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Emergency preparedness in Iceland: official advice at a glance

Iceland asks households to manage alone for 3 days. Area SMS alerts, Red Cross mass-care centres, no public shelters, no iodine for homes.

Updated 2026-10-20· 15 official sources· Lesa á íslensku

Iceland at a glance

updated 2026-10-20
SuppliesIceland's Department of Civil Protection (Almannavarnir, under the National Commissioner of Police) says every home should have an emergency kit (viðlagakassi) and refers households to the '3 dagar – Ertu klár?' programme run with the Icelandic Red Cross, which asks every household to be able to manage on its own for at least three days.sourcedPublic sheltersIceland publishes no programme of public blast or fallout shelters.sourcedAlertsCivil Protection and the police warn the public through the 112 Iceland (Neyðarlínan) alert system, which sends SMS to phones in a defined area with no sign-up or app needed; Almannavarnir estimates that about 9-10% of messages miss phones inside the area or reach phones outside it.sourcedIodineIceland does not distribute iodine tablets to households.sourcedPrivate shelterIceland has no law or regulation on private shelters: the civil protection legislation listed by Almannavarnir (Civil Protection Act no.not published
Shelter standardsIceland publishes no technical standards or approval scheme for shelters.not published
Emergency numbers112 is Iceland's only emergency number, run by Neyðarlínan, which also offers web chat and the 112 Iceland app.sourced
Crisis bookletNo national booklet is mailed to households.sourced
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Short answer. Iceland's Department of Civil Protection (Almannavarnir) asks every home to keep an emergency kit and refers households to the Red Cross programme "3 dagar – Ertu klár?": manage alone for at least three days, with at least 3 litres of water per person per day 12. Warnings go out by area SMS from 112 Iceland 3. No public shelter programme exists and no iodine goes to households 45.

Information verified on 20 October 2026.

Who is responsible for emergency preparedness in Iceland?

The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management of the National Commissioner of Police (Almannavarnadeild ríkislögreglustjóra) coordinates civil protection 36. Neyðarlínan runs the 112 number and the area SMS alert system 73. The Icelandic Red Cross runs the "3 dagar" preparedness programme, the mass-care centres and the 1717 helpline 28. Iodine questions fall to the Chief Epidemiologist and the Icelandic Radiation Safety Authority (Geislavarnir ríkisins) 5.

No national booklet is mailed to households. The "3 dagar" programme provides a printable kit checklist, a fillable household plan and an English version, and Almannavarnir keeps its own household-plan form (2016 PDF) 291011.

What does each Iceland page cover?

Topic What Iceland says Page
Supplies At least 3 days; at least 3 litres of water per person per day; cash for 3 days 2 Emergency supplies
Kit The Red Cross "3 dagar" list, item by item 210 Kit checklist
Alerts 112 Iceland area SMS, no sign-up; about 9-10% of messages miss or overshoot the area; radio, TV, web 123 Emergency alerts
Iodine No household distribution; no reason to buy (2022); central stock of 10,000 tablets (2017 figure) 513 Iodine tablets
Public shelters No public shelter programme; Red Cross mass-care centres in schools and halls 4 Public shelters
Contacts 112 (only emergency number), 1717 Red Cross, +354 513 1700 Heilsuvera 7815 Emergency contacts

What should an Icelandic household do first?

  1. Build a kit for at least three days, following the Red Cross list 2.
  2. Store at least 3 litres of water per person per day, in sealed containers, and plan water for flushing the toilet 2.
  3. Keep cash for at least three days, since cards and ATMs may not work 2.
  4. Keep SMS reception enabled on your phone so 112 Iceland area alerts can reach you 3.
  5. Write down a list of important phone numbers and fill in a household plan 1011.
  6. Find your nearest Red Cross mass-care centre on the Red Cross map 8.

Our general guides go further: family emergency plan, 72-hour kit, water per person, earthquake preparedness, volcanic ash and winter car kit.

Frequently asked questions

Which agency is in charge of emergency preparedness in Iceland?

The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management of the National Commissioner of Police (Almannavarnir) 36.

Does Iceland have nuclear shelters for the public?

No public shelter programme is published. People who must leave home go to Red Cross mass-care centres, generally in schools, community halls or assembly halls 4.

How will I be warned in Iceland?

By SMS sent by 112 Iceland to phones in the affected area, with no registration needed, and through radio, TV and the internet 123.

How long should I be able to manage alone in Iceland?

At least three days 2.

Sources

  1. Almannavarnir (Ríkislögreglustjóri) — Forvarnir og fræðsla — https://www.almannavarnir.is/forvarnir-og-fraedsla/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
  2. Rauði krossinn á Íslandi — 3 dagar - Ertu klár? — https://www.raudikrossinn.is/verkefni/innanlandsverkefni/hamfarir-og-neydaradstod/3-dagar-ertu-klar/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
  3. Almannavarnir (Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management) — 112 alert system — https://almannavarnir.is/112-alert-system (accessed 2026-10-20)
  4. Almannavarnir (Ríkislögreglustjóri) — Fjöldahjálparstöðvar — https://www.almannavarnir.is/forvarnir-og-fraedsla/fjoldahjalparstodvar/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
  5. Embætti landlæknis – Sóttvarnalæknir og Geislavarnir ríkisins — Ekki ástæða fyrir heimili að eiga joðtöflur vegna ástandsins í Úkraínu — https://island.is/s/landlaeknir/frett/ekki-astaeda-fyrir-heimili-ad-eiga-jodtoeflur-vegna-astandsins-i-ukrainu (accessed 2026-10-20)
  6. Almannavarnir (Ríkislögreglustjóri) — Rýmingar — https://www.almannavarnir.is/almannavarnarstig/rymingar/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
  7. Neyðarlínan (112 Iceland) — Contacting 112 — https://www.112.is/en/samtal-vid-1-1-2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
  8. Rauði krossinn á Íslandi — Neyðarvarnir — https://www.raudikrossinn.is/verkefni/innanlandsverkefni/hamfarir-og-neydaradstod/neydarvarnir/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
  9. Rauði krossinn á Íslandi (Icelandic Red Cross) — 3 days - are you prepared? — https://www.raudikrossinn.is/english/projects/domestic-projects/disaster-services-and-emergency-relief/3-days-are-you-prepared/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
  10. Rauði krossinn á Íslandi — Það er mikilvægt að öll heimili landsins geti komist af í að minnsta kosti 3 daga. (Viðlagakassi prentanlegur listi) — https://www.raudikrossinn.is/media/30fh3vkd/ertu-klar-listi.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
  11. Almannavarnir (Ríkislögreglustjóri) — Heimilisáætlun (PDF) — https://www.almannavarnir.is/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/heimilisáætlun.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
  12. Almannavarnir (Ríkislögreglustjóri) — Algengar spurningar — https://www.almannavarnir.is/almannavarnarstig/algengar-spurningar/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
  13. Alþingi — 173/147 svar: viðbúnaður við kjarnorkumengun (Svar dómsmálaráðherra, 147. löggjafarþing 2017–2018) — https://www.althingi.is/altext/147/s/0173.html (accessed 2026-10-20) — althingi.is blocks automated access (403); read via Wayback Machine snapshot of 2022-02-27
  14. Almannavarnir (Ríkislögreglustjóri) — Lög og reglugerðir — https://www.almannavarnir.is/almannavarnir/log-og-reglugerdir/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
  15. Safetravel / ICE-SAR (Slysavarnafélagið Landsbjörg) — Safetravel - Be safe in Iceland — https://safetravel.is/ (accessed 2026-10-20)

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Sources

  1. Almannavarnir (Ríkislögreglustjóri) · Forvarnir og fræðsla checked 2026-10-20
  2. Rauði krossinn á Íslandi · 3 dagar - Ertu klár? checked 2026-10-20
  3. Almannavarnir (Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management) · 112 alert system checked 2026-10-20
  4. Almannavarnir (Ríkislögreglustjóri) · Fjöldahjálparstöðvar checked 2026-10-20
  5. Embætti landlæknis – Sóttvarnalæknir og Geislavarnir ríkisins · Ekki ástæða fyrir heimili að eiga joðtöflur vegna ástandsins í Úkraínu checked 2026-10-20
  6. Almannavarnir (Ríkislögreglustjóri) · Rýmingar checked 2026-10-20
  7. Neyðarlínan (112 Iceland) · Contacting 112 checked 2026-10-20
  8. Rauði krossinn á Íslandi · Neyðarvarnir checked 2026-10-20
  9. Rauði krossinn á Íslandi (Icelandic Red Cross) · 3 days - are you prepared? checked 2026-10-20
  10. Rauði krossinn á Íslandi · Það er mikilvægt að öll heimili landsins geti komist af í að minnsta kosti 3 daga. (Viðlagakassi prentanlegur listi) checked 2026-10-20
  11. Almannavarnir (Ríkislögreglustjóri) · Heimilisáætlun (PDF) checked 2026-10-20
  12. Almannavarnir (Ríkislögreglustjóri) · Algengar spurningar checked 2026-10-20
  13. Alþingi · 173/147 svar: viðbúnaður við kjarnorkumengun (Svar dómsmálaráðherra, 147. löggjafarþing 2017–2018) checked 2026-10-20
  14. Almannavarnir (Ríkislögreglustjóri) · Lög og reglugerðir checked 2026-10-20
  15. Safetravel / ICE-SAR (Slysavarnafélagið Landsbjörg) · Safetravel - Be safe in Iceland checked 2026-10-20

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