How to Apply to Universities in Iceland: Requirements, Deadlines and Portals

Where to apply

Iceland does not run one shared national application portal for all higher education, unlike systems such as UCAS in the UK. You apply directly through the online portal of each university. At the University of Iceland, the largest institution, this is the Ugla student system, reachable from the official admissions page . Reykjavik University, Bifröst University, the University of Akureyri and the other institutions each run a separate application system on their own site, so check the admissions section of the specific university you want before you start.

Who counts as which applicant type

Icelandic universities split applicants into groups with different deadlines and, in some cases, different fees. Icelandic and Nordic citizens generally get later deadlines and pay only the standard registration fee. Applicants from other countries, including the rest of Europe outside the Nordic region, get treated as international applicants with an earlier deadline and an added processing fee. Exchange students under a partnership agreement follow a separate timeline set by their home university's agreement with Iceland.

Deadlines at the University of Iceland

Deadlines at the University of Iceland illustrate the general pattern, confirmed on the university's application deadline page :

If you hold a passport from an EEA/EFTA country outside the Nordic region, confirm with your target university which deadline group applies to you, since this varies by institution and sometimes by program.

Documents and requirements

The baseline requirement for undergraduate admission is the Icelandic matriculation exam (stúdentspróf) or an equivalent qualification at level 3 of the national curriculum for upper-secondary schools, according to the university's admission requirements page . If you finished secondary school in another European country, your qualification needs to match this level, meaning a full upper-secondary leaving certificate rather than a vocational-only diploma.

• Secondary school diploma or transcript, translated if not in Icelandic or English

• English test score (IELTS, TOEFL or PTE) if your program is taught in English and English is not your first language

• Passport copy and, for non-EEA applicants, proof of financial means for a residence permit

• Program-specific documents such as a portfolio, motivation letter or reference, depending on the course

Foreign qualifications get assessed for equivalence rather than accepted automatically. ENIC-NARIC Iceland handles recognition questions for degrees and diplomas earned outside Iceland, and universities use this framework when they review your application.

Fees when you apply

Applicants from outside the EEA/EFTA area pay a processing fee of 20,000 ISK on top of the standard annual registration fee, according to the University of Iceland's fees page . EEA/EFTA citizens, including most other European applicants, do not pay this extra processing charge, only the registration fee once admitted.

After you are accepted

Once you receive an offer, register formally and pay the registration fee to confirm your place. Non-EEA/EFTA students then apply for a residence permit for study purposes, which requires proof of admission, financial means and health insurance. Be physically present in Iceland before the semester starts, for example by 27 August 2026 for autumn 2026 entry at the University of Iceland, or your admission can be canceled.