Moving to Iceland
Multicultural Information Centre (fjölmenningarsetur)
(Fjölmenningarsetur) runs the website www.mcc.is that has important information for everyone moving to Iceland.
You can obtain information regarding immigration issues, Icelandic society, Icelandic language lessons, your rights and obligations, interpreting and translation services and more at the MCC.
Phone: 450 3090
Email: mcc@mcc.is
Their brochure about the first steps in Iceland is in many languages and is both for EEA & EFTA citizens and non EEA & EFTA citizens
Multicultural and information Centre
Tel: 450-3090 (Icelandic/English), 470-4702 (Thai), 470-4705 (Spanish), 470-4706 (Lithuanian), 470-4707 (Russian), 470-4708 (Polish), 470-4709 (Serbian/Croatian).
Address: Árnagata 2-4, Ísafjörður
The website www.island.is can also be very useful.
Íslykill - Special authentication token
To use certain public services or obtain information from municipal authorities, government, companies and NGOs over the Internet, you often will need a special authentication token called the Íslykill.
Íslykill is a password linked to the ID No. (kennitala) of an individual or legal entity. Íslykill cannot be issued to a person who has only a system ID No. The Íslykill can be ordered from Registers Iceland. The applicant can decide whether to have it sent to his online bank account, by mail to his domicile or for those living abroad, have it sent to an embassy.
Kennitala - ID number
An ID number (ID No., kennitala) is a ten-digit personal identification number. Only one person can have each number. The first six digits are the date of birth of the person in question. Thereafter there are four additional digits. Example: A person born on 17 July 1966 will be allocated the ID No. 170766 and then four additional digits.
Housing benefit
Housing benefit takes the form of monthly payments intended to assist those who rent residential premises. Please check if you are entitled to housing benefit
Housing
For general information about housing in Iceland.
Council housing is available from Norðurþing, specifically, some council apartments are rented out to families with low income.
Renting
Private houses, apartments and rooms are constantly being rented out both for longer and shorter time. The local weekly advertising brochure Skráin (Húsavík) or Skeglan (Öxarfjörður, Melrakkaslétta, Raufarhöfn, Þórshöfn, Bakkafjörður) is a good place to start the search or even to place an advertisement, check also the information boards in the local shops.
Applying for other apartments owned by Norðurþing
Building a house
Building a house in Norðurþing. For all information about vacant building sites in the area:
Gaukur Hjartarson, building officer
Email: gaukur@nordurthing.is
Buying a house
For information about apartments and houses for sale the local real estate agencies:
Websites that can be helpful:
Electricity (rafmagn)
The distribution of electric power and the electricity are two different services so you will get two bills. RARIK runs the distribution of electric power in the area but there are a few power companies that you can buy Electricity from such as:
Telephone, Internet and TV (sími, net og sjónvarp)
There are a few phone companies in Iceland such as:
The prices, services and offers are varied and it can be a good idea to compare them to find the best deal for you. Note that home internet tends to be expensive and using mobile phone internet hotspot might be an economical alternative. Often it is good to contact them asking for the service you are looking for and get a packet deal for the service.
