Driving in Iceland on an Australian Licence — Side Switch, Brutal Wind & Single-Lane Bridges

Do you need an international driver’s licence in Iceland? The law says no for an Australian. Iceland accepts a licence from outside the EEA for up to 12 months when it is printed in Latin letters, which yours is. Smartraveller, the Australian government’s travel service, adds the fine print: your licence must have been held for at least 1 year, digital licences may not be accepted, and some hire companies ask for an IDP from anyone licensed outside Europe or North America. A permit from your state motoring club settles the argument at the desk, but it has to be arranged before you leave Australia.

What the law asks, and what the rental desk asks

Regulation 830/2011 is the legal baseline. It also lists what a licence needs to show to stand alone: a licence number, a photograph and an issue date. Australian cards include all three. The rental contract is a separate matter. If the terms mention an IDP, carry one, alongside the physical card, because the permit never replaces the licence itself.

Swapping sides after Keflavík

Iceland keeps right. The driver sits on the left, you overtake on the left, and roundabouts turn anticlockwise. The airport road towards Reykjavík is one of the busier stretches in the country, so the first half-hour is the time to be deliberate at every junction. One more habit to build from the start: Smartraveller says headlights must be on at all times, low beam during the day.

One car at a time on the bridges

Outside Reykjavík, most bridges are one lane. Smartraveller sets out the rule plainly: slow down as you approach, look for traffic coming the other way, and if cars are approaching from both sides, the car closest to the bridge goes first. The sign reads einbreið brú. Blind crests carry the sign blindhæð, and they hide oncoming cars on narrow roads, so hold to the right and ease off before the top.

Speed and gravel

There are no motorways. The Traffic Act caps speed at 50 km/h in towns, 80 km/h on gravel and 90 km/h on paved roads. The ring road, Route 1, is paved, but many inland roads are unpaved, narrow and without shoulders. Brake before the surface changes from tar to gravel, not on the gravel itself. Smartraveller describes the speeding fines as heavy. The limits are low by Australian standards; keep to them even when the road ahead is empty.

Weather, light and lights in the sky

Wind is the hazard Australians underestimate. Gusts catch car doors and fold them forward, so park facing into the wind and hold the door as you open it. Check the Icelandic Met Office (vedur.is) and the road administration’s site (umferdin.is) every morning. Smartraveller warns that weather and river levels change quickly, roads can become impassable in winter, and animals cause crashes, especially at night.

Winter tyres are needed from around November to April, with dates that shift each year. And if you are there for the aurora, pull fully off the road to watch it. Smartraveller notes that drivers distracted by the northern lights lose control or stop without warning.

Highlands and off-road

F-roads into the highlands open only for a short part of summer. Smartraveller’s advice for remote trips: use a four-wheel drive, check conditions with the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (phone +354 522 1100), leave your itinerary with someone, and carry fuel, water and food. Driving off marked roads is strictly controlled; stay on the track even where the ground looks firm.

Alcohol and the 112 app

Article 49 of the Traffic Act sets 0.2 per mille, or 0.02%, against 0.05 at home. Smartraveller calls enforcement strict with severe penalties. Have nothing before driving.

For any emergency, call 112, not 000. Smartraveller recommends the 112 Iceland app from ICE-SAR: the red button texts your location to the response centre, and the green “Check In” button logs where you are. Australia has no embassy in Iceland, so that app is a sensible download. The Iceland driving guide and the Driving Permit Checker cover signs and onward countries.

Sources

• Smartraveller (Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), Iceland travel advice (licence held 1 year, rental IDP requirements, digital licences, headlights, winter tyres, one-lane bridges, northern lights, highland driving and +354 522 1100, 112 Iceland app): smartraveller.gov.au
• Iceland, Regulation No. 830/2011 on driving licences, article 29 (non-EEA licence valid up to 12 months; Latin letters or translation): reglugerd.is
• Iceland, Traffic Act No. 77/2019 (speed limits 50/80/90 km/h; article 49 alcohol 0.2 per mille): althingi.is
• WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Iceland profile (BAC 0.02 g/dl, 50 urban, 90 rural): who.int
• Icelandic Met Office, weather warnings: vedur.is
• Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, road conditions: umferdin.is