Iceland criminal records search

Available.  In Reykjavik, requests for police certificates ("sakavottord") are accepted at the main police station in town.  Address: Hvertisgata 115, 150 Reykjavik).  Outside the capital, requests can be made through the local district commissioner ("syslumadur").  The charge is currently ISK 1,200 (roughly USD 12).  All requests are forwarded to the State Prosecutor's Office, which is responsible for checking the national crime registry and producing the certificates.

The certificate is usually ready for pick-up within three or four days from the officer where the request was made.  Individuals who urgently need a police certificate the same day can go directly to the State Prosecutor's Office.  Address: Hverfisgata 6, 150 Reykjavik) to obtain one.  In such cases, the individual should come with a receipt showing that the fee has been paid.

The request for an individual police certificate must be written and signed by the individual concerned.  A third party is not allowed to obtain a person's individual police certificate without that person's express, written authorization.

The certificate ("sakavottord") will have the sub-title "einkavottord," which means "private certificate" (i.e., one issued directly to the individual concerned).  It should include the individual's name, date of birth and social security number ("kennitala").  It will be signed by a representative of the State Prosecutor's Office ("Skrifstofa rikissaksoknara") and bear a rubber stamp which shows a circle within a circle.  The official insignia of Iceland appears within the inner circle.  The word "rikissaksoknari" appears in the upper half of the space between the two circles and "Reykjavik" appears in the lower half of the space.  Any crimes will be listed under "nidurstada."  A "clean" police certificate will read "ekkert brot," meaning "no convictions."

The police certificate issued to individuals may not necessarily give a complete picture of a person's criminal record.  By regulation, the certificate includes only convictions of certain crimes going back 3 to 5 years.  A more comprehensive police certificate - one that covers all offenses going back 10 years - can be provided to foreign authorities upon request in certain circumstances.  For further information about obtaining this type of certificate, contact the consular section at the Embassy in Reykjavik.