News

Extension of Schengen visas due to airport closures

If your Schengen visas is expiring and you cannot leave Iceland because of aiport closures, you can get your visa extended at the Icelandic Directorate for Immigrationo at Skógarhlíð 6, Reykjavík. You need to bring your passport and one passport size photo. See <a href="http://www.utl.is/" target="blank">www.utl.is. </a>

Information for airline passengers due to the volcanic eruption

The volcanic eruption in the glacier Eyjafjallajokull in South Iceland has disrupted air traffic and resulted in many foreign travelers and Icelanders living abroad not having been able to get to their destinations in time. The Consular Affairs Unit of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs urges people to monitor instructions from airlines and travel agencies.…

Conference on EU´s Support for Regional Policy

<p>On 15 April, the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Association of Local Authorities in Iceland, and the EU Commission co-hosted a conference on the European Union's regional policy and employment issues.</p>

Volcanic eruption in South Iceland

<p>The volcanic eruption in the glacier Eyjafjallajokull in South Iceland is continuing but Icelandic civil protection authorities have the situation as regards public response fully under control.&#160;The affected areas have been evacuated and damage caused by flooding has been limited to roads, bridges and other infrastructure. Harm to agricultural land is evident.</p>

Volcanic eruption in South Iceland

<p>The volcanic eruption in the glacier Eyjafjallajokull in South Iceland is continuing but Icelandic civil protection authorities have the situation as regards public response fully under control. The affected areas have been evacuated and damage has been limited to roads, bridges and other infrastructure that has been destroyed by flooding. Further damage to agricultural land is evident.</p>

Statement by the Government of Iceland

<p>At its meeting this morning, the Government met the National Police Commissioner and representatives of the Civil Protection Department, who presented an account of the security situation in the vicinity of the volcanic eruption in the Eyjafjallajökull glacier.</p>

Second day of volcanic eruption under Eyjafjallajökull glacier

Volcanic ash fall and risk of flooding main causes of concern

Update on the new volcanic eruption in Southern Iceland

Travelling restrictions are in the area around Eyjafjallajökull glacier, where a volcanic eruption began last night. Travellers in the south of Iceland are advised to exercise caution, follow instructions and not to enter restricted areas

Icelandic government welcomes investigative commission's report on collapse of Icelandic banks

<p>The Icelandic government welcomes the report published today by the Special Investigative Commission of the Parliament on the causes of the collapse of the Icelandic banking system.&#160;The report is the first comprehensive analysis of the causes of the collapse of the three largest Icelandic banks.</p>

Icelandic government welcomes investigative commission's report on collapse of Icelandic banks

<p>The Icelandic government welcomes the report published today by the Special Investigative Commission of the Parliament on the causes of the collapse of the Icelandic banking system. Consisting of independent experts, the investigative commission was established by the Icelandic parliament in December 2008.</p>

Condolences to the Polish people

The Prime Minister of Iceland has sent the Polish Prime Minister a letter of condolences on the death of President Lech Kaczynski and several Polish representatives.

Condolences to the Polish people

<p>Johanna Sigurdardottir, Prime Minister of Iceland, has sent the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, a letter of condolences on the death of President Lech Kaczynski and several Polish representatives in a plane crash in Russia this morning.…

Absentee voting for Local Government Elections

Voters can cast their ballots in 235 locations in 84 countries

<STRONG>Icelandic Defence Law to be amended</STRONG>

<p>The Icelandic Government has decided to put forward a parliamentary bill to amend Defence Law nr. 34/2008.</p>

Situation report on the volcanic eruption in Southern Iceland

<p>Travelling restrictions remain in the area around where a volcanic eruption begun in Southern Iceland late Saturday night. Traffic on main roads has been reopened but travellers in the area are advised to exercise caution, follow instructions and not to enter restricted areas, which are marked.</p>

Total Treasury debt

<p>In recent days, there has been some discussion of the debt of the Treasury and its debt management.</p>

Work continues on a mutually acceptable solution to Icesave

<p>The Icelandic authorities will continue to work towards a satisfactory solution to the Icesave issue on this basis. The three governments have declared their intention to continue the talks and find a solution to the matter.</p>

Work continues on a mutually acceptable solution to Icesave

Press release of the Government of Iceland on the Icesave referendum

Icesavetalks adjourned

The Government of Iceland has for the last three weeks been engaged in a dialogue with the Governments of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, hoping for a resolution of the Icesave matter.

Forecast 2010

<p>The revised forecast for 2010 on HFF bond issuance for the purpose of financing new mortgages is ISK 42-50 billion which is an increase of ISK 8 billion from previous figures. The increase is due to the Fund´s expected purchase of mortgage portfolios as announced at the OMX Nordic Exchange on March 5th, 2010.</p>

Treasury finances January-December 2009

Figures for Treasury finances in January-December 2009 are now available. Total Treasury revenue amounted to 415 billion, decreasing by 30 billion or 6.8%.

Press centre set up for visiting journalists for Saturday's referendum

Over 30 media outlets are expected in Iceland for the referendum.

Meeting on the Icesave matter in London finished

The Government of Iceland today announced that the latest round of talks with the Netherlands and the United Kingdom regarding the Icesave matter have adjourned without a final resolution. Representatives of the three Governments have been meeting in London for the last two weeks.

Iceland and the United Nations University Sign Agreement on a Land Restoration Training Programme

The Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs, The Agricultural University of Iceland, The Soil Conservation Service of Iceland and the United Nations University have signed an agreement to operate the United Nations University Land Restoration Training Programme in Iceland (UNU-LRT).

Iceland welcomes the opinion of the European Commission on Iceland's EU application

Iceland welcomes the opinion of the European Commission on Iceland's application for EU membership, which recommends the opening of accession negotiations

Iceland protests a meeting of 5 Arctic Council member states in Canada

The Icelandic government has formally protested a meeting of five member states of the Arctic Council, which is scheduled to take place in Canada this March, whithout the participation of Iceland, Sweden and Finland, who also sit in the Council

The Icesave issue discussed in London

The negotiation committee representing the Icelandic government met today with representatives of the UK and Dutch governments in the Icelandic embassy in London. At this meeting the negotiation committee presented a proposal for a new solution to the Icesave dispute, based on the agreement reached between government and opposition parties in the Icelandic parliament Althingi.

PM of Iceland met with Barroso and Rehn in Brussels

<p>Ms. Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland met today with Mr. José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission and Mr Olli Rehn, Commissioner for Enlargement and Commissioner Designate for Economic and Monetary Affairs.</p>

The Minister of Finance the Netherlands and UK Finance Ministers

The Netherlands and UK Finance Ministers today met the Icelandic Finance Minister, who was accompanied by the leaders of the Independence Party and the Progressive Party.

Icesave meeting in The Hague

<p>The governments of Iceland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have held regular consultations on the Icesave issue during the past few weeks. A delegation led by Iceland's Minister of Finance, Steingrímur J.…

Iceland tops Environmental Performance Index

Iceland ranks first among 163 countries in an Environmental Performance Index produced by environmental experts from Yale University and Columbia University. According to the findings, Iceland's top ranking derives from its high scores on environmental public health, controlling greenhouse gas emission, renewable energy production and reforestation.

Out of country voting

Out of country voting for the national referendum on the so-called Icesave issue on 6 March 2010

Economic Development in the Nordic Countries: 2009 Report

Road conditions and weather

Information on road conditions is entered from 7:00 - 22:00 and are displayed almost immediately. Outside these hours, information remains unchanged and is erased at some point after midnight.

The Welfare Watch -&nbsp;Report to the Althingi 2010

<p>This report is a translation of the Icelandic original, without the appendices to which reference is made in the report itself. The materials referred to in footnotes are in Icelandic.</p>

Unemployment 8.2% in December 2009

The unemployment in December 2009 was 8.2% or up from 8% in November 2009.&nbsp; There were 13,776 unemployed in December 2009 or up with 419 from November 2009.

National referendum on 6 March

A national referendum on the so-called Icesave legislation will be held on 6 March 2010, as announced by the Icelandic Minister of Justice, Ragna Arnadottir, today. Out of country voting will start on the 28 January.

Icelandic team rescues first earthquake-victims in Port-au-Prince

A 35-man strong Icelandic International Search and Rescue Team has pulled the first two eartquake-victims alive out of the rubble of the Caribbean Market in Port-au-Prince in Haiti.

The Prime Minister of Iceland urges IMF to continue the Economic Programme

<p>“I would like to emphasize that the Economic Programme in co-operation with the IMF should continue without interruption, even though a solution to the Icesave matter will be postponed because of the planned national referendum”, the Prime Minister of Iceland, Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir, said today in a letter to the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn.</p>

Iceland sends a search and rescue team to Haiti

The foreign minister of Iceland, Mr Ossur Skarphedinsson, has decided to deploy the Icelandic International Search and Rescue Team to Haiti to participate in rescue efforts after an earthquake hit south of Port-au-Prince yesterday.

Iceland offers to assist in evacuating foreign nationals from Haiti

The Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs has offered to assist in evacuating foreign nationals from Haiti with plane which is leaving the capital, Port-au-Prince, tonight, 13 January, at 18:30 local time.

Icelandic search and rescue team among the first to Haiti

A 37-man strong Icelandic International Search and Rescue Team has landed in Port-au-Prince, one of the first rescue teams to reach Haiti following the devastating earthquake which hit 24 hours ago

Skarphedinsson and Moratinos: Icesave has no impact on EU's treatment of application

The Foreign Minister of Iceland, Ossur Skarphedinsson, spoke today with Miguel Ángel Moratinos, the Foreign Minister of Spain, which holds the Presidency of the European Union.

Minister of Finance confers with Nordic counterparts

<p align=justify>The Icelandic Minister of Finance, Steingrimur J. Sigfusson, met today with the Norwegian and Danish Finance Ministers, and the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and spoke with his Finnish counterpart by telephone. Yesterday he spoke by telephone with the Swedish Minister of Finance.</p>

National referendum to take place as soon as possible

The Icelandic Parliament, Althingi, convened today to debate a Government bill regarding the preparation for a national referendum on the so-called Icesave legislation. This comes in the wake of the President of Iceland´s decision on 5 January not to sign into law a bill which provides for a state guarantee of loan repayments to the British and Dutch governments.

National referendum to take place as soon as possible

<p>The Icelandic Parliament, Althingi, convened today to debate a Government bill regarding the preparation for a national referendum on the so-called Icesave legislation. This comes in the wake of the President of Iceland´s decision on 5 January not to sign into law a bill which provides for a state guarantee of loan repayments to the British and Dutch governments.</p>

Treasury finances January-September 2009

Figures for Treasury finances in the first nine months of 2009 are now available. Total Treasury revenue amounted to 307 billion, decreasing by 25 billion or 7.6% <br>

Treasury finances January-October 2009

Figures for Treasury finances in the first ten months of 2009 are now available. Total Treasury revenue amounted to 345 billion, decreasing by 24 billion or 6.5%

Treasury finances January-November 2009

Figures for Treasury finances in the first eleven months of 2009 are now available. Total Treasury revenue amounted to 368 billion, decreasing by 25 billion or 6.4%

The Government of Iceland remains fully committed to honour Iceland's obligations

The Government of Iceland has decided to hold a national referendum on the so-called Icesave legislation, following broad consultations with both coalition and opposition parties as well as employers' associations and labor unions. The referendum is expected to take place late February.