Iceland Emergency Number

112. It is the single number for every emergency service in the country — police, ambulance, fire and search and rescue — and it is the same number used across Europe, so it is the one to remember if you remember nothing else. The official emergency site's own instruction is to "call 112 in case of an emergency or click on the online chat for 1-1-2 to start a conversation with an emergency telecommunicator".

There is an online chat. 112.is states you can "click on the online chat for 1-1-2 to start a conversation with an emergency telecommunicator", which matters if speaking is unsafe or impossible — in a storm, hiding, or with a bad line. There is also the 112 Iceland app, described by the service as "designed to speed information transfer in case of emergency but is also useful for anyone who might have difficulty in calling for assistance or in describing the situation because of the situation they are in or have difficulty communicating verbally for some other reason".

Two things, in the service's own words: it "is designed to speed information transfer in case of emergency", and it helps people who "might have difficulty in calling for assistance or in describing the situation". The practical value in Iceland is location — describing where you are on a gravel road between two places you cannot pronounce is exactly when an app that transmits your position earns itself. Install it before you need it, not during.

It is the country's official safety service, and yes. In its own words, "Safetravel is run by ICE-SAR — The Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue" and it is "the official source for safe travel in Iceland". It publishes travel alerts and takes travel plans — its own guidance is that "one of the most important steps for any traveler is to ensure that a comprehensive travel plan is shared with a trusted individual who is capable of taking appropriate action". If you are going anywhere remote, that is the step people skip and should not.

Largely volunteers. Search and rescue in Iceland is run by ICE-SAR, the association that also operates SafeTravel — a volunteer organisation rather than a state service in the way most visitors assume. That is worth knowing for two reasons: the response is real and capable, and it is people leaving their jobs and homes to come and find you. It is a good argument for filing a travel plan and for turning back early.

No. This is a travel guide. We do not receive alerts, we cannot send help, and nothing here should be used instead of calling. If something is happening now, call 112 or use the 112 chat. For current conditions and warnings, the authorities are SafeTravel for travel alerts, the Icelandic Met Office for weather, and the road administration for road status — all linked on this page. We publish live road and weather readings, but we are downstream of those sources, not a substitute for them.