Ísland · Kennitala
Icelandic Kennitala Checker
Check an Icelandic company kennitala for correct format and confirm it in the company register (Fyrirtækjaskrá) — with its name, address, legal form and status.
What is a kennitala?
A kennitala is Iceland’s 10-digit identification number, used for both people and companies: a date, two random digits, a check digit and a century digit, written DDMMYY-NNNN. For a company, 40 is added to the day — Icelandair Group hf. is 631205-1780. It is different from the company’s VAT number (VSK-númer).
Icelandic kennitala format
A six-digit date, two random digits, a check digit and a century digit.
(day + 40 for companies)
digits
(mod 11)
(0 = 2000s)
Example: 631205-1780 (Icelandair Group hf.). Personal format example (synthetic): 010130-2040.
- 10 digits: Written with or without a hyphen after the sixth digit. No IS prefix — Iceland is outside the EU VAT system.
- Check digit: Weights 3-2-7-6-5-4-3-2 on the first eight digits, mod 11, as Iceland reports in its official TIN information.
- Not a kennitala: A VSK-númer (VAT number) — a separate, shorter number, usually 5 or 6 digits — is a different identifier.
- Personal data: A personal kennitala reveals a date of birth. This page and checker deal with company kennitölur only.
How to check a company kennitala
- 1 Find the kennitala (“kt.”) on the company’s invoice or website.
- 2 Enter it above, with or without the hyphen. The checker confirms the company in Fyrirtækjaskrá.
- 3 Compare the returned name, address, legal form and status with the business you are dealing with. A valid kennitala does not show VAT registration.
- 4 Need the full background on Icelandic IDs? Read our Iceland tax ID guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a company’s kennitala?
Enter the company kennitala in the checker on this page, with or without the hyphen: it confirms the company in the Icelandic company register (Fyrirtækjaskrá) and shows its name, address, legal form and status. For the background on Icelandic IDs, see our Iceland tax ID guide.
Is the kennitala the same as the Icelandic VAT number?
No. The VAT number (VSK-númer) is a separate, shorter number that Skatturinn allocates when a business registers for VAT, and one company can hold several. Icelandic invoices show the kennitala of buyer and seller as well as the seller’s VAT number.
What is the kennitala format?
Ten digits, usually written DDMMYY-NNNN. The first six digits are a date, digits 7 and 8 are chosen at random when the number is issued, the 9th is a check digit and the 10th shows the century (9 for the 1900s, 0 for the 2000s).
How can I tell a company kennitala from a personal one?
For a company or other entity, 40 is added to the day, so a company kennitala starts with 4, 5, 6 or 7 — for example 631205-1780 for Icelandair Group hf. A personal kennitala starts with 0, 1, 2 or 3.
How is the kennitala check digit calculated?
Multiply the first eight digits by 3, 2, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2, add the results and divide by 11. The check digit is 11 minus the remainder. The official formula does not cover the edge cases; in issued numbers a remainder of 0 gives 0, and no number with a remainder of 1 appears.
Do sole traders have their own kennitala?
No. A one-person business trades under the owner’s personal kennitala, which contains their date of birth — so treat it as personal data. Our checker looks up company kennitölur only.
Last reviewed: , against official sources.
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