Does Iceland have public bomb or fallout shelters?

Short answer. Iceland publishes no programme of public blast or fallout shelters, and no shelter count ¹². Official guidance directs people who must leave home to Red Cross mass-care centres (fjöldahjálparstöðvar), usually in schools, community halls or sports halls, which open during emergencies. Their locations are on a Red Cross map ¹².

Are there public shelters in Iceland?

No public blast or fallout shelter programme is published by Icelandic authorities, and no number of shelters is given ¹². Our guide on whether to shelter in place or evacuate explains the main choice in any emergency: stay inside or leave.

Where do people go instead?

To a Red Cross mass-care centre. Almannavarnir describes them simply: "Fjöldahjálparstöðvar Rauða krossins eru almennt í skólum, félagsheimilum eða samkomuhúsum" — the Red Cross mass-care centres are generally in schools, community halls or assembly halls ¹. They are opened by the Icelandic Red Cross under its civil-protection support role, and only when an emergency requires it ¹².

A mass-care centre is a place to register, get information and find shelter in the everyday sense of a roof and a bed. It is not a protective structure against blast or radiation.

How do I find the nearest mass-care centre?

• Before an emergency: the Red Cross publishes a map answering "Hvar eru fjöldahjálparstöðvar staðsettar?" (Where are the mass-care centres located?) on raudikrossinn.is ².
• During an evacuation: register at the centre. If you are staying elsewhere, with family or friends, call the Red Cross helpline 1717 to register ²³.

Evacuation orders, and what to do with your home when you leave, are covered on the Iceland alerts page and the Iceland emergency contacts page.

Did Iceland ever have shelters?

Yes, in two phases ⁴:

1. Second World War. After the air-raid act no. 52/1941, air-raid committees in the main towns mainly prepared air-raid shelters and warning equipment. This activity lapsed at the end of the war.
2. Cold War. All buildings giving 100-fold or greater protection against radiation compared with open ground were registered. A 2005 Almannavarnir report says the emphasis on this has since declined.

The "100-fold" figure is a protection factor; see what a protection factor means. No current list of these buildings is published in the sources reviewed.

What should an Icelandic household rely on?

Its own home first. The national guidance is built around a household able to manage for at least three days, with a kit and a household plan, and around evacuation to mass-care centres when the home is unsafe ³⁵². Start with the Iceland supplies page and the family emergency plan guide. Our general guides on earthquakes and volcanic ash are a practical next step.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a bunker I can go to in Reykjavík?

No public bunker programme is published for Iceland. In an emergency, people who must leave home are directed to Red Cross mass-care centres, usually in schools or halls ¹.

Are mass-care centres open all the time?

No. They open during emergencies, under the Red Cross's civil-protection support role ¹².

What if I evacuate to a friend's house?

Register by calling the Red Cross helpline 1717 ²³.

Can I build my own shelter?

Iceland has no law, permit or standard on private shelters. See Building a shelter in Iceland.

Sources

1. Almannavarnir (Ríkislögreglustjóri) — Fjöldahjálparstöðvar — https://www.almannavarnir.is/forvarnir-og-fraedsla/fjoldahjalparstodvar/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Rauði krossinn á Íslandi — Neyðarvarnir — https://www.raudikrossinn.is/verkefni/innanlandsverkefni/hamfarir-og-neydaradstod/neydarvarnir/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. Almannavarnir (Ríkislögreglustjóri) — Heimilið: Forvarnir og viðbragð — https://www.almannavarnir.is/heimilid/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
4. Almannavarnir — Almannavarnir og áfallaþol íslensks samfélags (12. jan. 2005) — https://www.almannavarnir.is/utgefid-efni/almannavarnir-og-afallathol-islensks-samfelags/?wpdmdl=22046 (accessed 2026-10-20)
5. Rauði krossinn á Íslandi — 3 dagar - Ertu klár? — https://www.raudikrossinn.is/verkefni/innanlandsverkefni/hamfarir-og-neydaradstod/3-dagar-ertu-klar/ (accessed 2026-10-20)