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State healthcare in Iceland is not completely free. Healthcare costs are covered by the state (through the Icelandic Health Insurance fund) and through patient contributions.

Patient contributions are capped each month. Once you鈥檝e spent a certain amount, your state healthcare is free for the rest of the month.

UK nationals usually access the Icelandic healthcare system in one of these ways:

• using a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for temporary stays when studying, or as a 鈥榩osted鈥� (detached) worker
• registering a UK-issued S1 form with the state insurance fund (see 鈥楿K-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Iceland鈥� below)
• taking out private health insurance for the first 6 months of living in Iceland
• registering as a legal resident in Iceland then joining the state social insurance system

Healthcare if you live and work in Iceland

If you are planning on moving to Iceland, see the guidance on Living in Iceland for more information about visa and residency requirements.

You must register as a resident if you鈥檙e living in Iceland for more than 3 months.

You need when you move to Iceland for the first 6 months.

The Icelandic healthcare system is state funded. After you鈥檝e been legally resident for 6 months, you automatically become a member of the Icelandic social insurance system.

You need to pay patient contributions directly towards the cost of your healthcare. The rest is paid for by the state through the fund.

There鈥檚 a limit to how much you pay for your healthcare in Iceland. The maximum amount you鈥檒l pay depends on:

• your age
• whether you have a disability
• how often you need to get medicine

Once you鈥檙e a resident, you may also be entitled to an for travel.

How to register for healthcare

If you鈥檙e moving to Iceland from the UK, you鈥檒l automatically become a member of the after being legally resident in Iceland for 6 months.

You need to give your number each time you receive healthcare to prove that you鈥檙e covered.

How much you鈥檒l pay

State healthcare in Iceland is not completely free. You may have to pay some of the cost when you receive treatment.

Patient contributions are capped each month. The amount is lower if you鈥檙e a child, over 67 years old or disabled. Once you鈥檝e spent that amount, your healthcare will be free for the rest of that month.

The following healthcare services are free in Iceland:

• visits to healthcare clinics if you鈥檙e over 67 years old or disabled
• inpatient hospital care and treatment
• maternity care
• all healthcare services for children with a GP referral

is not covered by Iceland Health Insurance for most people.

Children鈥檚 dental care is free if they register with a family dentist. There鈥檚 an annual check-up charge for this of 2,500 Icelandic krona per child.

If your UK employer has sent you to Iceland temporarily (鈥榩osted workers鈥�)

A posted worker, also known as a 鈥榙etached worker鈥�, is someone employed or self-employed in the UK, but temporarily sent to a European Economic Area (EEA) country.

UK posted workers can access healthcare in Iceland using a GHIC, EHIC or S1 form.

HMRC has a helpline for National Insurance enquiries from non-UK residents. They can answer questions about posted worker status and explain which documents you will need to get healthcare while posted.

UK-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Iceland

There鈥檚 different guidance if you have an S1 as a 鈥榩osted worker鈥� (see 鈥業f your UK employer has sent you to Iceland temporarily (鈥榩osted workers鈥�)鈥� above).

You may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if you鈥檙e an Icelandic resident and receive either:

• a UK State Pension
• some other 鈥榚xportable benefits鈥�

You may also be entitled to an S1 form if you鈥檙e a frontier worker (someone who works in one state and lives in another). You must contact HMRC National Insurance enquiries to find out if you鈥檙e eligible.

Once you have an S1 form, you must register it on the Icelandic system.

This will mean you and your dependants will be entitled to healthcare in Iceland on the same basis as an Icelandic citizen.

You鈥檒l also get:

• a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for travel
• planned treatments in the聽EEA

You can find out more about and the rules on on the NHS website.

Dependants and family members may be classified differently in Iceland than the UK.

Check with the local authorities when you register your S1 form.

If you鈥檙e entitled to an S1 form as a dependant of a State Pensioner, your health cover will be cancelled once you begin claiming your UK State Pension.

You will be sent a new S1 form to your registered address from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services. You must register this form to ensure continuation of healthcare cover.

You are responsible for informing NHS Overseas Healthcare Services if you change your address or your circumstances change.

How to get an S1 form

If you have a UK State Pension or another qualifying exportable benefit, you must request an application form by phone from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services (see contact details above).

How to use an S1 form in Iceland

You must register your S1 form with .

Complete the form and send it with your S1 form to:

You can also email it to: [email protected]

Once registered, you鈥檒l be entitled to state healthcare on the same basis as an Icelandic citizen.

Studying in Iceland

You should apply for a Student聽GHIC聽to get medically necessary, state-provided healthcare for the duration of your study period in Iceland, whether this is for part or all of your course. This means that you鈥檒l get necessary healthcare services on the same basis as an Icelandic citizen either for free or at a reduced cost.

If you already hold a valid Student聽EHIC,聽you can use this until the card expires.

on the NHS website.

As part of the immigration process, you may have to:

• take out private travel insurance with healthcare coverage
• register as a resident to get state health insurance after 6 months

Speak to your university for further advice.

Getting treatment in the UK

Because the NHS is a residency-based system, under NHS rules UK nationals who move abroad on a permanent basis may lose their entitlement to free NHS healthcare.

If you are a UK national and move to the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you should not expect to be able to use NHS services for free when visiting the UK unless you have an EHIC, PRC or S2 to show your healthcare costs are funded by the EU country in which you now live or by Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, or another exemption applies.

Some former UK residents do not have to pay for NHS treatment when visiting England. This includes:

• UK war pensioners
• UK government employees
• UK nationals living in the EU on or before 31 December 2020, once they have a registered, UK-issued S1

Read more about using the NHS when you no longer live in the UK (see 鈥楿K nationals who no longer live in the UK鈥� in Healthcare for visitors to the UK from the EU).

If you return to live in the UK, you鈥檒l be able to use the NHS like any other UK resident.

Read more about using the NHS when you return to live in the UK.