In the beginning of February this year the Icelandic School of Reykjavík City started it’s first semester in participation with The Intercultural Centre’s Icelandic Language Department. The school’s aim is to provide Icelandic language courses for city employees of foreign origin, today numbering around 500 of 80 nationalities, speaking 51 different languages. Icelandic evaluation tests were held for every participant before the beginning of the courses for the 100 people that were enrolled for this semester, but it is intended to offer more courses in the autumn. This semester turned out to be very successful and fruitful for everybody involved and was completed with a big graduating ceremony in the Reykjavik City Hall in the end of May.

 Polish below

In the light of misunderstandings that have arisen we wish to point out to all those who are involved in services to immigrants that an application for an Icelandic ID Number does not constitute registration of domicile.  Even when an individual is assigned an ID Number (kennitala), this does not mean that his or her legal domicile (lögheimili) is registered as being in Iceland.  Any person who stays in Iceland for a period of six months or more is required to be domiciled here.  A person’s legal domicile is the place where he or she is resident on a regular basis.  Legal domiciles are registered by the National Registry (Þjóðskrá).  In order to register one’s legal domicile in Iceland, it is necessary to be in possession of an Icelandic ID No.

Being legally domiciled in Iceland is a requirement for qualifying for health insurance in Iceland.  People are only registered for health insurance six months after their legal domicile is registered in Iceland.  Other rules may apply to citizens from the European Economic Area (see Regulation No. 463/1999).

Persons who do not have a registered legal domicile in Iceland are not entitled to the ordinary social services provided by the local authorities and are not registered in the national social security system.  Registration of domicile is important in various other connections: for example, persons attending courses in Icelandic for immigrants that are held by educational establishments that receive support from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture are required to have registered their domicile in Iceland. 

Reykholt Festival is an international music festival held in historic Reykholt, the birth place of Snorri Sturluson in Borgarfjördur, the last week of July every year.

It´s repertoire mainly consists of classical music featuring both icelandic musicians and well known foreign artists. Reykholt festival has earnt a reputation abroad as beeing one of the most interesting cultural events in Iceland.

The Festival starts with two concerts performed by the UniCum Laude chamber singers from Pécs in Hungary. The repertoire of the group includes Renessaince music and the most spectacular pieces of madrigals, as well as of contemporary modern music and some arrangements of evergreens of high standard.

 Auður Gunnarsdóttir soprano will perform icelandic and nordic songs with pianist Steinunn Birna Ragnarsdóttir. St. Christopher Orchestra of Vilnius will perform in two concerts with conductor Donatas Katkus.

In the Final concert of the Festival, Fóstbræður, one of the leading male choirs in Iceland will perform icelandic songs with Árni Harðarson conducting. All further information is posted on the festival´s website; www.reykholtshatid.is and tickets are sold at midi.is

The Intercultural centre offers new Icelandic language courses in Laugavegur 37, which begin 23^rd of July.

The courses are open to everybody.

For further information and to sign up please call 692 8818 or email: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Icelandic, level 1 – mornings   60 class hours

Laugavegur 37      11.15-13.15  o´clock     

23.7.2009 – 9.9.2009

Price: 21.000*

Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays

Icelandic, level 2 – mornings   60 class hours

Laugavegur 37      9.00-11.00 o´clock        

23.7.2009 – 9.9.2009

Price: 21.000*

Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays

 Due to summer-closing in Gerðuberg culture center, the International parents’ mornings will be held in the Intercultural Centre at Laugavegur in July and until 10^th of August. We have also changed the timing, instead of meeting at 10.00; we will meet at 10.30 – 12.00. Next Tuesday we will get together in Laugavegur 37, at 10.30, and we will take a walk with the children down town and enjoy the city life.

All are welcome – also those that have never joined us before!

Reykjavík City Library hosts a walking tour in downtown Reykjavík every Thursday in July and August 2009 at 5 p.m. Icelandic literature, from the Saga period to newly published books, is introduced at various stops in the city centre by a literary critic and an actor. The actor, Darren Foreman, performs bits from novels, short stories and plays and recites poems, and critic Úlfhildur Dagsdóttir tells about the authors and the connection of text and place, with a bit of history mixed in. One of the stops is the old theatre Idno by the Reykjavík Lake Tjornin.

The walk is free of charge and no booking is needed. Just show up at Reykjavik City Library in Tryggvagata 15 at 5 p.m. on Thursdays and join us for this fun introduction of Icelandic literature and the downtown area. The walk is at an easy pace and suits everyone.