Frequently Asked Questions

• To rent a car Iceland Car Rental, the renter/driver must be at least 20 years old and shall have held a valid driving license for at least one year before renting the vehicle and must present the license when signing the Rental Agreement. To rent a large size SUV or a passenger car the renter must be 23 years of age.

• Even though some countries have started issuing digital driving license our proivder requires a physical driving license at the time of pick-up for verification and record-keeping purposes.

• In addition to that we require the driving license do have Roman alphabet (not Arabic, Chinese or Cyrillic scripts )but if not, an International Driving License is required.

• Any request for exemptions on the above must be sent via e-mail prior to pick-up

Yes you can !

Just keep in mind that all drivers and extra drivers must be present at pick up to sign the rental agreement. 

The terms "all-wheel drive" and "four-wheel drive" are often used interchangeably, but they really shouldn't be. There are key differences between the two. Perhaps you've never known the differences between all- and four-wheel drive and were afraid to ask, or maybe you didn't realize they mean different things. 

Basically, an all-wheel drive system can send a variable amount of torque to each axle, and the driver doesn't typically control this. A four-wheel drive system sends a fixed amount of power to each axle, and it can be switched on or off by the driver. So, how do they go about doing their jobs? Generally, an all-wheel drive system uses a center differential to distribute the engine's torque between the two axles, while four-wheel drive relies on a transfer case, which functions like a locked differential.

At this point you might be wondering why there's a need for both of these types of systems, since the aim of both is to distribute power to all four wheels. Four-wheel drive is great for off-roading and other low-traction scenarios, since the system sends a fixed amount of power to each tire. Whichever tire has the most traction is guaranteed to get the power it needs, helping prevent the vehicle from getting stuck.

But four-wheel drive often doesn't work on the road for the exact same reason it works so well off road. In a corner, the wheels of a car spin at different speeds. With four-wheel drive selected, the system tries to get each wheel spinning at similar speeds, which makes on-road cornering difficult. That's why most four-wheel drive systems can be operated in a two-wheel drive mode, which is recommended for road use.

All-wheel drive systems are great for road usage because they can actively send power to the wheel (or wheels) that need it most. Some all-wheel drive systems have a fixed torque split between the front and rear axles, but those don't have the same issues with cornering as four-wheel drive systems since they rely on a differential rather than a transfer case.

Of course, there are lots of different types of all- and four-wheel drive systems that buck these conventions.

We offer these options:

Credit Cards:

We accept major credit cards: American Express, Diners Club, Mastercard, Visa. 

Debit Cards:

All debit-, debit/credit- or prepaid cards are accepted if a 15-16-digit number is displayed on the card. 

Lessee is required to provide payment card info at check out.

The card is used to charge cost of:

• damages and towing
• missing fuel
• additional days
• unpaid parking, toll and road fees
• administration fees and other miscellaneous charges

No security deposit is charged to the card.

The card must be valid for 90 days after the rental period ends.

Yes, you can modify or cancel your reservation after it is confirmed, you simply need to send us an email to our customer service representative.

For changes to reservations made via a travel agency or third-party broker, please contact the relevant agent.

Our cancellation policy is as follows:

• All cancellations made 24 hours prior to the pickup are 100% refunded.
• No shows are not refunded (0% refund)
• If you pick up the car but decide to drop off early, we do not refund the unused, or partly used rental day(s) unless amendments to booking or cancellations have been made prior to the pick-up date.

We guarantee the vehicle group you booked or an upgrade. 

You can use third party coverage.

Pay attention to the following:

• Contact your third-party insurance company for your insurance details.
• You will first pay the car rental for any damage according to our terms and conditions and then claim your cost to your insurance provider. 

You can book additional extras online or at the counter, they involve extra cost and are subject to availability. 

Please view our Extras page for details. 

Iceland car rental has put together insurance packages so you can have better coverage for lower rates, please review our Insurance page for more details.

What does the insurance not cover?

All our customers can reduce their liability to zero by opting for our Platinum Insurance. 

The Platinum Insurance reduces the liability amount for damages to zero. This includes damages covered by CDW/SCDW, GP, TP, Tire Protection and SAAP but also includes damages such as damage to the underside, wind blowing up the doors and water damages. This allows our renters to have a carefree experience with Iceland Car Rental while enjoying our beautiful island.

Excluded are damages not covered by insurances as stated in Article 29 and 32 in the Rental Agreement and terms and conditions, for example intentional damages, damages caused by negligence or damages resulting from driving where prohibited.

Terms page.

Yes!

Between 06:00 and 17:45 free shuttle bus drives from the terminal and to rental car locations/offices at KEF International airport 

If weather is fine, our rental office is in walk away distance from the airport, see map here.

Keflavik Int. airport rental office:

At Blikavöllur 3, 235 Keflavik Airport.

Opening Hours: 

• Summer: 24/7 (June 1st - Oktober 31st)
• Winter: 05:00 - 02:00 (November 1st - May 31th)

Reykjavik City rental office:

At Fiskislóð 22, 101 Reykjavik.

Opening Hours: 

• All year: 08:00 - 18:00

Seating area with free WIFI

Information screens

Keflavik Airport office:

Blikavöllur 3, 235 Keflavik Airport.

Reykjavik City Office:

Fiskislóð 22, 101 Reykjavik.

Extending the rental duration is possible at time of check-out or during the rental, subject to our acceptance, vehicle availability and extra payment.

Yes, you must check that the vehicle condition report reflects the actual vehicle condition. If an apparent damage is not listed, please proceed to our employee to update the vehicle condition report.

We encourage customers to take pictures/videos of the vehicle at check out and check in.

All our cars have studded/spiked winter tires during the winter months, more specifically from November 1st until April 15th. 

Snow chains are not commonly used in Iceland, and we do not offer them at the car rental.

Reservations will be honoured for a one hour after the confirmed pick-up date and time during normal business hours. Let us know right away if you are late.

Please give us a call, during opening hours, if your flight is delayed or cancelled. You can also send us an email and we will replay during opening hours.

Our rental office and service centre is open between 06:00 and 18:00 and we only check out vehicles during that time.

During opening hours, the grace period for check out is 60 minutes.

We cannot be held responsible for customers late arrival due to flight delays or cancelled flights.

You will need to present the following when you pick up the car:

• Your passport.
• Your booking confirmation/voucher.
• Physical driving license (or international license) for the car group you have booked.
• Credit or debit card. 

If your car breaks down, please call us immediately, the phone number is located at the top of the rental agreement.

We will decide the best course of action depending on the level of breakdown.

If the car can be repaired, we will guide you to the nearest service garage where the car will be inspected.

In cases of complete breakdown, we will bring you a new car as fast as possible.

We always try to find the best and fastest solution for both parties.

We have service contacts all around the country.

Included in all rentals is fuel discount key/fob.

This key is only usable at Olís/Ób gas stations.

With this key you get:

Discount of every litre of fuel (self service).

Discount at the service station restaurant.

How to find nearest gas station.

All over Iceland there are parking lots that you must pay to park in.

A large percentage of renters receive a speeding or parking fine during their visit because of uncertainty with Icelandic law and regulations.

We collect a payment for every unpaid ticket/fine we received plus a service fee of 2.990 ISK for each ticket/fine.

Road tolls, parking and entrance fees are charged electronically in certain areas. Make sure to follow parking instructions and pay when required. 

Here is a list of most common areas:

Reykjavík capital city, more info here.

Akureyri city, more info here.

Skaftafell, Vatnajökulls national park, more info here.

Seljalandsfoss waterfall, more info here.

Þingvellir national park, more info here.

Fagradalsfjall (volcano), more info here.

Lukkutangi (Seal beach), more info here.

Jökulsárlón (Glacier lagoon), more info here.

You can use an app or pay online to pay for parking in most areas.

There are two apps available that cover most parking spaces:

Parka (link here)

Easy Park (link here).

Landmannalaugar (link here).

Our fleet is 100% smoke and vape free.

An extreme cleaning fee will be charged if the non-smoking policy is violated.

Vadlaheidargong tunnel is a new 7,5 km tunnel, located on the ring road close to Akureyri in Northen Iceland. 

There is a toll for driving through the tunnel which can only be paid online. If you pay within 24 hours, before or after your passing through the tunnel, there will be no fine. 

Please note that if you do not pay online the car rental will be notified and will charge your credit card for the fare plus the service fee.

More information about the tunnel and how to pay can be found here.

We recommend checking weather and road condition before you start your day.

• Safetravel.is for weather alerts and safety information, www.safetravel.is
• Weather forecast from the Icelandic Met Office, http://en.vedur.is
• Road conditions and wind speed, updated every 10 minutes, www.road.is
• Real time web cameras around the country, https://vegasja.vegagerdin.is/eng/

Please call our service centre + 354 773 7070

In case of a severe accident or injuries please contact the police at 112.

You can return your vehicle when the location is closed, using a key drop box by the entrance.

The vehicle will be checked by our representative the next morning and confirmation sent be e-mail.

The airport shuttles bus runs between 06:00 and 18:00.

Full to full policy!

Vehicles are supplied with a full tank of fuel, and you must return the vehicle with a full tank at the end of rental.

For any missing fuel there is charge plus a service fee.

You can contact us by email regarding any items left behind in the car and we will do our best to help you reclaim them.

We cannot be held responsible for items left in the vehicle at the end of the rental.

We charge shipping and service fee.

At our office at Keflavik airport.

Blikavöllur 3

235 Keflavik Airport

When dropping off your rental we suggest you do it 3 hours prior to your flight.

At our office in Reykjavik.

Fiskislóð 22

101 Reykjavik

Please make sure you have all your items with you when returning your rental car.

There is a service fee for all fines or charges that result from renter’s use of the vehicle.

This includes:

Damage handling.

Lost and found.

Missing fuel.

Parking fines.

Speeding tickets.

Tunnel tickets.

We offer you 60 minutes grace period after the agreed end rental time.

If you return the car more than 60 minutes late, your will be charged for an extra day, each day starting after that counts as rental day. 

Our rates are daily rates including insurance and all extras.