Iceland: early voting begins in the referendum on EU membership

Brussels – Polling stations have opened in Iceland to decide whether or not to resume negotiations on the country’s accession to the European Union. Today (27 July), the Electoral Commission launched early voting for the referendum, which will ask the people whether Reykjavík should resume talks with Brussels on a possible accession to the EU. Early voting will be available to all those eligible to vote, around 400,000, who, on the scheduled day of the referendum, namely 29 August, will be unable to go to the polls. This measure therefore primarily concerns residents abroad and certain districts within the country. According to local media reports, early voting has averaged between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of those eligible to vote in the past. 

According to a poll published last June by the Icelandic broadcaster Rúv, 53.1 per cent of voters said they were in favour of reopening accession negotiations, while 46.9 per cent were against. A report published in January 2026 by the European Parliament also shows that it is the fisheries and agriculture interest groups that are concerned about the impact of Iceland’s possible accession to the EU, as they fear that EU rules are more restrictive than national ones. Conversely, others view EU membership positively due to perceived benefits, such as adopting the euro. 

Negotiations on accession to the EU began in 2009 in response to the global financial crisis, but were suspended in 2013 and officially terminated in 2015 at Reykjavík’s request. Following the parliamentary elections in November 2024, the new coalition government led by Kristún Frostadóttir agreed to hold a national referendum on whether to begin negotiations by 2027. The referendum comes against a backdrop of threats by US President Donald Trump to take over Greenland, as well as the war in Ukraine and the need to increase energy cooperation. These factors have brought Iceland closer to Brussels again in recent months. 

At present, the country already has access to the European single market through its membership of the European Economic Area, which requires it to adopt most EU legislation. It is also a member of the Schengen Area, although it is not part of the EU Customs Union. The question voters will find on their ballot paper will be: “Should Iceland resume negotiations on accession to the European Union?” The answer is yes or no. If the referendum result is in favour of reopening talks, a second vote on accession itself will be required.