A system ID number is only issued to individuals who intend to stay less than 3-6 months in Iceland or do not intend to stay in the country at all. This registration does not grant any rights in Iceland.
The purpose of system ID numbers
The general criteria for allocating a system ID number is the need for a unique identification towards public authorities when it is necessary to exchange information regarding the individual between public authorities and companies and also if laws or regulations deem an ID number necessary.
A new system ID number
In the foreseeable future the system ID number (kerfiskennitala) will differentiate from the personal ID number (kennitala) used in the population registry. This change was to be implemented on the 1st of November 2021 but has now been postponed indefinitely. Information will be updated here when a new date of implementation has been decided. This means that everybody who receives a system ID number will be issued a new version of the system ID number from that day. All those who have been issued a system ID number before this time will also receive the new, differentiated version of the system ID number.
The new system ID number will not contain information regarding the date of birth of a person, but it will contain ten numbers just like the current ID number. The new version will always begin with the number 8 and the other nine numbers will be random.
- Example: 892350-1739
When a system ID number is issued, certain personal information is registered in the system ID register. This means that even though the date of birth will no longer be specified in the system ID number itself, the date of birth and other information about the person is disseminated with the system ID register and is therefore still accessible.
Application process
The application is submitted electronically, by the relevant public authority, on Registers Iceland‘s website skra.is. Please note that a copy of passport or legal travel ID must be included in the application and the ID must be valid at the time the application is submitted.