Petrol stations in Iceland

It is a little bit more difficult to fill up a car tank in Iceland than in other countries around the world. And if you are planning to rent a car to travel around this country for the first time, you should know about the peculiarities of local petrol stations first.

Most importantly:

When travelling in remote regions, make sure to check your fuel level before exiting the highway, check the distance to the nearest petrol station and fill up with plenty of fuel.

Please take into account that the consumption increases about one and a half times in the mountains, and petrol stations aren’t frequent there. Leave enough fuel in the tank to return to the previous petrol station, just to be on the safe side.

Petrol and diesel prices in Iceland

Recently, Iceland has been leading the list of countries with the most expensive fuel in the world.

Fuel prices as of September 2023:

Petrol 95 (Bensín 95) – 326 kr (~€2.30);
Diesel (Dísel) – 320 kr (~€2.25).

Fuel prices vary depending on location, availability of attendants, and brand of the petrol station.

On the outskirts of cities, you can buy petrol and diesel at self-service automated petrol stations and Orkan petrol stations 10-15% cheaper than in the city centre or in remote regions of the country.

In a rental car, you may transport fuel only in portable fuel containers and only with the permission of the rental company.

How to fill up at local petrol stations

The most popular petrol station brands are N1, Orkan, Olís and OB. They all offer petrol and diesel of good quality, and you can refuel your rental car safely at any of them.

Petrol stations with staff

There are few manned petrol stations in Iceland. They are mostly located in major cities.

Staff are only available during daytime hours (from 7-10 to 20-24 o’clock), at night you can refuel at self-service fuel pumps.

They accept cash and cards.

You can pay in cash to the cashier. Please note that most self-service fuel pumps do not accept banknotes.

Automated petrol stations in Iceland

The vast majority of petrol stations in the country are automated self-service stations. They are open 24/7. Self-service terminals have a quite simple interface with an option to choose the English language in the menu.

If you have difficulties, you can ask local people for help.

How to fill the tank yourself:

Drive up to the necessary fuel pump and switch off the engine.
Insert the nozzle into the tank.
Select the necessary payment amount or quantity in litres. Pay for the selected fuel.
Fill the tanks and return the nozzle to its place.

Please note that if you choose the “Fill in” or “Fill up” option, a deposit of 25 000-30 000 kr (~€175-210) will be blocked on your card. The remaining unspent money will be refunded automatically. This refund may happen immediately or within a week.

If you don’t want your money locked, choose a fixed payment amount or a specific quantity in litres.

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At an automated station, you can pay:

By a credit or debit card with PIN code access.
By a prepaid fuel card. If the self-service terminal does not accept your bank card, you can buy a prepaid fuel card in advance at a manned petrol station and then pay with it. Please note that such cards are accepted only within the same network and you cannot use them to pay at a petrol station of another brand.
In cash (rarely). Only very few self-service terminals accept banknotes.

What else is available at petrol stations

It all depends on the station size and location. In remote regions, petrol stations may have only a few fuel pumps. The larger petrol stations have WCs, shops, cafes, free Wi-Fi, and sometimes even a car wash and tyre service.