IB Diploma: University Admission in Iceland

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

The full IB Diploma is accepted for undergraduate entry at the University of Iceland (HÍ). Two other IB outcomes are not, and the language of the programme you choose matters more than your points. This guide covers the rules published by HÍ and ENIC/NARIC Iceland in October 2026.

How the IB is treated

IB Diploma: meets the minimum entry requirements. This is the position of ENIC/NARIC Iceland and of HÍ's IB information page.
IB Certificate (single courses without the full Diploma): does not meet the minimum requirements, according to ENIC/NARIC.
IB Career-related Programme (IBCP): does not meet the entry requirements at HÍ.

The general rule behind this is that HÍ requires the Icelandic matriculation examination or an equivalent qualification from a school abroad. Faculties may add requirements. See how to get into a university in Iceland.

Some faculties set subject requirements. The geology bachelor's, for instance, asks for a minimum number of Icelandic school credits (einingar) in mathematics and science, including physics and chemistry. HÍ's pages do not publish a conversion from IB subjects and levels to those credits. Before you pick Higher Level subjects, check the programme page and ask the faculty by email whether your subject combination meets the requirement.

Documents and timing

HÍ's IB page says that no translation is needed and that you can ask the IB to send your transcripts and certificates directly to transcript@hi.is. You can also submit certificates in one of the accepted ways: a digitally signed PDF, a certified paper copy or an online verification portal. International applicants must have supporting documents at HÍ by 1 February, which is before IB final results are available for most students. The pages do not explain how HÍ treats applicants who are still waiting for results, so ask Student Registration (admission@hi.is) what it accepts. See document recognition in Iceland.

A sensible order for IB students:

Choose a programme and read its language line and subject requirements.
Ask the faculty whether your Higher Level and Standard Level subjects meet them.
Apply before the deadline and request your IB transcript to be sent to HÍ.
Email Student Registration about final results if they arrive after 1 February.

Language

For English-taught programmes, HÍ lists an IB or European Baccalaureate diploma as a way to prove English proficiency, and its IB page says no separate proof is required at bachelor's level. This applies to English-taught programmes only. Studying in English alone does not exempt you elsewhere. See bachelor's degrees in English in Iceland.

Having the IB does not exempt you from 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 programmes taught in Icelandic, and enrolment is not approved until Icelandic proficiency has been confirmed. Most bachelor's programmes are taught in Icelandic. See Icelandic language requirements for Iceland.

Selective programmes and other universities

Some HÍ programmes limit places. Entrance exams for the BS programmes in Medicine, Odontology and Physical Therapy are held in June, and Nursing, Dental Technology and Odontology hold a competitive exam in December. The IB Diploma gets you into this process, but not past it.

Check the programme page at Reykjavik University, the University of Akureyri and the Iceland University of the Arts as well. The pages we checked did not contain IB-specific rules for those institutions. RU's non-EU/EEA deadline is 31 January, and the arts university sets its own dates. See IB Diploma and universities in continental Europe.

Where to look next

Official sources

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