Refugees

Verk Vest — The workers union in the Westfjords, is Hafnarstræti 9 in Ísafjörður. At Verk Vest, you can get information about your rights and obligations as an employee in the Icelandic labor market.

Opening hours
Monday-Friday: 9:30 am-3 pm
Tel: 456 5190
Email: postur@verkvest.is
www.verkvest.is

The town offices of Ísafjarðarbær are in the large, grey building at Hafnarstræti 1, by the town square in Ísafjörður. The offices provide general services for locals and others. There you can also find advisors for different departments of the municipality, Welfare Department, Financial Department, Environmental Department, and School & Leisure Department.

Opening hours
Monday-Friday: 10 am-12 pm and 12:30 pm-3 pm
Tel: 450 8000
Email: postur@isafjordur.is 
www.isafjordur.is 

Residents of Ísafjarðarbær have good access to general health at the Westfjords Health Institute in Ísafjörður and dental services in Ísafjörður and the neighboring town of Bolungarvík.

The Westfjords Health Institute operates a hospital, health center and nursing home in Ísafjörður and smaller health centers in Þingeyri, Flateyri and Suðureyri.

Make an appointment at the health center by calling 450 4500 or by sending a message at through www.heilsuvera.is.

Opening hours of the health center in Ísafjörður
Mon-Fri: 8 am-3 pm
Tel: 450 4500
Email: hvest@hvest.is 
www.hvest.is 

Vaccinations have been common in Iceland for many decades, especially vaccination of children. This is very important, since epidemics will not be controlled unless most people are vaccinated. If you have children, we kindly ask you to inform the healthcare services what vaccinations your children have received. Vaccinations for children are free of charge.

For medical services outside of daytime, call 1700

In case of emergency, call 112.

Dental service is free of charge for children aged 3-18 apart from an annual fee of ISK 2,500

It is recommended that children go to the dentist for a checkup at least once a year.

Two dentists works at the health center in Ísafjörður, Viðar Konráðsson and Margrét Theodórsdóttir. They perform all general dentistry and emergency services outside the opening hours of the dental office.

Tel: 456 3737
Email: tannsar@snerpa.is 

Katrín Ugla Kristjánsdóttir is the dentist in Bolungarvík. She has a dental office with the dental technician Rebekka Líf Karlsdóttir, in Höfðastígur 15.

Tel: 456 7077

Ísafjarðarbær offers social and leisure activities for senior citizens in Hlíf Ísafjörður, Sunnuhlíð in Suðureyri, and Tjörn in Þingeyri. The aim is to prevent social isolation, encourage creative activities and find channels for the knowledge, experience, and skills of the participants by providing facilities for gymnastics and recreation.

A day ward for senior citizens is operated in Hlíf, Ísafjörður. It is open on weekdays between 10 am and 4 pm. The day ward offers leisure activities, light exercise, food, rest facilities and assistance with bathing.

Ísafjarðarbær municipality has service apartments for the elderly at Hlíf I, Ísafjörður, and at Tjörn, Þingeyri, both for couples and individuals.

The service apartments have a security system and a choice of diverse services such as lunch, laundry and cleaning and access to social activities and social domestic services. Staff are available during the day and a 24-hour on-call service is provided.

There are six kindergartens in Ísafjarðarbær, one in each of the smaller towns of Flateyri, Suðureyri and Þingeyri, and three in Ísafjörður, whereof one is just for five-year-old children.

Daycare services are generally available for children from the age of 12 months and is subsidized by the municipality.

Kindergartens in Ísafjörður are closed for four weeks due to summer vacation, but for five weeks in Suðureyri, Flateyri and Þingeyri.

Opening hours are from 7:45 am-4:15 pm.

Enrollment is online through the service portal at thjonustugatt.isafjordur.is or with the school officer, Guðrún Birgisdóttir, gudrunbi@isafjordur.is, tel: 450 8000.

Primary schools in Iceland are mandatory and free of charge.

There are four primary schools in Ísafjarðarbær municipality: in Ísafjörður, Suðureyri, Flateyri and Þingeyri. In all schools, hot food is offered at lunchtime for a small fee, and after school centers are available for the youngest children.

The schools are open from 7:50 am.

Enrollment is online through the service portal at thjonustugatt.isafjordur.is or with the school officer, Guðrún Birgisdóttir, gudrunbi@isafjordur.is, tel: 450 8000.

Two art schools operate in Ísafjarðarbær, Ísafjörður Music School and the Art School of Rögnvaldur Ólafsson.

Ísafjörður Music School was founded in 1948 and offers classes in all major instruments. The headquarters and concert hall are at Austurvegur in Ísafjörður, but there are branches in Suðureyri, Flateyri and Þingeyri.

Information about classes and enrollment can be found at www.tonis.is.

The Art School of Rögnvaldur Ólafsson has piano and singing classes and shorter courses in various arts.

Information about classes and enrollment can be found at www.edinborg.is.

Public swimming pools are an integral part of the Icelandic culture. They are a place to connect with others, relax, have fun, and give undivided attention to family and friends. In other words, it is a communal place.

Ísafjarðarbær has four public swimming pools, in Flateyri, Ísafjörður, Þingeyri and Suðureyri. The pool in Suðureyri is the only outdoor pool in the municipality. There are warm wading pools outdoors in Flateyri and an outdoor hot tub in Þingeyri. The annual pass for the swimming pools in Ísafjarðarbær is also valid for the swimming pool in Bolungarvík. Opening hours can be found at www.isafjordur.is/sundlaugar.

There are five sports halls in the municipality. Two are in Ísafjörður; a small hall in the same building as the swimming pool at Austurvegur, and a large sports hall in Torfnes. In Suðureyri, Flateyri and Þingeyri the sports halls are in the same buildings as the swimming pool. Suðureyri, Flateyri, and Þingeyri sports halls also have small gyms. In Ísafjörður, the gym is run by Stöðin, Sindragata 2.

Ísafjörður has an alpine ski area in Tungudalur valley and a cross-country ski area in Seljalandsdalur valley. All information about the ski areas can be found at www.dalirnir.is.

A good overview of hiking trails can be found at www.map.is/isafjordur.

The Ísafjörður Culture House houses the library, regional archive, Ísafjörður art museum and Ísafjörður photography museum.

The library has a good selection of books, magazines, and films in Icelandic, English and a few other languages. There are special rooms at the library for children and teenagers, study and reading rooms and meeting facilities.

Opening hours
Weekdays: 12 pm-6 pm
Saturdays: 1 pm-4 pm
Second Monday of the month, the library is open until 9 pm.
Tel: 450 8220
Email: bokasafn@isafjordur.is 
www.safnis.is 

Town offices
The town offices in Súðavík are at Grundarstræti 1.

Opening hours
Weekdays: 10 am-12 noon and 1 pm-3 pm.
Tel: 450 5900
Email: sudavik@sudavik.is 
www.sudavik.is 

Health center
The health center in Súðavík is part of the Westfjords Health Institute, and is located in the same building as the town offices. A doctor is only present for pre-scheduled appointments.

Opening hours
Thursdays: 1 pm-2:30 pm.
Tel: 450 4500
Email: hvest@hvest.is 
www.hvest.is 

Kindergarten, primary school, and music school

The Súðavík school consists of a kindergarten, primary school, and music school, all headed by one principal.

www.sudavikurskoli.is 

Senior citizens

Senior citizens in Súðavík are offered leisure activities at Grundarstræti 1.

Opening hours
Mon-Wed-Thu: 1 pm-5 pm.

www.newiniceland.is 
Are you new in Iceland? Or still adjusting?

www.mcc.is 
Multicultural Information Center

www.isafjordur.is 
Ísafjarðarbær Municipality’s webpage

www.verkvest.is 
Verk Vest, the workers union in the Westfjords

www.asi.is 
The Icelandic Confederation of Labor

www.utl.is 
The Directorate of Immigration

www.skra.is 
Register Iceland

www.hms.is 
Housing benefits

www.humanrights.is/en 
Legal counselling for immigrants free of charge.

www.landneminn.is 
Information about Icelandic society