Can I move to Iceland if I only speak English?

98\% of Icelanders speak English fluently, so the latter is enough to start a new life in Iceland. If you are not a native speaker, note that fluency is absolutely required if you want to do anything other than housekeeping or dishwashing.

Are Icelanders fluent in English?

English is almost universally spoken in Iceland, with many people very fluent as well, so tourists will have no problem conversing in English there. Most Icelanders also learn a second and sometimes a third foreign language as well, with many also being fluent in Danish, German, French or Spanish.

How difficult is it for an English speaker to learn Icelandic?

In fact, Icelandic has been consistently ranked as one of the hardest languages for English speakers to learn as a result of the archaic vocabulary and complex grammar. Not only are the words extremely long, the specific syllables are pronounced completely different from your typical English syllables.

How much of Icelands population speaks English?

So, with that in mind, you might be wondering how widely spoken English is in Iceland. Iceland has a population of 364000 people of whom around 98\% or 357000 people speak English. This is a very high proportion of people.

Can I retire to Iceland from UK?

If you want to retire in Iceland, you’ll eventually need a permanent residence permit, which you can apply for after living in the country continuously for four years. To apply for a permanent residence permit, you will have to have been granted a different permit for the prior four years.

Is Icelandic easy to learn?

No, Icelandic isn’t hard. But, it’s relatively harder than some languages for native English speakers. Icelandic is a category IV language in terms of difficulty according to the FSI. So, it’s harder than French but much easier than learning Chinese would be.