Do I need a permit to keep a dog in Reykjavík?
You no longer need a special permit to keep a dog in Reykjavík, but you must register the dog and pay an annual dog fee for it. The City of Reykjavík scrapped the old licensing system; you now register or deregister the dog electronically on Ísland.is using electronic ID. Registration itself is free (ISK 0) and no fee is charged in the year of registration, but from the following year an annual dog fee applies. Under the City's current fee schedule (2025) it is ISK 18,450, collected in two instalments on 1 March and 1 September, and up to a 30% discount is available if the owner completes an approved dog-keeping course. The myth that survives is twofold: that registration costs a hefty licence fee as before, and that all dogs are banned in the city. Both are outdated or wrong — keeping a dog is allowed with registration, but you must follow the dog-keeping by-law: keep the dog on a lead in public, clean up after it and respect bans in certain areas. A dog caught unregistered can cost a capture fee, which is ISK 40,000 under the same schedule.
📋 The rules
- In Reykjavík you no longer need a special dog permit, but you must register the dog (and deregister it) electronically on Ísland.is using electronic ID.
- Registration is free (ISK 0) and no fee is charged in the year of registration; from the next year an annual dog fee of ISK 18,450 applies (City of Reykjavík fee schedule, 2025).
- The dog fee is collected in two instalments (1 March and 1 September), and up to a 30% discount is available if the owner completes an approved dog-keeping course.
- The dog-keeping by-law requires the dog to be on a lead in public, to be cleaned up after, and bans to be respected in certain areas (e.g. nursery grounds and beaches).
- The capture fee for an unregistered or loose dog that is caught is ISK 40,000 under the schedule, and all dogs must be registered — including those exempt from the annual fee.
🔓 Exceptions
- Certain dog breeds (e.g. some fighting-dog types) and their crosses are banned under the rules, regardless of registration.
- Dog-keeping rules are set by each municipality; fees, bans and registration routes can differ outside Reykjavík, so check your home municipality's by-law.
- Service dogs (e.g. guide dogs for the blind) enjoy wider rights, including access where dogs are otherwise banned, under special rules.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
What many call a "penalty" for dog-keeping is really a mix of fees and public-health powers. An unregistered dog breaches the dog-keeping by-law, and if it is caught a capture fee of ISK 40,000 can follow, plus the cost of holding it while in custody. If the annual dog fee of ISK 18,450 is unpaid, the claim goes to collection with default interest like other public charges. Heavier measures apply to repeat breaches: loose dogs, mess or noise can lead to warnings and, in serious cases, to the public-health authority revoking permission to keep the dog or having it removed. A hidden cost lies in the owner's liability: if the dog bites a person or animal, or causes damage, the owner is liable in damages, which is why liability insurance is sensible. A stale figure also circulates here: older coverage cites a high licence fee at registration and amounts such as ISK 9,900 or 19,850 for the annual fee, but registration is now free and the current annual fee is ISK 18,450 — so older amounts are not used as the basis here.
📎 Official sources
- City of Reykjavík · dog-keeping fee schedule (annual fee ISK 18,450, 2025) →
- City of Reykjavík · Dog-keeping by-law for Reykjavík (PDF, Icelandic) →
- Ísland.is · Registering dogs →
❓ Frequently asked
Do I need a permit to keep a dog in Reykjavík?
No, the City of Reykjavík scrapped the old licensing system and you no longer need a special dog permit, but you must register the dog electronically on Ísland.is. Registration itself is free, but from the year after registration an annual dog fee applies, which you pay for as long as you keep the dog.
What does it cost to keep a dog in Reykjavík?
Registering a dog is free and no fee is charged in the year of registration, but the annual dog fee is ISK 18,450 under the City of Reykjavík fee schedule for 2025. The fee is collected in two instalments on 1 March and 1 September, and up to a 30% discount is available if the owner completes an approved dog-keeping course.
What happens if my dog is unregistered?
An unregistered dog breaches the dog-keeping by-law, and if it is caught a capture fee of ISK 40,000 can follow under the schedule, plus the cost of holding it. All dogs must be registered, including those that may be exempt from the annual fee, so registration is compulsory regardless of the amount.
Can the dog run loose?
No, under the dog-keeping by-law the dog must be on a lead in public and the owner must clean up after it. Bans also apply in certain areas, such as nursery grounds and beaches, and repeated breaches can lead to warnings or to permission to keep the dog being revoked.
Are any dog breeds banned?
Yes, certain dog breeds and their crosses are banned under the rules, regardless of whether the dog would otherwise be registered. Dog-keeping rules are also set by each municipality, so bans, fees and registration routes can differ outside Reykjavík from those within the city.
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