Film production in Iceland
Iceland is covered here with 1 location. Between the longest and shortest day, usable light swings by up to 16h 48min depending on where you shoot — planning across the country is not planning one single kind of day.
Shooting hours in Reykjavík across the year
Reykjavík is the location covered here for this country. The table gives sunrise, sunset, usable daylight and the start of the evening golden hour for every month — computed from the coordinates (64.1466, -21.9426) in the Atlantic/Reykjavik timezone.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10:56 | 16:19 | 5h 23min | |
| February | 09:25 | 18:01 | 8h 36min | 16:42 |
| March | 07:48 | 19:27 | 11h 39min | 18:23 |
| April | 05:57 | 21:00 | 15h 03min | 19:54 |
| May | 04:14 | 22:36 | 18h 22min | 21:12 |
| June | 02:58 | 00:00 | 21h 02min | 22:05 |
| July | 03:41 | 23:27 | 19h 46min | 21:50 |
| August | 05:19 | 21:47 | 16h 28min | 20:36 |
| September | 06:51 | 19:57 | 13h 06min | 18:54 |
| October | 08:18 | 18:11 | 9h 53min | 17:01 |
| November | 09:57 | 16:30 | 6h 34min | 14:32 |
| December | 11:17 | 15:30 | 4h 14min |
What that means for planning
In Reykjavík, daylight swings by 16h 48min across the year. A schedule built around 21h 02min in June has only 4h 14min left in December — with the same setup count.
Concretely: in December, the sun in Reykjavík sets at 15:30, with golden hour starting as early as null. Put the exterior at the end of the day and you shoot it in the dark, or not at all.
TillyGen folds each location's sun position straight into the schedule. An exterior that no longer fits before sunset in December is flagged in the plan, not discovered on the day. The same calculation sits behind every location page for this country.
Film incentives and rebates
Iceland reimburses 25 % (35 % for large productions) of Icelandic costs — with no per-project cap. Iceland delivers glaciers, lava and highlands with no set build; the 35 % tier targets large series, and Reykjavik crews are used to scale.
What that means in practice depends on the qualifying share: on a €1m budget with 80 % qualifying spend, the 25 % rate returns roughly €200,000. Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
As of: 2025-01 · Source: filminiceland.com
Permits and local requirements
Filming permits are granted locally almost everywhere, not nationally: the city or district you shoot in is the responsible body, and processing times differ considerably within the same country. Public space, traffic areas and drone flights each run through separate procedures.
File early enough that a refusal still leaves room for a cover location — not so late that the permit becomes the condition for the only possible shoot day. Only the responsible local authority gives binding information.
Frequently asked
How many locations in Iceland are covered here?
1. Locations are included when there is an evidenced production landscape — not every town in the country.
Which location in Iceland has the longest shooting days?
In June, Reykjavík with 21h 02min of daylight. In December that drops to 4h 14min.
When is the best time to shoot in Iceland?
On daylight length alone, June. Whether that also means the steadiest weather depends on the location — the individual location pages carry rain days and sunshine hours per month.
Do I need a separate permit for every location?
As a rule yes, as soon as public ground is involved. Private locations run through the owner; traffic areas and drones add further procedures. The local authority is always the binding source.