Indian Drivers in Iceland 2026: Keep Right, Skip F-Roads
India
Iceland
Yes. An Indian licence printed in Latin letters is valid in Iceland for up to 12 months with no IDP (Regulation 830/2011, art. 29); a licence in another script needs a translation. Iceland drives on the right, and highland F-roads are for 4x4s only.
An Indian licence does the job in Iceland without an International Driving Permit. Article 29 of Iceland’s licence regulation, No. 830/2011, lets a visitor use a licence issued outside the EEA for up to 12 months, as long as it is written in Latin letters or comes with a translation. The smart-card licences issued by Indian RTOs print name, categories and dates in English, so they qualify. An IDP only becomes necessary if your licence carries its details in another script; then it serves as the translation.
Bring the licence and passport to the hire desk. That is the paperwork done.
From Indian roads to Icelandic ones
Two changes matter, and they pull in different directions. One is the side of the road. The other is how empty, and how unforgiving, Icelandic roads are compared with the crowded highways you know.
The side. Iceland drives on the right. You will sit on the left of the car with the gear lever under your right hand. Most rentals are collected at Keflavík, and the road into Reykjavík is a reasonable place to settle in: wide, straight and rarely busy. Use it. Practise the moments that go wrong first, such as turning out of a fuel station or entering a roundabout, which flows anticlockwise.
The speed. Indian expressways run up to 120 km/h. Iceland has no motorways at all.
| Road | India | Iceland |
|---|---|---|
| Towns | 70 km/h | 50 km/h |
| Gravel roads | 80 km/h | |
| Paved roads outside towns | 80 km/h | 90 km/h |
| Fastest roads | 120 km/h | 90 km/h |
The Ring Road is mostly paved two-lane highway, but 90 km/h is the ceiling, not a target. Wind, ice and loose stones decide the real speed.
Where the tarmac stops
Gravel sections appear without much warning, sometimes on main routes. When the surface changes, ease off before you reach it rather than braking on the loose stones. Keep to the centre of your lane, away from the soft edge, and slow down when a car comes the other way, since the stones it throws up crack windscreens.
Single-lane bridges, signed einbreið brú, are common in the south and east. Whoever is nearer the bridge crosses first. Blind summits are another feature; stay on your side even when the road looks empty.
F-roads are not for a normal rental
The highland tracks with an F before the number lead into the interior, and many cross rivers with no bridge. They are for four-wheel-drive vehicles only, and hire contracts bar ordinary cars from them, which leaves you paying for any damage. They are closed by snow for much of the year. Before heading inland, check road status on umferdin.is and warnings on safetravel.is, because conditions can change within hours.
Wind, light and winter
Iceland’s wind is strong enough to tear a car door off its hinges if you open it carelessly; hold it with both hands when you step out. In winter, daylight is short and roads ice over, so plan each day’s driving to finish before dark and allow for closures. Check umferdin.is each morning.
The scenery tempts people to stop on the carriageway for a photo. Pull fully into a marked lay-by or car park instead. Most of the Ring Road has no hard shoulder, so a car halted in the lane, around a bend or just over a rise, puts everyone behind it at risk, including you.
Alcohol: a lower line than India’s
Iceland’s limit is 0.02%, below India’s 0.03% under section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act. One drink can take you over. If you are driving, have none.
Fuel and emergencies
Many fuel stations, especially outside towns, are self-service and take a card with a PIN, so carry one that has a PIN set before leaving India. For police, ambulance or rescue, dial 112, the same single number India now uses.
The Iceland driving guide lists the road signs worth learning, and the Driving Permit Checker covers other countries on your trip.
Sources
- Regulation No. 830/2011 on driving licences, article 29 (foreign licences, 12 months, Latin letters or translation): island.is
- Traffic Act No. 77/2019, articles 37 (speed limits) and 49 (alcohol): althingi.is
- Safetravel Iceland, highland and F-road travel: safetravel.is
- Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, road conditions: umferdin.is
- India, Motor Vehicles Act 1988 s.185 (0.03%): indiacode.nic.in
Speed limits, fines, equipment & license requirements
Your home country driving rules for reference
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Winter tyres in Iceland — 2026–27 season
Winter tyres are required in Iceland whenever conditions are wintry — No dated winter-tyre mandate; 1 Nov - 14 Apr: 3.0 mm tread on all tyres, studs permitted; snow/ice: chains or winter-pattern tyres.
- Legal winter tread minimum: 3 mm — not the 1.6 mm figure most guides quote, which is the year-round minimum.
- Accepted marking: No marking requirement — the law sets a tread-depth minimum, not a tyre type
- Studded tyres: allowed
In Icelandic the rule is vetrardekk, and snow chains are snjókeðjur — that is the wording on signs, in hire-car paperwork and on any penalty notice.
Checked against national legislation, 20 Oct 2026 · Full Iceland tyre law · Compare all countries
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Iceland's licence regulation (No. 830/2011, article 29) lets a licence issued outside the EEA be used for up to 12 months, provided it is written in Latin letters or comes with a translation. Most Indian licences carry their details in English, which meets the rule. Carry the licence and your passport; an IDP is only needed as the translation if your licence is not in Latin script.
F-roads are the unpaved mountain tracks into the highlands, marked with an F before the number, and many cross unbridged rivers. They are open only to four-wheel-drive vehicles, and hire contracts forbid taking an ordinary car onto them. They are closed by snow for much of the year; check umferdin.is and safetravel.is before setting out.
50 km/h in towns, 80 km/h on gravel roads and 90 km/h on paved roads outside built-up areas, unless signs say otherwise. There are no motorways. Loose gravel where the tarmac ends is where many single-vehicle accidents happen.
The right. India keeps left, so the driver's seat, the gear lever and the direction of every roundabout are reversed. Most hire cars are collected at Keflavík airport, which gives you a straight, fairly quiet road to Reykjavík for practice.