South Iceland elopement planning guide

September 25, 2022 Lisa McWhirter

South Iceland is one of the most visited regions in Iceland. Once you make it to the region you can visit black sand beaches, glaciers, and waterfalls within 30 minutes of driving.

In this guide, you can read the following chapters:

Planning your trip to South Iceland

How to get married in South Iceland

Locations in South Iceland

Accommodation for your South Iceland elopement

Cool activities to do on your elopement day in South Iceland

Elopements in South Iceland

Planning your trip to South Iceland.

How to get to South Iceland.

The fastest way to get to South Iceland is by car. Once you have landed to Keflavik International Airport you can get to the South Iceland region by driving within about 2 hours and 30 minutes. There are every single day running day tours to South Iceland from Reykjavik if you don’t want to do all the driving by yourself.

If you coming from Europe with a car one option is to get to Iceland by cruise ship from Denmark and arrive at Seyðisfjørður in the east of Iceland. The ship travel takes about 47 hours. The drive from there to South Iceland takes about 3 hours.

The best and fastest route to travel is Road 1 which is commonly known as Ring Road.

When to visit South Iceland.

South Iceland region is open all year round and many locations are next to a parking lot of within 10 minutes of a walk. Every season is worth it while visiting South Iceland. South Iceland is also one of the most visited regions in Iceland and specially during summertime, it can be heavily overrun.

During summertime the daylight is almost 24 hours and on the opposite: during wintertime, it can be from 4-5 hours, Average temperature during summertime is F53-56 and in wintertime F33.

Spring in Iceland.

Spring generally comes to Iceland in April and May and on May 1st we celebrate the first day of summer. Sometimes you can still get snow in spring but it usually melts away quickly.

Springtime weather in Reykjavík can be anything from snow, sleet, and rain, to bright sunny days. The temperature averages between 0-10°C (32-50°F). The Icelandic Highlands can be about 10°C colder than the coastline and are closed for traffic during the spring.

In springtime, Puffins return to Iceland after being away for the winter. There are a lot of places where you can see a Puffin and they start nesting in April.

Summer in Iceland.

Summer starts in late May or early June and lasts all the way till the end of August. In the middle of June (known as Midsummer) the sun is up all 24 hours and is a very beautiful and out-of-this-world experience to witness.

Temperatures can be as low as 5°C (41°F) but as warm as 25°C (77°F). On average, the temperature is between 10° to 15°C (50-59°F). Summers are not as wet as spring, but it does rain occasionally. Iceland is also a very windy country.

Towards the end of June or the beginning of July, some of the highland roads are opened after being closed for the winter. If you planning to hike in the highlands then July and August are the best months for it.

Since July is a typical holiday month you can expect that July will be super packed with many people visiting Iceland. August is also very popular for visiting Iceland and because of that, there can be sometimes a bit of a problem in finding rental cars and places to stay overnight. Especially South Iceland, Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle, Black Sand Beach and Jökulsarlon are heavily overrun.

Summer is also the time to see Iceland 100% in green but there is a good chance that it still in green in September.

Autumn in Iceland.

Autumn starts in late August and ends around late October or early November. You will be able to see Autumn’s beautiful colours. The only downfall is that it may be windy, wet, and possibly quite cold.

But there is a chance to see the Northern lights!

Autumn is similar to springtime in temperature, between 0° to 10°C (32-50°F).

Winter in Iceland.

Winter is between November and March. The years shortest day is on the 21st of December and on that day, the daylight is only 4 or 5 hours long.

In the northern part of Iceland, the temperature will likely drop down to -10°C (14°F). And in the south down to -5° (23°F) or up to 5°C (41°F).

Driving in Iceland during wintertime is not for everyone. The roads are very icy and Iceland has strong winter storms and they can sometimes start just suddenly. When the snowstorm starts, the roads are closed and you should always cancel your plans due to the storm. Many people have got lost in the winter storm and never made it back.

In wintertime, there is a super good chance to see the Northern lights! Also, much fewer people visit Iceland during winter so you can really be the only visitor in many tourist spots!

Cheapest time to visit South Iceland.

Wintertime is definitely the cheapest time to visit South Iceland. The prices with accommodations are much lower and also car rentals. Many locations can be visited with less tourists in the locations and you get to enjoy the locations by yourself.

How to get married in South Iceland.

Marriage laws in Iceland

One of the most asked questions is: can a foreigner get married in Iceland? The answer is yes. However, there are some laws on getting married there and paperwork to be filled. So what do you need to know if you want to elope in Iceland? You and your partner need to be at least 18 years old. If your partner has been married before, you need to deliver divorce papers.

The documents are good to submit around 3-4 weeks before your big day and you can email them.

The documents you need to have and send them 3-4 weeks before the wedding.

Marriage notification from Hjónavígsluskýrsla District of Magistrate in Reykjavík. This form needs to be filled out and signed by both of you plus two witnesses ( I have been sometimes as one!)
“Notifications of marriage ceremonies are received from heads of religious associations or their representatives, priests or district commissioners to be registered in the National Registry” is written on the Iceland registry website.
Birth certificates of both parties attach with the Marriage application form. Originals can be returned after the wedding ceremony.
Only originals or officially authorized (stamp or seal) accepted.
Certificate of marital status, that needs to be issued within 8 weeks prior to the wedding date. This document is also referred to as a CNI or "no impediments" in some countries
A divorce decree, if either party is divorced. If the bride/groom is a widower, a document detailing the estate of the deceased has been divided/finalized.
Valid passports of both parties and possible visas. You can check from here if you will be needing a visa. This is super important so you can officially stay in the country and get married.
Airline ticket (showing entry/exit of the country)
Passport copy of trustworthy person 1
Passport copy of trustworthy person 2

If documents do not arrive within this timeframe, the marriage is considered canceled.

Also:

All documents must be handed in as the original paperwork and not a photocopy.
Your birth certificates and other original certificates handed in can be picked up after the wedding ceremony.
After the ceremony, it is possible to obtain your marriage certificate in English.

Same-sex marriages have been allowed in Iceland since 2010 and the LGBTQ+ culture in Iceland is thriving. Iceland was one of the first countries that allowed same-sex marriage. Many same-sex couples travel to Iceland to get married since getting married in their home countries isn't allowed.