- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✔ Legal
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✔ Legal, no restrictions
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✔ Legal
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✔ Recognized
- Discrimination
- ✔ Illegal
- Employment Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Housing Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Adoption
- ✔ Legal
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- ✔ Full ban
- Military
- N/A
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✔ Banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion
Surveys in Iceland have revealed an overwhelming acceptance and support for LGBTQ+ rights among most of the population.
OPPOSE
SUPPORT
Perception of LGBTQ+ People
Survey results from 10 LGBTQ+ Equaldex users who lived in or visited Iceland.
Overall
Perceived Safety**Survey results represent personal perceptions of safety and may not be indicative of current actual conditions.
Equal Treatment
Visibility & Representation
Culture
Services
History
Censorship of LGBT issues in Iceland is no censorship.
Current status
No censorship
In Iceland, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Right to change legal gender in Iceland is legal, no restrictions.
Current status
Since Jun 18, 2019
Legal, no restrictions
A new law has been passed that allows Icelandic people to change their registered gender without medical interventions.
Legal, but requires surgery
In 2012, Iceland passed the Act on the Legal Status of Individuals with Gender Identity Disorder, which provided for legal gender recognition on the condition of sex reassignment surgery. It entered into force on June 27th.
Gender-affirming care in Iceland is legal.
Current status
Legal
The Act on Gender Autonomy No. 80/2019 grants every person the right to gender affirming care. Children aged under 16 require parental consent. This act removed some of the years-long waiting periods and replaced them with an informed consent model. Reportedly, the waiting period stretches up to 3 years for sex reassignment surgery.
Before the Act on Gender Autonomy No. 80/2019, gender-affirming care was still legal, but more difficult to access.
Before the Act on Gender Autonomy No. 80/2019, gender-affirming care was still legal, but more difficult to access.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Iceland is recognized.
Current status
Since Jun 18, 2019
Recognized
The new law also allows people to register a third gender option 'X' as their legal gender.
LGBT discrimination in Iceland is illegal.
Current status
Illegal federal law
Laws in force in Iceland offer explicit protection against LGBT discrimination in the provision of goods and services, employment and education and can be applied for housing too.
LGBT employment discrimination in Iceland is sexual orientation and gender identity.
LGBT housing discrimination in Iceland is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Jul 27, 2010
Sexual orientation and gender identity
In Iceland, homosexual and heterosexual relationships are treated the same under housing laws. Individuals are not allowed to deny a person housing with homophobic or transphobic motivations. This came along with Act 65, The Amending Act which legalized gay marriage.
Intersex infant surgery in Iceland is full ban.
Current status
Since Jun 18, 2019
Full ban
The Act on Gender Autonomy No. 80/2019 strictly prohibits surgery on intersex infants, and requires public bodies to allow a neutral gender to be registered. The act further states that any such surgery can only be performed with the individual's consent.
Until Jun 17, 2019
Not banned
Before the Act on Gender Autonomy, no ban was in place to protect intersex infants from genital "normalisation" surgery.
Serving openly in military in Iceland is n/a.
Current status
N/A
Iceland does not have a military.
Blood donations by MSMs in Iceland is legal.
Current status
Since Jul 1, 2025
Legal
In October 2024, Iceland announced that it would be revising its blood donation laws to allow queer men to donate blood under the same restrictions as straight men. Iceland has wanted to make this change since 2018, but due to a lack of funding for NAT blood screenings, it took until now.
The new law came into effect on July 1, 2025.
The new law came into effect on July 1, 2025.
Until Jun 30, 2025
Banned (indefinite deferral)
Iceland bans men who have sex with men from donating blood.
Conversion therapy in Iceland is banned.
Current status
Since Jun 18, 2023
Banned
The Icelandic parliament has unanimously (53-0 with 3 abstentions) passed a law banning so-called conversion therapy practices on the basis of sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity.
Equal age of consent in Iceland is equal.
Current status
Equal
The age of consent in Iceland is 15 for both male-male, female-female, and male-female couples.
LGBT Rights by Region
View the LGBT laws in each individual region of Iceland.
Equality Rank
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#1 Iceland95
-
#2 Norway87
-
#3 Uruguay84
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#4 Spain84
#81
Interest Rank based on Equaldex traffic ?
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Alternative names: Ísland (local name)