The Ministry of Health sets health policy and legislation. The Directorate of Health oversees quality, public health, infection control, vaccination coordination, professional licences, registers and complaints. Iceland Health, called Sjúkratryggingar Íslands, manages health insurance administration, provider contracts and patient-charge rules. Health centres and regional health institutions provide local care. Landspítali, the National University Hospital, and Akureyri Hospital, known as SAk, provide secondary and tertiary care, including complex hospital treatment, intensive care and specialist services. Primary care includes prevention, advice, general medical treatment, nursing, vaccinations, screening, urgent assessment and long-term care. Anyone can register with a health centre or an independent general practitioner. Registration and changes can usually be handled through Heilsuvera or Ísland.is. Health centres commonly receive patients from 08:00 to 17:00 on weekdays, with telephone service often available until 16:00, but rural opening hours and available services vary. The Health Services Map shows nearby facilities, opening hours and services. Heilsuvera provides appointments, secure messages, health records, prescriptions and vaccination information; its planned migration to Ísland.is in September 2026 requires checking the current transition status. For symptoms or minor injuries that are not emergencies, the health centre is usually the first contact. In the capital area, an appointment may be available on the same day or the following day; rural availability depends on the institution and distance. A specialist consultation usually follows a referral from a general practitioner or health centre. Blood tests, X-rays and similar diagnostic services normally require a medical request, although some rules for children’s diagnostic access differ. Emergency care can be accessed directly without waiting for a referral. Call 112 for a life-threatening emergency or an ambulance at any time. Medical and care advice is available through 1700, while 513-1700 provides acute medical assessment. Heilsuvera’s chat is available only during its stated service periods. Outside regular hours in the capital area, Læknavaktin provides urgent medical care. The emergency departments at Landspítali Fossvogur, the Hringur Children’s Emergency Department for patients up to 18 years old, and SAk operate around the clock. The Landspítali Poison Centre can be reached at 543 2222. Sexual-violence emergencies are treated in emergency departments, with specialised units at Landspítali and SAk; Landspítali also provides trauma counselling. Routine childhood vaccinations are free for children living in Iceland and are delivered through health centres and primary schools. Vaccination records are available digitally through My Pages. The Directorate of Health and the Chief Epidemiologist coordinate the national vaccination programme. Cervical screening invitations cover ages 23 to 64, and breast-cancer screening invitations cover ages 40 to 74. Iceland has not yet implemented an organised colorectal or rectal screening programme. Health centres and the Landspítali Dermatology and Venereology service assess sexually transmitted infections. Pregnancy care is provided through health centres by midwives and doctors. The first examination usually takes place around weeks 8 to 12, followed by approximately 7 to 10 appointments. A high-risk pregnancy is referred to Landspítali or SAk. Postnatal follow-up normally occurs 6 to 10 weeks after birth, and midwives make home visits during the first weeks. Infant care begins after returning home, with a first examination at about six weeks and later checks for development, vaccinations and general health. Pregnancy and birth care is free for people covered by Icelandic health insurance or who meet the applicable residence conditions. Primary-care psychologists and social workers commonly support mild to moderate anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Severe or complex conditions are referred to specialised mental-health teams, Landspítali or SAk, and acute psychiatric emergencies require hospital care. Iceland Health reimburses psychological treatment only when the required referral and a contract with Iceland Health apply. Electronic prescriptions are used widely. Regular medicines can generally be renewed through Heilsuvera with electronic identification, but antibiotics, strong pain medicines, sedatives and sleeping medicines require a consultation. A repeat prescription can remain valid for no more than one year. The Icelandic Medicines Agency regulates medicine authorisation, reimbursement lists and pharmacy rules. The Landspítali Medicines Committee handles certain restricted, expensive or specially licensed medicines. Medicine patient charges operate over a 12-month period; since 1 January 2026, the fifth level sets maximum charges of 62,000 ISK for the general group and 41,000 ISK for reduced-charge groups, after which covered medicines cost 0 ISK. Physiotherapy is available for up to six sessions per year without a medical referral. Additional physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy normally require a referral and a contract with the relevant provider. Home nursing requires a written request from a health or social-service professional, a needs assessment and ongoing reassessment. It is free when approved, but it does not provide continuous 24-hour supervision. Home rehabilitation is arranged through the local health centre. Admission to a nursing home generally follows the use of other suitable measures and requires a pre-admission assessment together with nursing, medical and social reports; nursing homes provide 24-hour nursing care and may include physiotherapy or occupational therapy. Patients have the right to the best available evidence-based care, understandable information, informed consent, participation in decisions, equal treatment and confidentiality. They may obtain a copy of their health records and information about who has accessed them. Providers must document relevant care. Complaints about treatment, errors or neglect go to the Directorate of Health; complaints about service or staff conduct usually begin with the provider or institution. After 1 August 2026, people from outside the European Economic Area generally face a three-month waiting period after establishing legal domicile before receiving ordinary covered care. EEA, Nordic, United Kingdom and Swiss rules can allow earlier coverage, and essential-treatment exceptions may apply. Without coverage, the patient may have to pay the full price. General health-service charges have a monthly ceiling of about 37,794 ISK in 2026; the ceiling is about 25,198 ISK for older people, people with disabilities and rehabilitation pension recipients, and for children aged 2 to 18. Children under two have a 0 ISK ceiling. After the monthly maximum is reached, reduced monthly charges apply, while exact tariffs can change. Long travel distances, limited rural opening hours and referrals to Reykjavík or Akureyri can therefore affect how quickly care is obtained.
Health in Iceland
Healthcare in Iceland combines local health centres, hospitals, specialist services, emergency care and preventive programmes. The first point for many non-emergency needs is heilsugæsla, Iceland’s primary health care service, while Landspítali and Akureyri Hospital provide major specialist and hospital care. 112 handles emergencies, and 1700 provides medical and care advice. Access, opening hours, referrals and patient charges depend on the service, region and health coverage.
Tip
Build your care plan around a registered health centre, the correct urgent-care number and your actual coverage. Use primary care for ordinary problems, move directly to emergency care when life is at risk, and check regional access, referrals, medicine charges and coverage before a planned service creates delay or unexpected cost.