Iceland and the Netherlands at a glance
- Stamp
- Apostille, Hague Convention in force for Iceland since 27 November 2004
- Issued by
- The District Commissioner of the Capital Region (sýslumaður, Hlíðarsmári 1, Kópavogur)
- Language
- Icelandic, sworn translation
- Register
- Iceland Revenue and Customs, company register (fyrirtækjaskrá) (online)
- Tax treaty
- Signed 1997, in force 1998 (Rijksoverheid, 1 October 2026)
- EU trade
- European Economic Area, 1994
- In the Netherlands
- 25 companies controlled from Iceland in 2024, 20 in 2021 (+25%), about 3,000 jobs, €1.1 billion turnover (CBS, 9 October 2026)
- Moving here
- Free movement in the European Economic Area
Documents from Iceland
Passport copy, certified by a notary in Iceland.
Proof of address in Iceland, at most three months old.
Power of attorney. Sign the power of attorney before a District Commissioner acting as notary. The same office then attaches the apostille.
Ownership statement, one page from us.
The apostille. The District Commissioner of the Capital Region (sýslumaður, Hlíðarsmári 1, Kópavogur). The apostille costs 2,700 Icelandic krónur (ISK) per document and is ready two working days after receipt. In Iceland, the District Commissioner is also the notary (notarius publicus).
Official page: https://island.is/en/apostille-eng
Good to know. The notary and the apostille are in the same office, so you can do both in one visit. Icelandic registers can issue English certificates on request. This way, you avoid a translation.
If a company from Iceland becomes a shareholder
Register extract, at most three months old: Iceland Revenue and Customs, company register (fyrirtækjaskrá). Order a certificate of registration (vottorð) showing the board and managing director. The shareholder list is filed with the annual accounts. Plus articles, signing authority and ownership chart.
Trade between Iceland and the EU
In 2025, the European Union (EU) was Iceland's biggest trading partner, with 53.6% of Iceland's total trade in goods. The EU was also Iceland's biggest export market and source of imports in 2025, with 66.5% of its exports and 45.1% of its imports.
Iceland mainly exports non-ferrous metals and fish to the EU. Trade in services grew by 24% from 2022 to 2023, with a small deficit for the EU in 2023.
Relations are mainly governed by the European Economic Area agreement, which extends the laws of the single market to Iceland. Iceland is legally bound to implement EU directives and regulations on the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital. Agriculture and fisheries remain outside the agreement, and the latest agreement on agricultural products dates from 2017.
As a member of the European Free Trade Association, Iceland seeks to conclude free trade agreements within that framework.
Import duties: Access2Markets.
Sources: European Commission [1].
Your next step from Iceland
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