Iceland
Day to Day Living in Iceland
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Day-to-day Living in Iceland
Property
The market for rental properties is limited so if you intend to stay in Iceland for a long period, the best option is to buy a house or an apartment.
If, however, you are looking to rent, it should be noted that rental properties in Reykjavik and the surrounding area is generally more expensive than in other areas. To find somewhere to rent, it is best to put up advertisements and look for advertisements around the towns as well as looking on the internet.
When renting a house or a flat you will usually have to pay a month in advance and a security deposit.
Pensions
In Iceland it is mandatory to pay to a pension fund. The employee pays 4% percent of their salary and the employer's contribution is 8%. Pension funds are transferable between EEA countries and will be paid out in the country of residence by the time of retirement.
Transport
The principal mode of personal transport is the car as it is a quick an easy mode of transport and the wide multi-lane highways run all over the city connecting different towns. Citizens from EEA countries can use their driving licence from their home country.
However, travel by car is not suitable for long cross-country journeys due to the country's rugged terrain. This is also a reason why there are no public railways. There are however, bus services which go between nearby towns.
Transport from one major town to another is usually made by air on an internal flight. Airlines offer good cross-country transportation in winter when the snow and ice prohibit most overland travel. There are also a number of ferry services connecting ports.
Cost of Living
The cost of living is relatively high because Iceland imports a lot of goods as they have very limited natural resources and only about 1% of the land is suitable for farming.
Things to do and see
There is so much natural beauty to see in Iceland; the sublime volcano and glacier landscapes will take your breath away and the whole country is graced with an absence of pollution.
The flow of geothermal water from the earth is used to heat open air swimming pools all around the country, which has paved the way for many natural spa facilities.
There are many activities that you can take part in such as horse riding, river rafting, whale watching and 4x4 expeditions across the highlands, to name just a few.
Reykjavik is famous for its nightlife with clubs open until the early hours of the morning providing lots of great live music.
Public Holidays
- 1st January:New Years' Day
- Thursday before Easter Sunday:Maundy Thursday
- Friday before Easter Sunday:Good Friday
- March/April:Easter Sunday
- Monday following Easter Sunday:Easter Monday
- A Thursday during the period 19th to 25th April:First Day of Summer
- 1st May:Labour Day
- Six weeks after Maundy Thursday:Ascension Day
- Seven weeks after Easter:Whit Sunday
- Monday following Whit Sunday:Whit Monday
- 17th June:National Day
- First Monday in August:Tradesmen's Day
- 24th December (afternoon only):Christmas Eve
- 25th December:Christmas Day
- 26th December:Boxing Day
- 31st December (afternoon only):New Year's Eve
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