Permit issuance by the Environmental Monitoring Agency

Operating permits

Generally, operating permits are valid for 12 years, but permits for temporary business operations are issued for shorter periods.

Please note that it is prohibited to start a business operation requiring an operating permit without one, and a necessary precondition for issuing an operating permit is that the operation is consistent with planning and the use of premises has received approval from the Building Commissioner.

Operating permits issued according to Regulation 550/2018 for polluting operations must be advertised for four weeks.

• General conditions for operating permits for polluting operations
• Act No. 7/1998 on Hygiene and Pollution Prevention

Polluting operations

The Environmental Monitoring Agency is responsible for issuing operating permits to businesses that may cause pollution according to Appendix IV of Act No. 7/1998 on Hygiene and Pollution Prevention, as amended.

Operators must apply for an operating permit from the Public Health Authority of Reykjavík before operations begin.

• Learn more about polluting operations

Businesses subject to professional registration

The regulation on mandatory registration is now in effect.

• Regulation No. 830/2022 on Businesses Subject to Professional Registration under the Act on Hygiene and Pollution Prevention

With the Regulation's entry into force, 47 categories of operations are now required to register according to the appendix in the Regulation. Such activities must be registered at www.island.is before operations begin. The Public Health Authority of Reykjavík will conduct inspections and confirm registrations.

Exemption

The Minister for Environment, Energy, and Climate may grant exemptions from specific articles of regulations, according to Article 41 of Act No. 7/1998 and Article 74 of Regulation No. 941/2002 on Hygiene, after obtaining an official statement from the Public Health Committee and Environment Agency, as applicable.

• Issued exemptions

Temporary permit

According to Article 7a of Act No. 7/1998, the Environment Agency may, in special cases when there is an urgent need to start or continue operations, grant the operator a temporary authorization at their request. The Environment Agency shall, as applicable, seek an official statement from the relevant Public Health Committee and other parties as appropriate.  

To request a temporary permit, a satisfactory application must be submitted to the issuer of the operating permit.  

More information about the application, advertising, and processing deadlines can be found in the article.

• Issued temporary permits

Sanitation control certificate

The Environmental Monitoring Agency issues sanitation control certificates/exemptions for ships according to the World Health Organization's International Health Regulations. All ships engaged in international voyages require such a certificate, which is valid for a maximum of six months.

Applicants are advised to contact the Public Health Authority to request a ship inspection and certificate. A certificate fee and a variable inspection fee based on the scope of the inspection must be paid.