The objective for this welcoming plan for foreign citizens who wants to move to Rangárþing eystra is to improve their adjustment to the community. Here are all the information on service and organizations in the municipality that a new resident might need to know as well as information for the first steps when moving to Iceland.

 

Application for a national ID number.

 

 

  • National ID number is a ten digit personal identification number. Only one person can have each number.
  • It is necessary to have an e-mail address

Citizens from EEA/EFTA area

Staying less than 3 months

  • You need to contact Iceland Revenue and Customs (Skatturinn), regarding the application of a system ID number. You can find the relevant form RSK 3.30 Application of a system ID numberfrom Iceland Revenue and Customs. A tax card is issued following the allocation of a system ID number. You cannot apply for a system ID number yourself, but you do need to request Iceland Revenue and Customs to apply for you. A system ID number does not grant you any rights in Iceland and does not confirm your right to residency in the country.

Staying more than 3 months

  • You have to apply for confirmation of your right to stay in Iceland for more than three months. You do this by filling out form A-271 and submitting it together with all necessary documents. This is an electronic form that can be filled out and confirmed prior to arriving in Iceland.

Citizens outside EEA/EFTA area

  • Contact the Directorate of Immigration (Útlendingastofnun)

Necessary documents:

Upon arrival in Iceland the applicant must go to a registration office and present the original copies of a passport or legal travel document with at least six months remaining of its term of validity. You also need to provide birth certificates for children younger than 18 years old and if you want to be registered as married you have to bring a marriage license.

Confirmation of Employment

Employers can now fill out a Confirmation of Employment (formerly Employer’s certificate) electronically via My pages for employers. The employer can enter My pages through the Directorate’s of Labour website, logging in with Icekey or Electronic ID.

Confirmation at the nearest police office or the Registers Iceland

You have to go to Registers Iceland or the nearest police office and present passport and other mandatory documents, before the application for registration of domicile and as an application for an Icelandic ID No. can be processed.

 

Electronic certification / IceKey

 

 

  • You can have e-certificates activated on smart cards or produced on SIM cards all around the country at banks, savings banks or Auðkenni
  • To apply for a mobile phone e-certificate, you will need a mobile phone that has a certificate compatible SIM-card as well as official identification, i.e. a driver's license, passport or a personal ID card issued by the Icelandic National Registers.

To activate an e-certificate card you need to bring with you a PUK number and official identification, i.e. a driver's license, passport or a personal ID card issued by the Icelandic National Registers

Where can you use the Electronic certification/IceKey

Ísland.is

Ísland.is is a centralized portal for public services in Iceland. Here you can access personal information securely and many self-service tools. The site's expanding service offering simplifies the user experience and makes information readily available.

Þjóðskrá

Registers Iceland maintains registries of properties and the population, determines fire insurance value and property valuation, and undertakes investigations of the real estate market. The institution issues passports, ID cards, IceKey and various certificates.

Heilsuvera

Heilsuvera is an online service for the Healthcare Centers. Heilsuvera is a website that the Directorate of Health and the Healthcare Centers oversee. On Heilsuvera, you can receive advice from a nurse through the online chat every day from 8 am - 10 pm. The website also has a lot of information about health and abuse and what to do, but unfortunately, it is still only in Icelandic.

When you sign into the webchat you are asked to register your name and email address: you do not have to give up your correct name or email. If you do not speak Icelandic, the nurse will attempt to the best of their ability to talk to you in your language.

You can sign-in on the website with your electronic id (rafræn skilríki). Then you can see your healthcare history, renew your prescriptions, send messages to your doctor, or book an appointment at your local health clinic.

Tryggingastofnun - Social insurance system

The Icelandic pension system consists of three pillars:

  • Social insurance

The social insurance system is a public pension system, funded with taxes, to which all Icelanders belong.

Entitlement under the general insurance system is linked to residence in Iceland.

  • Pension funds

Everyone working in Iceland is obliged to contribute to a pension fund.

The pension funds are based on workers’ cumulative contributions.

Pension fund members can also apply for disability pensions, spouses’ pensions and children’s pensions.

  • Supplementary pension savings

Supplementary pension savings are voluntary savings of individuals which provide those individuals with benefits.

The entitlement is inherited according to the rules of the Inheritance

Other types of pensions and supplements in the social insurance system

  • Child's pension
  • Spouses' pension
  • Disability grant
  • Age-related disability supplement
  • Guaranteed income
  • Household supplement

 

The Directorate of Labour

The Directorate of Labour bears overall responsibility for public labour exchanges and handles day-to-day operations of the Unemployment Insurance Fund, the Maternity and Paternity Leave Fund, the Wage Guarantee Fund and many other projects connected with the labour market.

The Directorate attends to a range of responsibilities including the registration of job-seekers and the calculation and payment of unemployment benefit.

In addition to its headquarters in Reykjavík, the Directorate has eight regional offices around the country which give job-seekers and employers professional assistance with employment searches and staff engagements.

Icelandic social insurance system

Everyone who has been legally resident in Iceland for six months automatically becomes a member of the Icelandic social insurance system, regardless of nationality. Children and adolescents under the age of 18 are health insured with their parents. If you are a EEA citizen and moving to Iceland from another EEA country you can apply for health insurance from the day your legal residence is registered in Iceland.

Residence generally means domicile as defined in the Act on Domicile, and length of residence is therefore based on registration in The National Registry (Open in new window) (Þjóðskrá).

If you do not qualify for health insurance for the first six months we advise you to buy private insurance until you are covered by our public health insurance.

The insurance contains health care that includes:

  • Hospitalization
  • Maternity clinics
  • Hospitalization abroad
  • General medical assistance outside a hospital by the patient's physician with whom the Icelandic Health Insurance has a contract
  • All necessary examinations and treatment carried out by specialists and institutions with whom the Icelandic Health Insurance has a contract
  • Medicine
  • X-ray examinations and radiation
  • Per diem cash sickness benefits
  • Midwife assistance in cases of birth at home
  • Dental and orthodontic treatment for children, people over 66 years, and pensioners
  • Transport costs and travel costs
  • Nursing in the patient's home
  • Assistive technology and nutrition
  • Physiotherapy

A person pays a certain patient fee for each consultation and other services that is fixed by regulations.

Housing benefits

Housing benefit takes the form of monthly payments intended to assist those who rent residential premises, whether this is within the socially assisted housing system, in student residences or on the open rental market. The Housing and Construction Authority handles the implementation of the Housing Benefit Act, No. 75/2016, and takes decisions regarding entitlement to housing benefit.

The general administration of the benefit system is handled by the Housing and Construction Authority’s office in Sauðárkrókur.

Skatturinn - Iceland Revenue and Customs

An individual that stays in Iceland for less than six months in a twelve-month period, has limited tax liability in Iceland. This means he must pay tax on income arising from sources in Iceland although he still has unlimited tax liability in another country. Taxable income includes, for example cash payments, wages, fees, sickness allowance and benefits in kind. He is allowed the same deductions for expenses as residents, i.e. the mandatory payments to pensions insurances funds 4% of total employment income and in addition voluntary pension insurance premiums of up to 4% of total employment income. If the stay in Iceland is six months or longer in a twelve month period, the individual is considered to be a resident of Iceland, which means he has unlimited tax liability from the day of arrival to the country. In which case taxes are levied on world wide income. Former residents remain subject to unlimited tax liability for 3 years after leaving the country, unless they prove that they have become subject to taxation in another country. If you worked in Iceland last year you must remember to file your tax return, even if you moved out of the country.

Rarik

RARIK (Iceland State Electricity is a corporation owned by the government and manages The State Electric Power Works. On establishment the company’s main objective was to procure sufficient electrical power to the general public and industries in a favorable manor. The company has had an important role to play in procuring, distributing, and selling electric power. Today the company’s main objective is distribution of electric power and has gradually been working on building distribution networks in rural areas, 90% of which belong to RARIK. RARIK’s distribution network reaches to Western, Northern, Eastern and South Iceland. It also reaches 43 urban areas all over the country.

Veitur

Veitur Utilities provides an important service for the public benefit and ensures that users have continued access to hot water supplies, electricity, water and wastewater systems. Veitur Utilities is the biggest utility company in the country. Veitur provides hot water from low-temperature fields and ON Power’s geothermal power plants in the Hengill district. The company services the entire capital area, in addition to the urban and rural areas of South and West Iceland.

Nóri

Nóri is a computer system that takes care of all registration and payment for sport related activities. For example, the local sport club Dímon uses the system for registration, to log in, go to the website: ranga.felog.is or use the app Nóri. To log in use electronic id.

 

Icelandic courses

 

 

Fræðslunet Suðurlands

Fræðslunetið – símenntun á Suðurlands is a lifelong learning center located in the South coast of Iceland.

There main goal is to offer courses for adults, develop educational opportunities for low-skilled individuals and to encourage people on the labor market to practice continuous education and career development. Fræðslunetið focus groups are those who have not completed the upper secondary level of education which is about 30% of the labor force in the area. The main issue is to enable individuals from our target group to achieve further education as to strengthen and improve their employability. Another focus group are immigrants who come from different countries, mostly Europeans. They need Icelandic language courses which are performed in five different levels and other special programs designed for immigrants to enable them to settle down in a new country.

Courses:

  • Icelandic for foreigners (5 levels).
  • Foreign languages for Icelandic speaking people, such as English, Norwegian, and Spanish.
  • General basic computer skills and more advanced computer courses.
  • Formal (academic studies) like, Icelandic, Danish, English, mathematics, ITC etc. as to prepare our students so that they can apply for higher education (preparation departments at universities).
  • Occupational courses for health-care and social services employees, and employees in schools or kindergartens.
  • Education for adults with learning disabilities, long seminars and short courses

Also provided:

  • VPL (validation of prior learning) and career development
  • Educational and vocational guidance / there are two career counselors at Fræðslunetið
  • Educational service for companies and public organizations

 

Institutions

 

 

Rangárþing eystra – municipality

The public office of Rangárþing Eystra

Austurvegur 4

860 Hvolsvöllur

Phone: 488 4200

email: hvolsvollur@hvolsvollur.is

Opening hours are daily from 09:00 - 12:00 and 13:00 - 16:00

Hours during the summer, from the 3rd of June to the 15th of September:

Monday to Thursday from 09:00 - 12:00 and 13:00 - 16:00

Fridays from 09:00 - 13:00

 

Leikskólinn Örk - Kindergarten

The Kindergarten in Hvolsvöllur has the name Örk. It welcomes children from the age of 1 until they start school around the age of 6. The Kindergarten is in 3 different buildings, the youngest children are located in the building on the courner of Hlíðarvegur and Nýbýlavegur (Address: Hvolsvegur 35). The older children are divided to east hall of Hvollinn (Address: Austurvegur 8) and to the house of Félagsmiðstöð across the road from the Sport center (Address: Vallarbraut 16). The opening hours are from 7:45 to 16:15 were children can stay from 4 to 8,5 hours per day.

Hvolsskóli - Elementary school

Hvolsskóli is an elementary School, located on Hvolsvöllur (Address: Stóragerði 26) that hosts children from the age of 6 to 16 years old and live in the area from Jökulsá in Sólheimasandur in the east and to the river Eystri Rangá in the west. Hvolsskóli works in the spirit of a policy that focuses on responsible upbringing. It seeks to ensure that everyone knows what role they play, that their needs are considered and that everybody has clear boundaries.

Kirkjuhvoll - Nursing home

Residential and nursing home, (Address: Dalsbakki) founded in March 1985. It is a home to 30 senior citizens that all live in private apartments or rooms. All apartments and rooms are equipped with a panic buttons, phones and tv´s.

Framhaldsskólar - Collages

In the south region of Iceland are two collages, one located in Selfoss, Fjölbrautaskóli Suðurlands and one in Laugarvant, Menntaskólinn in Laugarvatni. Students are Menntaskólinn in Laugarvatn have the option to live on campus. For the Students that study in Selfoss, there are busses that leave from each of the villages from Hvolsvöllur to Þorlákshöfn every morning and back in the afternoon.

School- and Social service for Rangárvalla- and Vestur-Skaftafellssýsla

www.felagsogskolamal.is

Heilsugæslan - Health care clinic

The Health Care clinic in Hvolsvöllur is located at Öldubakki, it is temporary closed due to constructions. The closest Health Care clinic is in Hella (Address: Suðurlandsvegur 3). The opening hours are Monday to Friday from 08:00-16:00, it is necessary to make an appointment via phone: 432-2700. After opening hours, it is possible contact doctors and nurses over the phone, the phone number is 1700. In emergency call 112.

Sýsluskrifstofan - District commissioner

A district commissioner handles several types of public service in their districts still, including collecting taxes outside of the capital area, handling civil marriages and issuing various permits, they also issue driving licenses and passports. The office of the district commissioner for Rangárvallasýsla is located in Hvolsvöllur (Address: Austurvegur 6) in the same building as Landsbankinn.

Lögregluembættið - Police office

The offices of the Chief of Police for the southern part of Iceland are located at Hvolsvöllur (Address: Hlíðarvegur 16). The offices are open from Monday to Thursday from 09:00-15:00 and on Friday from 09:00-13:00. On the first floor you can find the police officers on call and on the second floor are offices.

Héraðsbókasafn Rangæinga - Library

The Library is located close to the swimming pool at Vallarbraut 16. The opening hours are as followed: Winter: Monday 13-20, Tuesday to Thursday 13-18 and Friday 10-13. Summer: Monday from 15-20, Tuesday to Thursday 15-18.

Íþróttamiðstöð - Sporting center

The Sporting Center consists of a swimming pool, gym, gymnasium, football and freestyle fields. In the gym you will find everything you need for a good workout. The swimming pool is 25m long, in the pool area you can find two hot tubs, wading pool, a water slide, out and indoor changing cabins and a sauna. The opening hours are as followed: Summer: Monday to Friday from 06-21, Saturday and Sundays from 10-19. Winter: Monday to Friday from 06-21, Saturday and Sundays from 10-15.

 

Public service

 

Pósturinn - Post office

The Post office at Hvolsvöllur is located at Austurvegur 2, next to Krónan. The Post office is open Monday to Friday from 11-15. There you can send and receive packages and mail as well as transferring money with Wester Union. To receive packages and send after opening hours of the Post Office, you are able to use a Post box, that is located by Orkan/Björkin Austurvegur 10.

Landsbankinn - Local bank

The local bank is Landsbankinn, located at Austurvegur 6. There you can make your first step into the Icelandic banking system with making an account, get an online bank and much more. By the entrance there is an ATM. The bank is open from Monday to Friday from 09-16.

Apótekarinn - Local pharmacy

The Pharmacy in Hvolsvöllur is located at Austurvegur 14. It is open from Monday to Friday from 10-17.

Fannberg - Local real estate office

The local real estate is called Fannberg and has offices both in Hella and Hvolsvöllur. They take care of sales for both properties and land in the south region. Their offices are located at Þrúðvangur 5 in Hella and Ormsvelli 7 in Hvolsvöllur.

 

Phone companies to get Icelandic mobile number

Síminn, Vodafone, Nova, Hringdu