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Criminal penalties in Iceland

Checked in October 2026 against the Almenn hegningarlög nr. 19/1940, Althing consolidated text as at 1 October 2026, read in Icelandic.

These are statutory ranges for a first offence, from the least to the most the law allows. A court decides the actual sentence in each case. We read the code in its original language and give the offences in plain English, with the legal term where it helps. For anything that matters, rely on the code itself. Not legal advice.

How Iceland sets penalties

  • Iceland's General Penal Code states most penalties as a maximum ('fangelsi allt að 6 árum', imprisonment up to six years) or as a range ('ekki skemur en 1 ár og allt að 16 árum', at least one year and up to sixteen years). The longest fixed term in the sections read is 16 years, and the heaviest punishment is life imprisonment.
  • Many offences allow a fine as an alternative ('sektir eða fangelsi'). Amounts are not stated in the Code in the sections read.
  • Iceland has one offence of killing (art. 211, at least five years or life) and no degrees of murder. Causing death by negligence (art. 215) is a separate offence.
  • Several offences have aggravating factors that the Code lists, and where they apply the maximum goes up, for example the 16 year limit for robbery in very dangerous circumstances.
  • Drunk driving is left out. It is dealt with in the Traffic Act, which was not read for this table.
  • This table shows first-offence ranges.

Death penalty: No. The most serious punishment in the General Penal Code is life imprisonment (ævilangt fangelsi), set for killing (art. 211) and for the most serious deprivation of liberty (art. 226).

Read the Iceland legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →

First-degree murder

At least 5 years, or life imprisonment

Iceland has one offence of killing (art. 211): anyone who deprives another of life is sentenced to imprisonment for at least five years, or for life.

Voluntary manslaughter

A fine or up to 6 years (negligent killing)

Iceland has no offence called manslaughter. A killing with intent is punished under art. 211. The nearest lesser offence is causing death by negligence (art. 215).

Robbery

6 months to 10 years; up to 16 years if the robbery involved very great danger

Burglary

Up to 6 years (theft); the penalty as a rule at least 3 months in particularly serious cases

Iceland has no separate burglary offence. Break-ins are theft (þjófnaður, art. 244). If the theft is especially serious because of the value stolen, the way it was stored, the method, the danger involved, the number of offenders or the number of thefts, the penalty should as a rule be at least three months' imprisonment.

Arson

At least 6 months (fire creating public danger); at least 2 years if danger to life or extensive destruction was foreseen

Iceland has no offence called arson. Causing a fire that creates a public danger is punished under art. 164: imprisonment of at least six months, and not less than two years if the offender foresaw obvious danger to life or obvious danger of extensive destruction of others' property.

Aggravated assault

A fine or up to 1 year (assault); up to 3 years (assault causing harm); up to 16 years (serious harm or death)

Rape and sexual assault

1 to 16 years (rape)

Rape (nauðgun, art. 194) is having intercourse or other sexual acts with a person without their consent. Consent is present if it is expressed freely, and absent if violence, threats or other unlawful coercion are used. It is also rape to use deception or exploit a person's mistake about the circumstances, or to exploit a mental illness or other disability or any other state in which the person cannot resist or understand the act.

Kidnapping

Up to 4 years (deprivation of liberty); 1 to 16 years or life (aggravated)

Embezzlement

Up to 6 years (embezzlement); up to 2 years (abuse of a position of trust)

Forgery

Up to 8 years (using a forged document to deceive)

Art. 155 punishes using a forged document to deceive in legal dealings, with up to 8 years' imprisonment, with an increased penalty if it is used as an official document, a commercial instrument or a will. The offence of making a forged document is in art. 154, which was not read for this table.

Compare with: France, Russia, Algeria, Morocco, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Japan, Turkey, England and Wales, Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, India, China, South Korea, Canada, Argentina, Finland, Norway, Hungary, Czechia, Portugal, Ireland, New Zealand, Taiwan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia.

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