The drinking age in Iceland and how buying alcohol works
The drinking age in Iceland is 20: you have to be 20 or older to buy alcohol or be served it, which is older than in most of Europe. Alcohol is sold in bars, restaurants and one state-run chain of shops. These are the rules visitors ask us about most.
What is the drinking age in Iceland?
The legal age for buying alcohol and being served it in a bar or restaurant is 20. Staff can ask anyone for ID, so bring a passport or a photo ID card. A photo of your licence on your phone won’t do.
Where can you buy alcohol?
Wine, spirits and normal-strength beer are sold in one kind of shop: Vínbúðin, the state-run alcohol shops. There are several in Reykjavík, including one in the city centre.
Supermarkets only sell drinks up to 2.25% alcohol, so the “beer” in Bónus or Krónan is light beer. Bars and restaurants serve alcohol under their own licence, usually at much higher prices than the shops.
There’s also a duty-free shop in the arrivals hall at Keflavík airport. You can only bring a limited amount into the country tax-free, so check the current allowance on the website of the Icelandic tax and customs authority (Skatturinn) before you buy.
Vínbúðin opening hours
Opening hours differ between shops. In the Reykjavík area most open around 11:00 and close in the early evening on weekdays and Saturdays, a few larger shops stay open later, and they are closed on Sundays and public holidays. The central shop is on Austurstræti, a short walk from the harbour. Check each shop’s hours on vinbudin.is before you go, especially around holidays.
Can you buy alcohol on a Sunday?
Not in shops. Vínbúðin is closed on Sundays and public holidays, and supermarkets only sell drinks up to 2.25%. Bars and restaurants can still serve you. If you land on a weekend, the duty-free shop in the arrivals hall at Keflavík is open for arriving passengers.
When do bars close in Reykjavík?
In downtown Reykjavík, bars may serve alcohol until 01:00 on weeknights, and until 03:00 on Friday and Saturday nights and the night before a public holiday. A few areas have later licences. When serving ends the bar closes, and everyone has to be out within an hour. Water is free, so ask for a glass with every drink.
Other rules worth knowing
The drink-driving limit is very low, 0.02% blood alcohol. If you’re driving, don’t drink at all.
Drinking in the street is frowned upon, and the police can step in. Keep it to bars, restaurants and wherever you’re staying.
Alcohol advertising is restricted by law in Iceland.
Is alcohol expensive in Iceland?
Yes. Alcohol is heavily taxed, so prices in shops, and even more so in bars, are high compared with most of Europe. Swimming pools are alcohol-free zones; our pool guide has the full rules.
Getting home safely
Downtown Reykjavík is small and easy to walk. There are taxi ranks in the centre, and the city runs night buses at weekends. Work out how you’re getting home before you go out, especially in winter when the pavements can be icy. Our guide to tipping in Iceland and the one on where to buy groceries cover the rest of the practical stuff.
Quick answers
What is the legal drinking age in Iceland?
20. You must be 20 or older to buy alcohol or be served it, and staff may ask for photo ID.
Can you buy alcohol in supermarkets in Iceland?
Only drinks up to 2.25% alcohol. Wine, spirits and normal beer are sold in the state-run Vínbúðin shops, in bars and restaurants, and at duty-free when you arrive.
Can you buy alcohol in Iceland on a Sunday?
Not in shops, because Vínbúðin is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Bars and restaurants can serve alcohol, and the duty-free shop in the arrivals hall is open for arriving passengers.
Is Vínbúðin open on Sundays?
No. Vínbúðin shops are closed on Sundays and public holidays. Hours differ between shops on other days, so check vinbudin.is.
Sources
Written by Elfar Tjörfi Steinason. We checked the facts in this article against these sources on 19 October 2026:
