News

Moving to Iceland and need a bank account?

Creating a bank account is not complicated, even if you’re new to Iceland. To become a customer of an Icelandic bank, you first need an Icelandic identification number - kennitala. If you do not have an Id.No., your first step is to apply for one with Registers Iceland. The website of Registers Iceland, skra.is, has all information about how to apply.

14 September 2020 - Landsbankinn

Once you’ve gotten your Id.No., there are two ways to open a bank account.

1. With electronic ID. If you have electronic ID, you can download Landsbankinn’s app and become a customer. When you become a customer, you can also open an account, apply for a debit card, and open a savings account or purchase securities.

In exceptional cases, electronic ID is not enough to open a bank account. If you are having trouble, please don’t hesitate to contact us, for example by email to landsbankinn@landsbankinn.is.

2. By making an appointment to visit us. If you do not have electronic ID, you can make an appointment to visit us at a branch of your choosing and we will help you to get electronic ID for your phone. Electronic ID simplifies access to various social services and we recommend that all customers get it. To get electronic ID, you need to have an Icelandic Id.No. and your phone’s SIM card needs to support electronic ID.

If you can't or do not want to use electronic ID, we would be happy to have you make an appointment at a nearby branch to become a customer.

All main bank services on your phone

The app and online banking, which you can set to either Icelandic, English and Polish, allows you to apply for credit cards, view your balance, freeze cards and retrieve card information.

We are always there for you

The Bank’s Customer Service Centre is open weekdays between 9:00 and 16:00. Our advisors in the Customer Service Centre can provide details about the Bank’s products and services. You can call us at +354 410 4000, email us at landsbankinn@landsbankinn.is or chat online on landsbankinn.is. You can tend to bank business in the app and online banking anytime, anywhere.

You are also welcome to make an appointment with us, either over the phone or at one of our branches. We are there to help when you need advice or assistance.

ATMs and branches throughout Iceland

Landsbankinn operates ATMs in over 60 locations throughout Iceland. The ATMs can be set to Icelandic, English or Polish. You can see the locations of ATMs on our website and in the app. The Bank also operates branches and outlets in 36 locations in Iceland. Feel free to email any queries or comments to our Customer Service Centre at landsbankinn@landsbankinn.is, by using the “Contact us” form or chat online.

Get a raise with private pension savings

If you are entering the Icelandic job market, we recommend that you sign a contract for private pension savings. If you pay 2-4% of wages toward a private pension, your employer contributes another 2% of wages - a de facto wage increase you wouldn’t get otherwise. Private pension savings can be utilised tax-free to save up to purchase housing or make down payment on a housing loan, provided certain conditions are met.

Contactless payments

Debit and credit cards can be linked to your phone and other smart devices and used to pay for products and services. It is easy to register a card to Apple Pay through either the Landsbankinn app or Apple Wallet. For Androids, download the card app Kort from Google Play Store and register your card. You can also use Garmin Pay or Fitbit Pay, as you like.

Loans and limits

Loans available to new customers are based, among other factors, on the customer’s business history. As a rule, customers are required to have a 2-year history with the Bank before being eligible for large loans. For more information, make an appointment to speak to an advisor.

Aukakrónur – effective benefit system

We recommend that you link your credit card to Aukakrónur. Whenever you use your credit card, you accrue Aukakrónur, between 0.2% to 0.5% on all domestic turnover, in addition to receiving discounts with our Aukakrónur partners.

Banking service for children and youths

We offer various banking services to children and young people and encourage you to take a look at our products. Sprotar is a service designed to appeal to children aged 0-8 years, Klassi is for youths aged 9-15 years, and Náman is for young people aged 16-24 years.

This article is also available in Icelandic, Polish, Ukrainian and Russian.

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Höfuðstöðvar Landsbankans í Austurstræti

22 Sept. 2023

Last day in Austurstræti

Today is the last day the Landsbankinn branch in Austurstræti 11 is open and the doors close at 16:00. All activities move to the Bank’s new branch in Reykjastræti 6, which is already open.

21 Sept. 2023

Reception of Danish bank notes

Customers can buy Danish bank notes in Landsbankinn branches and ATMs throughout Iceland. We would like to advise customers that the Bank no longer accepts DKK 1,000 and 500 bills, nor any Faroe Islands króna bills. There are no changes to transactions in DKK 200, 100 and 50 bills. Cash transactions comply with the Act on Actions to Combat Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing. Tighter rules in Denmark limit the reception of bank notes by foreign banks and Landsbankinn is as a result no longer able to accept DKK 1,000 and 500 bills.

21 Sept. 2023

Landsbankinn Corporate Finance co-ordinated uplisting of Amaroq to the Nasdaq Iceland Main

Amaroq Minerals, under the ticker AMRQ, has now been listed on the Main Market of Nasdaq Iceland. In addition to listing on the Nasdaq Iceland Main Market, Amaroq’s shares are listed on stock exchanges in Canada (TSX-V) and London (AIM). Alongside uplisting to the Main Market of Nasdaq Iceland, Amaroq has been delisted from First North Iceland. Amaroq Minerals is the first listed mining company in Iceland. The company holds a significant licence portfolio in Greenland and is engaged in the identification, acquisition, exploration and development of gold properties and other strategic mineral assets, pivotal to the energy transition. Landsbankinn Corporate Finance co-ordinated the listing process. We congratulate the staff and shareholders of Amaroq on the successful transfer of the company’s listing.

14 Sept. 2023

Updates to the RSA app - new name and icon

We’d like to call your attention to changes to the RSA SecurID app used for secure login and payments in corporate online banking.

13 Sept. 2023

Branch opening in Reykjastræti

The branch at our new headquarters in Reykjastræti 6 opens today. Cashier services are available from 10:00-16:00 and ATMs and other self-service equipment is accessible around the clock.

12 Sept. 2023

Sunna Ósk Friðbertsdóttir new Landsbankinn Compliance Officer

Sunna Ósk Friðbertsdóttir has taken up the position of Compliance Officer at Landsbankinn. Sunna completed a BA degree in law from Reykjavík University in 2008 and an ML degree from the same institution in 2010. She is a licensed securities broker and a recognised District Court Attorney. Sunna came to work for Landsbankinn as a lawyer in 2012 and has had various responsibilities, both in implementing legal requirements and related to daily operations. She has worked in Compliance since 2017 and been Deputy Compliance Officer since 2022. Compliance supervises and monitors Landsbankinn’s compliance with internal and external rules and advises and educates on legal and regulatory demands relevant to the Bank’s operation.

31 August 2023

Landsbankinn changes interest rates

In light of the recent interest rate decision of the Central Bank of Iceland, the following changes will be made to Landsbankinn’s interest rates. Interest rate changes also have regard for market rates and other funding terms of Landsbankinn.

31 August 2023

Beware of fake text messages - do not open the link

This is a warning concerning a fake website made to look like that of Auðkenni and which includes a fraudulent connection to Landsbankinn.

23 August 2023

Shorter opening hours in 7 branches - service hours remain unchanged

On 13 September, the opening hours of seven branches will be shortened by three hours and will as a result be 12:00-15:00. While general opening hours will be shorter, customers can still make appointments to visit these branches between 10:00-16:00 and book remote meetings until 18:00, meaning that actual service hours remain unchanged. ATMs are accessible around the clock in all these locations.

18 August 2023

Cyclical– art exhibition opens in Austurstræti 11 on Reykjavík Culture Night

A new exhibition of art from Landsbankinn's collection will be opened in the event of Reykjavík Culture Night in the Bank’s branch at Austurstræti 11. The exhibition is titled Cyclical and is curated by Daría Sól Andrews.