Mobile data in Iceland: the Ring Road, the highlands and the weather
Iceland is not in the European Union, but it is in the European Economic Area, and that is what matters for roaming: the EU rule applies. What genuinely matters here is coverage, because the places you drive to are empty and the weather decides your plans.
At a glance
- Does an eSIM work in Iceland?
- Yes. It connects to Nova, Síminn (5G).
- Price
- From 4,49 € (3 GB, 15 days).
- For a one-week trip
- 5 GB for 30 days: 6,79 €.
- Does an EU phone plan work there?
- Yes: Iceland is in EU roaming, so a plan from an EU country usually works at no extra cost, within your operator's fair-use limit. If your plan is from outside the EU, it charges international roaming.
- When does the plan start?
- When your phone first connects to a network in Iceland. The QR code arrives by email within minutes.
Where an Iceland plan stops: the Faroes ferry and Greenland
Two trips that start in Iceland take you somewhere your plan may not cover. The Norröna car ferry sails from Seyðisfjörður in the east to Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands and on to Hirtshals in Denmark. The Faroes belong to the Danish realm but sit outside EU roaming, so neither an EU phone plan nor an Iceland eSIM covers them by default. The same goes for Greenland, which many visitors reach on a day trip flown from Iceland to Kulusuk, on its east coast.
On the crossing itself, once the ship is well away from the coast, the phone can pick up a maritime network that is billed outside any roaming rule. Flight mode at sea is the safe habit. For the Faroes and Greenland, see our Denmark guide; the map of roaming in Europe shows which countries are in and which are out.
eSIM for Iceland
Data on your phone the moment you land in Iceland. No account, no app, no shop.
Choose your data
For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Nothing is charged now · When we are done improving, we will email you 30% off
Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
Coverage: Ring Road, highlands and F-roads
Reykjavík, Akureyri and the towns along Route 1 are well covered, and most of the Ring Road has a usable signal. Inland it is different: on the F-roads, around the glaciers and in the highlands there is often nothing at all, on any network. Download offline maps, and check the road and weather sites before you set off, because they change fast.
Which eSIM works in Iceland?
An Iceland eSIM runs on the local networks, Nova (5G), Síminn (5G). Data only: your usual number stays on your own SIM, which matters here because emergency calls and accommodation calls are common.
Why a data eSIM still makes sense
Even with free EU roaming, two things push people to a separate data plan in Iceland: fair use limits are small on cheap contracts, and a trip here is heavy on maps, weather apps, photos and route planning. A data eSIM keeps that off your main line, and your own number stays reachable.
What uses data on a trip around Iceland
- Road conditions: the Road and Coastal Administration (Vegagerðin) publishes closures and live road webcams at umferdin.is. In winter it is the first thing to check every morning.
- Weather and aurora forecasts from the Icelandic Met Office (vedur.is), which change during the day.
- The SafeTravel app, with weather and road alerts for travellers.
- Photos and video: a phone that backs up every clip over mobile data is the quickest way to run out. Let the backup run on the guesthouse wifi.
Most of the data on an Iceland trip goes on checking things before you drive, not on streaming. The data calculator gives an estimate in five questions.
Emergencies: 112 and the SafeTravel app
Iceland has one emergency number, 112, for police, ambulance, fire and search and rescue. A data eSIM has no number, so that call goes out on your usual SIM: keep the line switched on, even if data roaming is off on it. Phones also try any network they can find for an emergency call.
SafeTravel, run by the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue (ICE-SAR), is the official safety service for visitors. Its app shows weather and road alerts and lets you send your GPS position to 112 when you are hiking or far from a road. On the SafeTravel website you can also leave a travel plan, with where you are going and when you expect to be back, shared with someone you trust. It is worth doing before the highlands, a glacier walk or any route on the F-roads, where there is often no signal at all.
Paying for parking at the sights
Many of the busy stops on the Golden Circle and the south coast charge for parking, Þingvellir and Seljalandsfoss among them. At Þingvellir a camera reads your number plate on the way in and checks it against the park’s payments on the way out. You pay at the machines by the visitor centre and the car parks, or online at checkit.is, and one payment covers the whole day in all of the park’s car parks. Other sites use machines, the same website or a parking app such as Parka.
The method changes from one car park to the next, so read the sign when you arrive. If you plan to pay from the phone, do it while you have signal, before you walk off to the waterfall.
Prices for Iceland
Iceland data eSIMs: 3 GB for 4,49 €, 5 GB for 6,79 €, 10 GB for 11,49 € and 20 GB for 19,99 €. The plan starts on the first connection in Iceland.
Travelling later?
Going to Iceland later? We remind you before you fly
Tell us the day you leave. We email you a week before and the day before with the steps to install the eSIM on Wi-Fi at home. Nothing else.
We only write about this trip, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Privacy policy
Does an Iceland eSIM work in the Faroe Islands or on the Norröna ferry?
No. The plan covers Iceland, and the Faroes are outside EU roaming as well. At sea the phone can join a maritime network that is billed separately, so use flight mode on the crossing.
Is there signal on the Ring Road?
On most of it, yes. In the highlands and on the F-roads there is often none, whatever SIM you use.
Can I use my phone as a hotspot for the car?
Yes, tethering works like any data plan, where there is coverage.
How do I pay for parking at Þingvellir?
At the payment machines by the visitor centre and the car parks, or online at checkit.is. Cameras read your number plate, and one payment covers the day in all of the park’s car parks.
What is the emergency number in Iceland?
112, for every emergency service. A data eSIM has no number, so the call goes through your usual SIM; the SafeTravel app can also send your GPS position to 112.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See eSIMs for Iceland