Laws in Iceland
How Iceland is classified on 36 of the 48 laws this site maps, grouped by subject. Each links to the full answer and its source.
Body & Life
- Abortion
- Legal on request Abortion is available on request, subject to a gestational limit.
- Suicide Laws
- Not a crime
- FGM Laws
- Specifically banned FGM is banned by a dedicated law or an explicit criminal provision.
- Surrogacy
- Banned All forms of surrogacy are illegal in Iceland.
Money & Games
- Gambling Age
- 18 Minimum age to gamble: 18.
- Cryptocurrency
- Legal Cryptocurrency is legal to own and trade.
Daily Life
- Public Smoking Bans
- Comprehensive ban Iceland prohibits smoking in most public spaces, including all enclosed spaces, public transport, restaurants, bars, and clubs.
- Driving Age
- 16–17 Minimum age to drive a car: 16.
- Homeschooling
- Legal Homeschooling is legal.
Animals & Environment
- Fur Farming
- Legal Fur farming remains legal in Iceland, with one farm operational as of 2026 despite pressure to ban.
- Cosmetic Animal Testing
- No ban No ban on testing cosmetics on animals.
- Plastic Bag Bans
- Banned Lightweight plastic bags are banned nationwide.
Civic & Family
- Voting Age
- 18 The voting age is 18.
- Compulsory Voting
- Voluntary Voting is voluntary.
- Minimum Working Age
- Under 14 Minimum working age: 13.
Relationships & Sexuality
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Marriage legal Same-sex marriage is legally performed and recognized.
- Same-Sex Activity
- Legal Same-sex sexual activity is legal.
- Age of Consent
- 14–15 The age of consent is 15.
- Sex Work
- Buying illegal (Nordic model) Buying sex is a crime, but selling sex is not criminalized.
- Pornography
- Illegal Iceland prohibits the production, importation, sale, and distribution of pornography.
- Divorce
- Legal Divorce is legal and generally available by mutual consent without fault.
- Non-Binary Recognition
- Recognized Iceland legally recognizes a third gender option on official documents nationwide.
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Joint adoption legal Same-sex couples can jointly petition to adopt.
- Incest Laws
- Criminal offense
- Marriage Age
- 18+ Minimum marriage age: 18.
Speech & Belief
- Blasphemy Laws
- No blasphemy law Iceland repealed its blasphemy law in 2015, making blasphemy no longer a criminal offense.
- Holocaust Denial
- No specific law No specific law criminalises Holocaust denial.
- Conversion Therapy
- Banned Iceland passed a bill in 2023 to ban conversion therapy nationwide.
Justice & Weapons
- Death Penalty
- Fully abolished Fully abolished for all crimes.
- Gun Laws
- Licensed / moderate Handguns can be licensed for sport, hunting or collecting, but personal protection alone is not a sufficient reason.
- Military Conscription
- No conscription
Substances
- Cannabis
- Illegal Cannabis is illegal for all purposes.
- Drinking Age
- 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 20.
- Smoking Age
- 18 Minimum age to buy tobacco: 18.
- Psilocybin Mushrooms
- Illegal Psilocybin is a controlled substance; possession is a criminal offence.
- E-Cigarettes
- Regulated E-cigarettes are legal but nicotine strength is capped by law.
Nearby countries
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.