iceland and others were visiting. The cause of the crash has not been established. East Iceland police and the Transport Accident Investigation Board are investigating.

Foreign driving licences are generally accepted in Iceland, regardless of where they were issued. A licence issued outside the European Economic Area must either use Latin letters or be accompanied by a translation into Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish or English.

An international driving permit is a standardised document that provides information about driving entitlements. It does not replace a regular driving licence or include a separate assessment of driving ability. Rules vary internationally: licences from EEA countries are generally recognised within the European Union, while requirements for licences from outside the region differ. Some US states also require an international permit alongside a valid home-country licence, while others do not.