How to Get Into a University in Iceland as an International Student

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Iceland has no national application portal. You apply online to each university separately, and most bachelor's programmes admit everyone who meets the entry requirements. The real filters are your school qualification, the language of the programme and an early deadline for applicants from abroad.

Our catalogue covers 140 bachelor's programmes across 7 university sites.

What qualification you need

The University of Iceland (HÍ) sets the minimum as the Icelandic matriculation examination (stúdentspróf), another level 3 qualification under the Icelandic national curriculum, or an equivalent qualification from a school abroad. Faculties can add their own requirements, so the programme page matters as much as the general rule. Applicants who have completed 60 ECTS at a recognised university can also meet the general requirement.

ENIC/NARIC Iceland publishes a country-by-country list of qualifications that meet the minimum for undergraduate entry. For some countries the school diploma alone is enough, for example the German Abitur, the French Baccalauréat, the Dutch VWO or the Polish matura certificate. For others the list asks for one year of higher education on top of the school certificate, for example for Russia (from 1999), Ukraine (after 1999), India (CBSE), China, Brazil and Nigeria. For the United States it asks for a high school diploma plus one year of higher education, or ten Advanced Placement courses. The list is not exhaustive, so if your country is missing, email ENIC/NARIC.

Language is the second filter

Most bachelor's programmes are taught in Icelandic. HÍ says faculties may require applicants with school qualifications from outside the Nordic countries to pass an entrance exam in Icelandic at level B2 before admission to Icelandic-taught programmes. Reykjavik University's pages for its business, economics and computer science bachelor's say the programmes are taught in Icelandic and that Icelandic proficiency is required. See Icelandic language requirements for Iceland and bachelor's degrees in English in Iceland.

Deadlines

University of Iceland: international applicants other than exchange students must apply, and have their supporting documents in, by 1 February for the autumn start. Applications open around mid-December. The 5 June deadline on HÍ's Icelandic-language page is for Icelandic residents and citizens of the Nordic states.
Reykjavik University: the non-EU/EEA deadline for the autumn semester is 31 January (applications open 5 October). For EU/EEA residents the page gives 30 April.
Arts: the Iceland University of the Arts sets its own dates. For Contemporary Dance Practices, the deadline for 2027 is 25 January 2027.

Applicants from outside the EEA are admitted only for the autumn semester at Reykjavik University, and HÍ says it is unlikely that non-EEA citizens can start in the spring, because the residence permit deadline falls too early. See student visa for Iceland.

Selection and entrance exams

Most programmes have no ranking. The exceptions at HÍ:

entrance exams in June for the BS programmes in Medicine, Odontology and Physical Therapy
a competitive exam at the end of the autumn semester, in December, for Nursing, Dental Technology and Odontology
restricted progression into the second year of Radiography

Arts programmes select by portfolio or audition.

Sending your documents

HÍ accepts only verifiable documents: scans and photocopies are not valid. You can submit PDFs digitally signed by the issuing institution, certified paper copies, or access to an online verification portal. IB students can ask the IB to send transcripts directly to HÍ. Missing documents at the deadline mean the application is not processed. See document recognition in Iceland.

Where to look next

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.