Pensioners of the funds inside Greidslustofa lifeyrissjoda registered abroad must file a life certificate, certified by a public authority in the country of residence, by 20 April each year.: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Each year. By 20 April. Payments stop if the documents do not arrive in time.

Pension application and backdating: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

The date the application reaches Tryggingastofnun; backdating counted from there. Up to 2 years back in time. The page states that if the person does not apply for the back period, their rights have not lapsed; instead they receive a permanent increase in their entitlement for the time the pension was deferred.

Iceland pension deadlines for people who left

We list every obligation we have verified in Iceland's pension system that runs on a time limit for someone who no longer lives there. Each row says what starts the clock, how long it runs and what is lost, with the official source and the date we checked it. We hold 2 rows for Iceland. Where an official source is silent, we say so on the row rather than guess.

When did you leave Iceland?

Pick the year and we open the free checker with Iceland already selected.

IcelandPayment suspended

What starts the clock: Each year
How long: By 20 April
What is lost: Payments stop if the documents do not arrive in time

Official source, greidslustofa.isChecked 4 October 2026

IcelandBackdating limit

What starts the clock: The date the application reaches Tryggingastofnun; backdating counted from there.
How long: Up to 2 years back in time.
What is lost: The page states that if the person does not apply for the back period, their rights have not lapsed; instead they receive a permanent increase in their entitlement for the time the pension was deferred.

If a person waits to apply for ellilífeyrir beyond the general pension age of 67, they can apply for their entitlement up to two years back in time.

What the source does not say

The source does not say that unpaid amounts are lost. Tryggingastofnun states that rights do not lapse and that a later start gives a permanent increase in entitlement for the period of deferral. The source is a Tryggingastofnun news item of 27 July 2023 on island.is, citing Act 100/2007 on social security without naming the article.

Official source, island.isChecked 1 September 2026

This page is part of our Cross-Border Pension Deadline Register. If you find an error, tell us and we will publish the correction.