Þjóðskrá

What Þjóðskrá does

Þjóðskrá Íslands (Registers Iceland) is a statutory government institution under Iceland's Ministry of Justice that serves as the country's sole national population registry and civil records authority. Established in its current institutional form in 2010, Þjóðskrá maintains five primary registries covering identity, addresses, family relations, citizenship, and electoral status for 100% of Icelandic residents, anchored by the kennitala national identification number system. The institution issues passports and ID cards (processed through district commissioners), produces standardized certificates at uniform pricing of 3,200 ISK, manages the national electoral register, and provides digital civil registration services (marriage, cohabitation, name changes, child registration, address changes) through the skra.is portal integrated with the Iceland.is national authentication platform.

The technology stack consists of a centralized national population database with tiered registry access (Grunnskrá plus additional information tiers A and B, system ID registry, deceased persons registry, and custody registry). Data access for businesses and organizations is delivered exclusively through eleven authorized intermediaries (miðlarar) including Advania, Creditinfo, Origo, Arango, and DK hugbúnaður, who charge their own fees on top of Þjóðskrá's annual subscription pricing (157,000-315,000 ISK depending on data scope). The organization operates from a single headquarters at Borgartún 21, Reykjavík, with 51-100 employees and no direct API access offered to end customers.

The business model blends government appropriation (980M ISK in 2017) with per-transaction service fees (806M ISK in 2017) covering certificates, ID cards, and data subscriptions. Total disclosed revenue was 1.86 billion ISK in 2017. The institution serves three primary segments: individual Icelandic citizens and residents (identity documents and certificates), government agencies including all 61 municipalities and electoral authorities (population data and electoral management), and businesses/organizations requiring verified identity and address data via intermediaries. Following the 2022 divestiture of property registry functions to HMS, Þjóðskrá has narrowed scope to population and civil registration while expanding digital services including a public statistics portal and electronic electoral register testing.

Name

Þjóðskrá

Legal name

Þjóðskrá Íslands

Website

https://skra.is

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Þjóðskrá (Registers Iceland) is a statutory government institution under Iceland's Ministry of Justice that maintains the national population registry, issues passports and ID cards, and provides official certificates and civil registration services for all Icelandic residents, municipalities, and authorized data intermediaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Civil Registry Services

NAICS

Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (9221), Libraries and Archives (51921)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Vital Records & Civil Registration (Birth/Death/Fetal Death Certificates) (HLAJAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

National Statistics & Census Administration (BPAIAAAF), National Archives, Records & Information Governance (BPAIAAAG)

Keywords

• Civil registry services
• National identity documents
• Population data registry
• Passport and ID issuance
• Government certificate services

Headquarters

HQ city

Reykjavík

HQ country

Iceland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Appropriation: Core funding from Icelandic government through Ministry of Justice for maintaining national population registry and issuing identity documents.
2. Certificate Fees: Fees charged for various certificates including birth certificates (3,200 kr), citizenship certificates, marriage certificates, and other official documents. Also special processing fees.
3. ID Card Fees: Fees for ID card issuance: 9,200 kr for adults (18,400 kr expedited), 4,600 kr for children/disabled/elderly (9,200 kr expedited).
4. Data Access Fees: Annual fees charged to businesses and organizations for access to population registry data through authorized intermediaries, including lookup fees and bulk data access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Þjóðskrá is Iceland's national population registry and government institution that maintains official records of all Icelandic residents including identity numbers (kennitala), addresses, family relations, citizenship, religious affiliation, and electoral registration. It issues passports, ID cards, and various official certificates (birth, marriage, citizenship, death, name change) through a digital-first service model via skra.is. Data access for businesses and organizations is provided exclusively through authorized intermediaries (miðlarar).

Product overview

Þjóðskrá operates as Iceland's national population registry under the Ministry of Justice, maintaining five primary registries and four sub-registries. The core Grunnskrá (Population Registry) contains fundamental resident data while specialized registries cover custody, deceased persons, and system ID numbers. Services are delivered primarily through the Ísland.is digital platform with certificates issued electronically. Data access for businesses and organizations is exclusively through authorized intermediaries (miðlarar) who handle connectivity and billing. The organization issues passports and ID cards, processes address changes, manages electoral registration, and provides various official certificates. A public statistics portal (Þjóðskrárgáttin) makes demographic data accessible, while an electronic electoral register is currently under development for upcoming referendums.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grunnskrá (Population Registry) Core national population registry containing fundamental information about Icelandic residents including name, kennitala (national ID), legal domicile, family relationships, and citizenship status. Maintained for the Icelandic government to serve as the authoritative source of population data.
• Vegabréf og nafnskírteini (Passport and ID Card Services) Passport and ID card issuance services for Icelandic citizens. Applications are processed through district commissioners (sýslumenn) while Þjóðskrá serves as the issuing authority. ID cards cost 9,200 kr for adults (18,400 kr expedited) and 4,600 kr for children/disabled/elderly (9,200 kr expedited).
• Vottorð (Certificates) Various official certificates including birth certificates (3,200 kr), marriage certificates, death certificates, citizenship certificates, residence confirmation, custody certificates, and change of name certificates. Digital certificates are delivered to Ísland.is mailbox with electronic signatures. Special processing certificates are priced at 12,500 kr.
• Flutningstilkynning (Change of Address Notification) Digital notification service for reporting residential address changes within Iceland or from Iceland (excluding Nordic countries). Includes confirmation process for married couples and EES citizen registration.
• Hjúskapur og sambúð (Marriage and Cohabitation Registration) Registration services for marriage, legal separation, divorce, registered cohabitation, and cohabitation dissolution. Includes marriage ceremonies at Reykjavík district commissioner office.
• Nöfn (Name Registration Services) Name registration services including namegiving for newborns (nafngjöf), name changes for adults and children, and surname change documentation.
• Trú- og lífsskoðun (Religion and Life Stance Registration) Registration and change services for religious and life stance affiliations. Statistics show National Church has 224,303 members, Catholic Church 16,056, and Free Church 10,112 as of August 2026.
• Kjörskrá og kosningar (Electoral Register and Elections) Electoral register management for parliamentary elections, presidential elections, and national referendums. Includes polling station lookup and voting rights management. Currently testing electronic electoral register for upcoming referendum.
• Skráning barns (Child Registration) Registration services for children born in Iceland and abroad, including paternity declaration, parental custody, and family relationship documentation.
• Viðbótarupplýsingar A og B (Additional Information Data Tiers) Extended data tiers providing additional personal information including legal domicile code, family relationships, gender, marital status, spouse ID, birthplace, birth date, citizenship, and address codes. Tier B includes historical data and registration dates. Available to businesses through authorized intermediaries.
• Kerfiskennitöluskrá (System ID Number Registry) Registry for individuals without permanent Icelandic residence, containing temporary residence location, municipality, and ID requester information. Used for non-residents requiring identification.
• Horfinnaskrá (Deceased Persons Registry) Registry of deceased persons containing date of death and legal domicile at time of death, with extended versions including additional personal information and address details.
• Forsjárskrá (Custody Registry) Registry recording parent-child relationships and custody information including child's ID, custodian's ID, custodian's name, custodian's birth date, and type of custody.
• Þjóðskrárgáttin (Public Statistics Portal) Public statistics portal providing accessible and engaging data about Iceland's population including resident counts by municipality, Icelandic citizens statistics, popular names, and demographic visualizations. Updates daily.
• Úrtök (Data Extracts) Data extraction services available through Þjóðskrá for official purposes (population registers, electoral rolls, certificates) or through authorized extract providers for market research and surveys. Bannmerking (exclusion from marketing lists) available.

Quantifiable outcome

• 224,303 registered religious/life stance members managed
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AdvaniacoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary technology partner providing data access integration services. Also provides Signet Transfer solution for secure document submission to Þjóðskrá.
• CreditinfocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized intermediary providing population data access for credit information and identity verification services to businesses.
• JácoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized intermediary providing data access through Já.is portal and services.
• OrigocoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized intermediary providing data integration services.
• Gallup GÍ rannsóknir ehfminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized intermediary for market research and survey sampling from population registry.
• MMR ehfminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized intermediary for survey sampling and market research.
• PósturinnminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized intermediary for survey sampling services.
• Markaðsráð ehfminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized intermediary for market research and survey sampling.
• Ferli ehfminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized intermediary for survey sampling services.
• ArangocoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized intermediary providing data integration services.
• DK hugbúnaður ehfcoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized intermediary providing software integration services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Folkeregisteret - Norway (Skatteetaten): Norway's National Population Register operated by the Tax Administration holds all resident records and issues national identity numbers (fødselsnummer). Directly comparable as Nordic national registry with statutory mandate for identity and civil registration.
• Estonian Population Register (EKIF): Estonia's Population Register is a small-country European national registry analogous in size and statutory monopoly. Often cited as a digital-first registry model with electronic services integration.
• Det Centrale Personregister (CPR) - Denmark: Denmark's central person registry maintains CPR numbers for all residents, issuing identity data and serving as authoritative civil registration. Closest Nordic analog to Þjóðskrá in scope, statutory monopoly, and data tier structure.
• Digi- ja väestötietovirasto - Finland: Finnish Digital and Population Data Services Agency maintains the Population Information System and issues identity documents. Directly comparable in Nordic civil registration, population data access, and certificate issuance.
• Netherlands Population Register (BRP): Dutch Basisregistratie Personen (BRP) is the Netherlands' national population registry managed under government authority, comparable in maintaining identity records, addresses, and civil status for all residents.
• Skatteverket (SPAR) - Sweden: Swedish Tax Agency's Statens Personadressregister maintains national population data and personnummer. Directly comparable statutory national population registry with B2B data access tiers.
• Belgian National Register: Belgium's Registre National des Personnes Physiques maintains national identification numbers and population data. Comparable as European national civil registry with similar statutory and identity document issuance scope.

Others

• Creditinfo: Authorized intermediary and credit information bureau leveraging Þjóðskrá registry data. Comparable as an Icelandic credit/identity data ecosystem player but operates as a commercial data intermediary rather than a registry itself.
• Signet (Advania Iceland): Advania operates the Signet Transfer secure document submission solution for Þjóðskrá and serves as primary technology intermediary. Comparable as ecosystem enabler rather than direct registry peer.

Broad incumbents

• NHS Personal Demographic Service - UK: UK NHS Personal Demographic Service maintains citizen identity records for healthcare purposes under statutory authority. Comparable in mandate scope for population identity data but operates within the broader NHS portfolio rather than as a standalone registry.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thjodskra
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/registers-iceland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Þjóðskrá