Iceland on a Chinese Licence 2026: Translation, Then F-Roads

Iceland is a self-drive country by design: the Ring Road and the empty interior are the whole point of going. For a Chinese visitor the side of the road is no problem, but the licence needs one extra document, and the island runs on conditions that city driving does not prepare you for.

The licence: a translation, not an IDP

Iceland’s licence regulation lets a licence issued outside the EEA be used for up to 12 months, provided it is written in Latin letters or is accompanied by a translation. A Chinese licence is printed in Chinese characters, so the translation is required, and because China does not issue International Driving Permits, the translation is the route. Arrange it before you travel, carry it with the licence and passport, and confirm with your hire company that it accepts the format. Our driving permit checker covers other trips.

The F-roads are not for any car

The rule that catches visitors is the F-road system: unpaved tracks into the highland interior, marked with an F before the number, many crossing rivers with no bridge. They are open only to four-wheel-drive vehicles, and hire contracts bar ordinary cars from them. Driving off marked roads and tracks is illegal anywhere in the country, however tempting the photo. F-roads are also closed by snow for much of the year, so match the car to the route before you book.

Gravel, bridges and weather that will not sit still

Even on main roads, tarmac can turn to gravel with little warning, and the transition at speed is where many single-vehicle accidents happen; slow down before it. Single-lane bridges are signed einbreið brú, and the car nearer the bridge goes first. Wind is a real hazard, so hold the door firmly when you open it, and check road status on umferdin.is and warnings on safetravel.is every morning, because conditions change within hours.

Limits and alcohol

You stay on the right, as in China. There are no motorways: limits are 50 km/h in towns, 80 on gravel and 90 on paved roads outside built-up areas unless signed otherwise. The alcohol limit is 0.2 per mille (0.02%), the same figure as China’s, so treat it as zero. The emergency number for everything is 112; the Iceland driving guide has the rest.

Sources

• Regulation No. 830/2011 on driving licences, art. 29 (foreign licences, 12 months, Latin letters or translation): island.is
• Traffic Act No. 77/2019, art. 37 (speed limits) and art. 49 (alcohol): althingi.is
• Safetravel Iceland, highland and F-road travel; off-road driving: safetravel.is
• Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, road conditions: umferdin.is
• WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, China profile (0.02 g/dl): who.int