Moving from Austria to Iceland
A move that starts on the road and finishes at sea. Here is the honest brief on costs from landlocked Austria, the transfer of residence relief, Iceland's strict biosecurity, and a timeline you can plan around.
A move from Austria to Iceland combines road and sea. Because Austria is landlocked, your container is loaded near home and trucked north to a North Sea port such as Hamburg or Bremerhaven, then shipped across to Reykjavik, the main gateway for household goods into Iceland. Plan for a realistic door to door window of about four to seven weeks once you count the road leg, consolidation, the sailing, clearance, and delivery.
Iceland is in the European Economic Area, so the free movement of people applies to Austrians, but it sits outside the EU customs union, which makes your shipment a customs event. The upside is that Iceland operates a transfer of residence relief, so used household goods that you have owned and used can usually enter free of import duty and value added tax when you genuinely move your residence.
Prices below are in euros and indicative for 2026, and they cover the road and sea transport. The biggest lever is volume, and Iceland's strict biosecurity rules on food, plants, and pets shape what you can actually bring.
What it costs to move from Austria to Iceland.
What it really costs to move a household from Austria to Iceland by road and sea in 2026, shown as indicative ranges by home size and container use. These are transport costs, with transfer of residence relief usually removing import tax.
Indicative 2026 ranges in euros, door to door by road and sea, before full packing, marine insurance, and storage. The road leg to a North Sea port, volume, the season, and the limited sailing schedule to Reykjavik move the figure. Summer is the peak, so book early.
Four levers move the number. Volume is the biggest, since a shared container bills by space, so a declutter pays off directly. The road leg from Austria to a North Sea port adds cost up front. Shared versus sole use trades cost against control. And season matters, because both the European road network and the Iceland sailings get busier and dearer in summer.
A realistic schedule for a Austria to Iceland move.
Your timeline is driven by the road leg to port and the limited sailings to Reykjavik, so booking early and declaring the transfer of residence correctly matter most.
Plan and get surveys
Have movers run a video or in home survey for an accurate volume and a binding price, then compare shared and sole use quotes like for like, and check the transfer of residence relief conditions.
Book and prepare papers
Lock in your mover and a sailing from a North Sea port, and assemble the documents Iceland Revenue and Customs will want, including your passport, an inventory, and proof you are moving your residence.
Declutter and pack
Run a declutter, then have the crew pack and load. Check the MAST rules carefully, since food, plants, and used outdoor or riding gear face restrictions.
Road and sea
The container is trucked to a North Sea port, then sailed across to Reykjavik, with the timing shaped by the road leg and the sailing schedule.
Clear, deliver, register
Your agent clears the shipment, claiming the transfer of residence relief, then the goods are delivered, and you register and obtain your kennitala.
Customs and import into Iceland, an EEA member outside the customs union.
Iceland is part of the European Economic Area, so the free movement of people applies to Austrian citizens, but it sits outside the European Union customs union. That makes your shipment a customs event, declared to Iceland Revenue and Customs, known as Skatturinn, when it lands at Reykjavik.
The good news is that Iceland operates a transfer of residence relief. Used household goods that you have owned and used for a qualifying period can usually enter free of import duty and value added tax when you genuinely move your residence to Iceland, provided you meet the ownership, use, and residence conditions. Declaring the goods correctly as a transfer of residence is what unlocks the relief.
Iceland is strict on biosecurity. Food, plants, and especially pets are tightly controlled by the Food and Veterinary Authority, MAST, with import permits and quarantine for animals, and even used riding gear and some used items face restrictions. Your passport, a detailed inventory, proof you are moving your residence, and the bill of lading are the core documents, and a vehicle has its own separate registration.
How Austrian citizens actually settle in Iceland.
As Austrian citizens you have the right to live and work in Iceland under the EEA agreement, so there is no visa to apply for. The task is registration and getting a kennitala.
Austrian citizens can move to Iceland, take work, or study under the EEA agreement, without a visa or permit. You register once you settle for the longer term.
- Type
- EEA right
- Visa
- None
- Work
- Unrestricted
- Cost
- Low
For a stay beyond six months you register your legal domicile with Registers Iceland, which confirms you as a resident and connects you to services.
- Type
- Domicile
- When
- Over 6 months
- Issuer
- Registers Iceland
- Renews
- Maintain
The kennitala is the Icelandic identity number from Registers Iceland, also called Thjodskra, and almost nothing, from banking to a phone contract, works without it.
- Get
- Kennitala
- Issuer
- Registers Iceland
- Use
- ID for everything
- Needed
- First
Once registered with a kennitala and a qualifying period of residence you join the health system and work on the same footing as a local.
- Health
- After qualifying
- Work
- Open
- Tax
- Register
- Then
- Settle
How to choose a mover for this route, with no names attached.
This site never names, ranks, or recommends a moving company. Instead, here is the neutral checklist that separates a safe international mover from a risky one for a Austria to Iceland move. Apply it to every quote you receive.
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Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Austria to Iceland?
As indicative ranges for 2026, a 2 to 3 bedroom move runs roughly roughly 3,500 to 6,600 euros in a shared container and 8,000 to 12,300 euros for a sole use 40ft, before packing, insurance, any handling fees, and storage. Volume is the biggest factor. Get a binding quote from a survey.
How long does it take to move from Austria to Iceland?
Expect about four to seven weeks door to door. The container is trucked from Austria to a North Sea port such as Hamburg or Bremerhaven, then shipped to Reykjavik. The road leg and the limited sailing schedule to Iceland are what stretch the timeline.
Do I pay customs duty moving from Austria to Iceland?
Usually not on used household goods. Iceland is outside the EU customs union, so it is a customs event, but it offers a transfer of residence relief, so goods you have owned and used can normally enter free of import duty and value added tax when you move your residence. Verify the conditions with Skatturinn.
Do I need a visa to move from Austria to Iceland?
No. As an Austrian citizen you have the right to live and work in Iceland under the EEA agreement. For a stay beyond six months you register your legal domicile with Registers Iceland and obtain a kennitala.
Can I bring my pet from Austria to Iceland?
Only under strict conditions. Iceland's Food and Veterinary Authority, MAST, controls animal imports with permits and a quarantine period, and the rules are among the toughest in Europe. Start the process early and confirm the current requirements with MAST before you plan to travel with a pet.
What should I do first when I arrive in Iceland?
Obtain your kennitala, the Icelandic identity number, from Registers Iceland, also called Thjodskra, and register your legal domicile for a longer stay. The kennitala is needed for almost everything, from banking to a phone contract.