eSIM and SIM cards in Iceland

Buy for coverage, not for price - the difference only shows up when you are 200 km from Reykjavik.

• Siminn has the best rural and Ring Road reach, including mountain passes and the fjords. It is the right default if you are driving anywhere outside the capital. A prepaid starter pack with 10 GB, 50 minutes and 50 SMS for 30 days costs 2,900 ISK; a 20 GB pack is 4,900 ISK.
• Vodafone Iceland is strong in towns and along the main driving corridors. Its tourist pack with 1 GB plus unlimited local calls and SMS is 1,790 ISK, and a 10 GB top-up is 3,190 ISK.
• Nova is the cheapest and the most urban. A 2 GB tourist pack is 1,990 ISK and a 20 GB pack 2,690 ISK, but reception thins out in the Westfjords and the interior highlands.

Where to buy

• At Keflavik: the 10-11 convenience store in the arrivals hall and the tourist information counter both sell physical prepaid SIMs. This is the fastest option at 02:00.
• In Reykjavik: the flagship stores of Siminn, Vodafone Iceland and Nova in the centre, plus many petrol stations, sell SIMs and can activate a local eSIM.
• Local eSIMs are not sold at the airport shops. If you want an Icelandic eSIM rather than a plastic SIM, either buy it online before you fly or wait until you reach a city store.
• Passport registration is required by law for a local prepaid SIM, so have your passport out at the counter.

The short verdict

• EU and EEA visitors should do nothing. Roam-like-at-home applies in Iceland, so your domestic bundle works at domestic prices. Buying a local SIM is a waste of money.
• Everyone else driving the Ring Road: buy Siminn. Coverage is the whole point.
• Everyone else staying in Reykjavik for a weekend: an international eSIM from Saily on a local host network is enough, from USD 3.99 for 1 GB over 7 days, and it works the moment you land.
• Download offline maps anyway. There are real dead zones in the highlands and on stretches of the eastern fjords, whichever network you pick.