Iceland is a popular location for tourists to visit, but it’s also home to 364,000+ people, most of who use the internet regularly.

If you’re looking to stay secure online, then a VPN is your first port of call, but which VPN do you choose?

Whether you are a tourist, a local, or an expat who has just arrived (or you currently plan to move), deciding which service ranks above the others can be a time consuming task with no obvious answer.

That’s why we’ve been pondering this question, researching the “most recommended” providers and whittled it down to our list of the Top 7.

Without further ado, keep scrolling down to see our top picks.

1. ExpressVPN

The first VPN provider on our list of the best VPNs for Iceland is ExpressVPN.

This is commonly considered to be one of the world’s best VPN services, if not THE best one out there. It’s something we agree with scoring them a massive 4.8 / 5.

It has excellent download speeds, top security features such as strong encryption and the important kill switch.

The service is based in the British Virgin Islands, which is itself a privacy-friendly nation that would never request a VPN to surrender its users’ data.

Meanwhile, it is not a part of any surveillance alliance such as 14 Eyes. Despite this, ExpressVPN doesn’t keep user logs, and it has opened itself to an audit from a reputable third party.

Its most important feature for an average VPN user is its massive server network, which includes over 3,000 servers in 94 different countries, with Iceland, naturally, being one of them.

That way, you can browse local content privately, or connect to another nation to bypass geo-restrictions and access their local content.

Our Recommended VPN for Iceland

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2. NordVPN

NordVPN is based in Panama, and as such, it is also far away from any nosy government that might want to access your data.

However, that shouldn’t be a concern here either, as NordVPN also doesn’t keep logs, thus ensuring your privacy and security. It allows you to use it on up to 6 different devices at any given time, and it has plenty of dedicated apps for various systems and devices.

However, its main feature is its extensive server network, which offers 5,300 servers in total, in 59 countries.

As such, NordVPN will never feel overcrowded or have issues with speed. Iceland itself is on the list of supported countries, with 10 servers located within.

3. VyprVPN

VyprVPN is a service with global servers that provide you with a fast and reliable VPN connection.

With it, fast streaming, downloads, or even casual browsing become simple and completely secure. It offers top-notch security and more than 700 servers in 70 different locations.

Iceland is, of course, among them, with servers located in its capital of Reykjavik.

Despite having “only” 700 servers, VyprVPN is a fast service that is great for streaming, downloads, or casual browsing. It supports P2P traffic, and it has rather affordable prices.

You can even make use of its 30-day money-back guarantee to get a refund if it doesn’t work as well as you expect it to.

4. IPVanish

Next up is IPVanish, which is an old and reputable VPN service with plenty of satisfied customers.

IPVanish is known for being very competitive, and as such, it offers very low prices for a VPN of this calibre, top security features, and a large server network.

There are over 1500 VPN servers at 75 different locations around the world.

It does have servers in Iceland, although only two of them, both of which are located in Reykjavik.

However, this will be more than enough for anyone wishing to stay safe online and still appear like a local. IPVanish also has a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you can use it on as many devices as you wish – there are no limits!

5. VPN.ac

VPN.ac is another excellent VPN service whose prices are as low as $3.75 per month, depending on the plan you take.

It has a high-quality server network if a bit modest, with only 21 countries supported.

Unfortunately, Iceland is not among the supported nations, although plenty of close by European countries are, including the UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain, Luxembourg, Italy, and Romania.

It also covers the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and several Asian countries.

There’s a 1-week trial period for only $2, during which you can use it on up to 3 devices. If you go for a regular subscription, you will be able to use it on 6 devices simultaneously.

6. Surfshark

Then, there is Surfshark another high-quality VPN service with extremely low prices, currently with a special offer of $1.99 per month.

Surfshark is also based in the British Virgin Islands, so it can offer a strict no-logs policy. However, it’s worth noting that their no-log policy hasn’t yet been audited to prove its authenticity.

In total, it offers 1700 servers in 63 different countries, with Iceland being among them.

It also features support for P2P traffic, and it has a private DNS on each server.

This is a young service, although already among the best of them, and definitely worth checking out. If you don’t like it, you can always use its 30-day money-back guarantee to get your funds back and try out a different service.

7. ProtonVPN

Lastly, we have ProtonVPN, which is a Swiss VPN service, and as such, guaranteed to be mindful of your privacy. Switzerland is very privacy-oriented in general, and the same can be said of this VPN.

Its app is very well designed and easy to use, with top security features, and up to 1,048 servers in 54 countries. There are multiple servers in Iceland, so you will have a guarantee of speed and security if you go with this service.

One thing to note is that ProtonVPN, while affordable, also offers a free version, although it is constrained.

However, it is probably the safest free VPN out there, due to the service’s dedication to privacy, as well as its understanding that there are those who simply cannot afford an extra cost in their life.

Why do I need a VPN for Iceland?

With that out of the way, let’s discuss a few reasons why you might want a VPN for Iceland.

Protection from government surveillance won’t be a major concern as Iceland has one of the most open and free internet services in the world. However, there are still a handful of other important use cases, such as being able to:

1. Unlock streaming services

Online streaming is very popular today, and while Iceland doesn’t have high censorship, other countries do employ geo-restrictions. For example, if you were to access Netflix, you would only have access to its plan for Iceland.

However, countries like the US have a much larger movie and TV show selection.

There are also services like Disney+ that aren’t available in Iceland at the time of writing, as well as the UK’s BBC iPlayer, which is only available to those in the UK.

2. Online privacy

You may not have to hide from the country’s government, as it is known for online freedoms and a good relationship with its citizens.

But, that won’t stop international companies and advertisers from following your online actions and recording them, and neither will hackers.

Hackers are a universal danger around the world, and in order to be safe, you need to protect yourself from surveillance and keep your identity hidden. At the same time, your actions are deleted as soon as you finish your session.

3. Unlock blocked websites

As mentioned, Iceland is pretty generous when it comes to online freedoms, and it doesn’t really block websites in fear of its citizens reading international news or accessing adult content, social networks, and alike.

But, with that said, some sites host copyrighted content or torrents that might be blocked in order to prevent piracy.

A VPN will unblock those sites for you if you really need them, but keep in mind that using such content or simply downloading it is still illegal, and we do not support such actions.

More importantly, a VPN will help you access sites that originate in other nations, and aren’t available in Iceland, such as online gambling sites, news websites specific to their country of origin, and alike.

4. Improve speeds

Lastly, a VPN can help you improve your internet speeds and stabilise them.

If the route to a particular site that you want to visit has issues or complications along the way, a VPN can help you connect to it from a different location and resolve such problems.

Also, it often happens that some sites may experience a server crash in certain countries, but not in others.

So, if you wish to visit a major site that may have had its servers crash in Iceland, you can always connect to another country and avoid the issue.

Is there a free VPN for Iceland?

There is, and we have already mentioned one of them, ProtonVPN.

There are others, for sure, but using free VPNs is not something that we would recommend.

As mentioned before, free VPNs are very limited, even those provided by premium providers. Their free VPN as well as standalone free VPNs only offer a few servers that are not very fast and are usually overcrowded.

Meanwhile, there were also cases of free VPNs being caught logging user data and selling it to the highest bidder, bombarding users with ads that constantly interrupt you, or even being set up by the hackers who would actually give you a VPN, but steal your sensitive data while you use it.

In any case, any premium VPN out there cost less than $10 per month, so paying that for professional service and total security is certainly worth it, and we suggest using those, rather than risking your and your family’s only safety.

Is using a VPN in Iceland legal?

Absolutely, using a VPN is legal in Iceland, as well as in many other countries around the world.

In fact, you could probably list those in which it is not legal on the one hand. Some examples include China, Russia, Iran and Turkey.

Internet freedom in Iceland, on the other hand, is pretty much total. According to Freedom House, Iceland’s online freedom has a score of 95/100, which is one of the highest in the world.

There are no infrastructural limitations that restrict access to the internet or maximum speed in the country, which makes up for a superb experience.

99% of the country uses the internet, with 52.2% of them connecting via DLS according to 2018 data, and 47.5% connecting via fibre-optic cable.

Both 3G and 4G mobile coverage were described as extensive, and currently, mobile operators are working on introducing 5G.

Access to the internet is very affordable, and there is no censorship or restrictions regarding connectivity.

How to get an Icelandic IP Address?

If you need an Icelandic IP address either if you’re in the country or outside, it’s straightforward.

Follow these steps below to make it look as if you’re in Iceland, regardless of where you really are.

1. Sign up

The first thing to do is decide on a VPN you wish to use.

For that purpose, you can select one from the list above that offers servers in Iceland, for example, ExpressVPN.

Go to their website, and hit the ‘Get a VPN’ button or any variation of it. Then, enter your email, select a payment plan, and enter your payment data, and you’re done.

2. Get the app

Next, you will have to download a VPN app for the device you plan to use it on.

Most VPNs support Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and even TV media sticks like the Amazon Fire TV.

So, choose a dedicated app for the device you are using from its website, or go to the appropriate app store and get it from there.

3. Log in

Once you download and install the app, all you need to do is use your VPN credentials to log in.

Those will include your email address used during signup, and a password provided by the VPN itself. Some providers will supply an activation code, so be sure to check your welcome email or account area.

4. Connect

Lastly, once you are inside the app, locate the list of servers, and find one in Iceland.

Now click the Connect button.

Once it has connected any websites, apps or services you use will see that you’re in Iceland.

Conclusion

Using a VPN for Iceland is still necessary in order to keep your online privacy and ensure larger internet freedom. While Iceland’s government is not nosy or restrictive, the rest of the world is, and you should always keep that in mind.

Fortunately, there are many excellent VPN providers for you to use. We recommend using ExpressVPN in Iceland but there are six other options above and the choice is yours.

Which VPN service did you sign up to in the end? I would love to hear what you thought of it, so drop me a note in the comments section below.