Published on and written by Cyril Jarnias
Moving to Iceland to work, launch a project, or accompany a spouse means settling in a country that is both tiny in population size and immense in the intensity of its economic and cultural life. In this ultra-connected ecosystem, networking isn’t a “plus”—it’s the invisible infrastructure that drives business, opens doors to employment, and accelerates projects.
Building your network in Iceland requires understanding the local culture, identifying the right circles, and adapting how you present yourself. Access to key people is relatively easy, provided you are well-prepared, authentic, and patient.
Understanding the Icelandic context before networking
Arriving in Iceland means entering a society with strong internal cohesion, a very egalitarian ethos, and a fairly informal way of working. For an expat, grasping this cultural code is the first step toward making networking work.
The economic environment rests on a few major pillars: renewable energy (geothermal, hydroelectric), tourism, fishing and seafood, as well as a rapidly expanding tech industry. The tech sector, for example, grew by 25% in 2023 and contributes over one billion dollars to GDP. This dynamism attracts startups, developers, fintech specialists, and entrepreneurs from around the world.
In this landscape, Icelandic companies highly value several elements: sustainability, innovation, transparency, and social responsibility. The society exhibits high levels of trust, low corruption, and a clear commitment to equality—especially gender equality, which is regularly highlighted in international rankings.
In organizations with flat hierarchies, access to leaders is direct, and teamwork along with individual autonomy are valued. In this context, respect is earned more through competence and real contribution than through a job title. This culture directly influences the methods for building and maintaining an effective professional network.
The local mindset: direct, egalitarian, low hierarchy
In Iceland, power distance is low. Everyone is called by their first name, including a CEO, a university professor, or a minister. Icelanders almost never use “Mr./Ms.”, even among themselves, and certainly not in everyday business. So you address “Guðmundur,” “Helga,” “Arna,” not “Mr. Halldórsson” or “Ms. Valfells.”
This has two consequences for an expat wanting to build a network. First, it’s easier to directly contact decision-makers, startup founders, or association leaders. Second, it’s hard to “play a role” or hide behind overly formal language: what matters is substance, clarity of the project, and seriousness.
In Iceland, communication is direct, concise, and avoids rhetorical detours. There is no direct equivalent of “please”; politeness is conveyed through tone. Vague introductions, beating around the bush, or aggressive sales approaches are very poorly received.
A small country, a tight-knit network
With a small population and strong urban concentration around Reykjavík, Icelandic society largely functions as a large community where everyone knows someone who knows someone. This applies to cultural life, but also to business: in a large company, it’s not uncommon for a CEO to attend an operational meeting or reply to an email themselves.
For an expat, this small size is both an opportunity and a risk. Opportunity, because in a few months you can meet most key players in a sector—from a fintech cluster manager to a startup founder or a fund director. Risk, because a bad reputation or unreliability spreads just as quickly.
In Iceland, trust, keeping one’s word, and long-term reliability are core values. A simple verbal agreement can carry legal weight and, above all, determines a person’s reputation. To build and maintain a network in this context, it’s essential to honor commitments, avoid exaggerated promises, and clearly admit your limits rather than commit to the impossible.
The link between work, private life, and integration
Finally, keep in mind the central role of well-being and work-life balance in Iceland. The 40-hour week is the norm, overtime is not glorified, hours are flexible, and parental leave is generous. It’s common to see children stop by the office, or to end a workday with a trip to the geothermal pool with colleagues.
For an expat, this means that networking isn’t limited to official after-work events or business-labeled gatherings. A significant part of relationships are built in more informal settings: cafés, hot pot outings, festivals, hikes, dinners at friends’ homes. In Iceland, business and pleasure are often mixed: you talk business at a restaurant or bar, discuss a project during a walk or in the sauna.
Mastering communication codes to build connections
Building a network in this very specific context requires adapting how you present yourself, speak, and follow up with contacts.
Icelandic communication style: clear, direct, no frills
The first rule is clarity. Whether in an email, an interview, or at a networking event, get straight to the point. A short 30-second introduction about who you are, what you do, and what you’re looking for is far more valuable than a detailed résumé.
This frankness also means expressing disagreements or limitations directly but calmly. Saying “I disagree for this reason” or “that’s not my specialty, but I can recommend someone” is better received than polite vagueness.
Icelanders may seem reserved at first contact, precisely because they don’t want to be intrusive. But once they sense authenticity, genuine curiosity, and respect for the country in someone, they open up willingly, sharing stories, advice, and contacts. The question ‘So, how are you finding Iceland?’ comes up often; it’s best to have something positive and concrete to say.
Advice for visitors to Iceland
The weight of languages: getting by in English, standing out with Icelandic
Almost everyone speaks English, from senior managers to front-office employees, and it’s often the working language in IT, finance, or highly international companies. For many expats, English is enough to start networking, attend tech meetups, and talk to recruiters or entrepreneurs.
But limiting your integration to English sometimes sends the wrong signal. A significant part of workplace misunderstandings actually stems from language issues or differences in communication style, noted by both foreigners and Icelanders. Learning a few phrases in Icelandic, even basic ones, can radically change how you are perceived.
Speaking Icelandic at an intermediate level is a serious competitive advantage in sectors like tourism, administration, construction, and local services.
From a career perspective, this language skill can also be leveraged: mastery of contracts in Icelandic, ability to follow regulations without translation, direct management of Icelandic-speaking clients. In a market where this combination (international profile + Icelandic) is still rare, it can weigh in salary negotiations or selection for a senior role.
Avoiding pitfalls: over-formality and hard sell
Two classic mistakes newcomers make: being too formal or too pushy in sales. An overly protocol-driven attitude, heavy on titles and exaggerated politeness, gives an impression of distance, even insincerity. Conversely, an aggressive sales style or repeated solicitation will close doors in a culture that dislikes hard-sell tactics.
The right posture is to be simple, direct, modest, and reliable. Talking about your achievements is acceptable, but emphasize teamwork, use “we” rather than “I,” and highlight collaborators. In interviews, for example, many Icelandic companies use panels to primarily assess cultural fit and the ability to work collectively.
Using the expat ecosystem as a launchpad
Before diving into strictly Icelandic professional networks, it can be wise to go through already structured expat communities. They often serve as a springboard, offering contacts, practical information, and sometimes direct links to the local job market.
InterNations has a community in Iceland with over 3,000 members, centered around Reykjavík. Each month, several official events and activities by interest are offered: dinners, outings, newcomer meetups, themed evenings. Via this platform, you can join groups by language or nationality, or create your own group if none exists in your field.
Essential online communities for information and building your first social network during an expatriation in Iceland.
A group for social event announcements (quiz nights, pub meetups, hikes) and exchanges of practical information about local life.
A key resource for concrete advice on visas, administrative procedures, schools, and finding housing.
Meetup.com offers another channel, more focused on interests: hiking groups, photographers, Icelandic music fans, but also professional communities (developers, designers, marketers, entrepreneurs). In a country where hot pot, coffee, and festivals play a big social role, these informal gatherings are often where first contacts are made that gradually become professional opportunities.
A few emblematic spaces of Icelandic sociability
Beyond the virtual, certain local scenes are particularly conducive to meetings. Reykjavík’s geothermal pools, for example, aren’t just relaxation spots: they function as open social clubs where people discuss politics, projects, and current events. Similarly, downtown cafés and bars, festivals like Reykjavik Pride, and major cultural events offer opportunities to meet both expats and locals.
For an expat, taking part in these moments, being open to activities like hiking, music, or indoor sports, mechanically increases the chances of meeting people and eventually being introduced to “a friend of a friend” who runs a startup, sits on a cluster board, or works at the university.
Mapping the main professional networks in Iceland
Once a first social circle is established, the next step for an expat is to identify the structures, associations, and events that truly shape the professional landscape in Iceland.
Chambers of commerce, European clusters, and business networks
The Iceland Chamber of Commerce brings together over 2,600 organizations and plays a central role in economic dialogue. It offers privileged access to events, studies, working groups, and an address book covering a wide range of sectors.
The Enterprise Europe Network, present in Iceland via RANNÍS, connects SMEs, universities, and public institutions with European partners. Its networking and matchmaking services are free, with thousands of specialists across more than 40 countries. For an entrepreneur or manager seeking partnerships, clients, or funding within the EU/EEA framework, it’s an essential lever.
Vistage, a global network of executives, also offers groups of 12 to 16 non-competing business leaders in Iceland, combining coaching, peer-to-peer exchanges, and access to an international community of over 24,000 leaders.
Summary table of main players to help an expat expand their professional network.
Bilateral organizations facilitating economic exchanges and offering targeted networking events.
Meetup and support groups for expats, often organizing social and professional activities.
Virtual communities specialized by sector or profile, enabling asynchronous and geographically flexible networking.
Key opportunities to meet players in a specific sector and stay informed about local market trends.
Alumni networks, often very active with local chapters in many countries.
Structured networking clubs with regular meetings, fostering business referrals.
| Organization / Network | Primary Role | Interest for Expats |
|---|---|---|
| Iceland Chamber of Commerce | Improving the business environment | Access to local companies, economic events |
| Enterprise Europe Network – RANNÍS | Support network for SMEs with international ambitions | Matchmaking, EU projects, R&D partnerships |
| Vistage | Executive groups, coaching, and exchanges | For senior executives or established founders |
| Bilateral chambers (e.g., Finnish-Icelandic) | Link between Iceland and partner countries | Ideal for profiles working on bi-national flows |
Sectoral associations: quick access to the right contacts
Depending on your profession, an expat will benefit from identifying the association that best matches their profile.
In the legal world, the Icelandic Bar Association brings together over 2,500 professionals, including academics. It organizes seminars, publications, and exchanges, and works closely with universities. For a foreign lawyer specializing in international law, human rights, or environmental law, connecting with it is a must.
In the cultural and creative industries, the landscape is equally structured: Visual Artists Association, performing arts centers, music rights management society, music export office, writers’ union, contemporary circus networks, and Nordic cultural cooperation networks. For an expat author, musician, actor, or cultural professional, these organizations play a key role in gaining visibility, understanding the grant system, and meeting programmers and peers.
In sports, federations—like the football association overseeing many clubs and expat players—structure disciplines and anchor a culture of international networking. Similarly, in aviation, the pilots’ association serves as an essential link between professionals, international bodies, and local airlines.
For women leaders and entrepreneurs, the FKA Association offers a particularly interesting framework, with a “New Icelanders Committee” specifically dedicated to foreign women living in Iceland. Its goal: help these businesswomen develop their activities, gain visibility, and access contacts in Iceland and abroad.
A second table helps visualize these sectoral entry points:
| Sector | Key Organization | What It Offers an Expat |
|---|---|---|
| Law | Icelandic Bar Association | Network of legal professionals, seminars, university links |
| Visual Arts | Icelandic Visual Artists Association | Access to other artists, residencies, exhibitions |
| Music | Music Export Office, STEF | Copyright, venues, festival contacts |
| Theater / Performance | Theater and Actors’ Associations | Programming, auditions, collaborative projects |
| Women’s Entrepreneurship | FKA + New Icelanders Committee | Mentorship, communities of businesswomen, visibility |
| Sports (football, etc.) | National federations (e.g., KSÍ) | Clubs, events, coaching, volunteering |
| Aviation | Pilots’ Association | Professional network, training, collective bargaining, safety |
The startup and innovation ecosystem: a concentrated networking hub
The Icelandic startup scene is particularly open to international profiles, partly because the domestic market is too small to rely solely on local players. Many structures here act as connection hubs.
The KLAK – Icelandic Startups association offers free support, acceleration programs, and access to networks. High-potential startups, especially in tech, fintech, green, and digital sectors, can also be funded by investment funds like Crowberry Capital or Frumtak Ventures.
The Gróska innovation center in Reykjavík is not just a building: it’s a permanent crossroads of conferences, pitch competitions, hackathons, and meetups between startups and large corporates. Events like Iceland Innovation Week, corporate venturing masterclasses, or competitions like Gulleggið bring together founders, investors, students, sector experts, and international accounts.
Other players complete this picture: Ignite Iceland, which connects startups and large companies; programs like Hringiða for the circular economy; university hubs transforming research projects into spin-offs; or Reykjavík Science City, linking universities and businesses, especially in sustainable technologies.
For an expat, especially in tech, energy, finance, or creative industries, diving into this network means positioning yourself where ideas, funding, and recruitment flow.
Betting on events: where decision-makers meet
In such a small country, the density of professional events relative to the population is impressive. These gatherings are one of the most effective ways to build and maintain a network.
Conferences, trade shows, masterclasses: the “deep end” of networking
Whether you’re a career changer, freelancer, or startup founder, a reasonable strategy is to select a few flagship events each year, based on your sector, and invest yourself fully in them.
Here, in table form, are some particularly useful event types:
| Event Type | Example Context | Networking Value |
|---|---|---|
| B2B and tech conferences | B2B marketing/sales conferences, UTmessan, Innovation Week | Meet decision-makers, tech partners, recruiters |
| Sectoral trade shows | Conferences on fishing, tourism, geothermal energy | Identify key players, start business discussions |
| Professional matchmaking | Enterprise Europe Network events | Pre-scheduled meetings with potential partners |
| Startup competitions and pitches | Gulleggið, Startup Iceland, hackathons | Visibility, feedback, connections with investors |
| International forums | Arctic forums, women’s leadership forums | High-level network, international visibility |
The goal is not to do everything, but to choose methodically: identify speakers, sponsors, or attending companies; prepare a few questions or projects to present; and most importantly, plan follow-up (LinkedIn connection, thank-you email, sending a promised document, suggesting coffee).
Number of key people to meet at an event to significantly increase your chances of professional success.
Coworking, clusters, meetups: networking every day
Beyond the big annual gatherings, a network is built through regular touches: coworking days, themed meetups, university conferences, workshops.
Coworking spaces are not just a real estate solution. Their community logic, internal events, and shared spaces like the café provide a valuable source of high-value contacts, such as freelance developers, consultants, small agencies, or early-stage startups. Some operators, like Regus, even organize dedicated networking events. Additionally, a professional address in a recognized space can boost a freelancer’s credibility, especially internationally (example cited: Iceland).
Technical meetups like the Reykjavik TechMeetups play a major role. Engineers from companies like CCP Games or Sýn report that their careers took off thanks to these gatherings, which allowed them to meet recruiters, co-founders, and mentors.
Finally, the academic world is far from isolated from business. Universities host job fairs, open lectures, entrepreneurship courses, and hackathons. For a foreign student or an expat who chooses to study in Iceland, getting involved in these events can open as many doors as an internship.
Structuring your approach: from first contact to lasting relationship
An effective network isn’t just a pile of business cards or LinkedIn connections. It’s a set of living relationships, reciprocal, maintained over time.
Preparing your outreach
Before an event, taking a few minutes to clarify your goals changes everything. Are you looking for a first job in Iceland, testing market interest for a product, meeting people in a specific field? Depending on that, you won’t ask the same questions, attend the same workshops, or stay with the same groups.
Having a clear, 30-second pitch in English (possibly peppered with a few Icelandic words) is crucial. It should state who you are, where you’re from, what you do, and what you’re looking for. This often makes the difference between a memorable encounter and a forgotten conversation.
Digital tools round out the toolkit. LinkedIn, in particular, carries significant weight: complete profiles receive far more views and connection requests, and professionals well connected locally have better chances of landing a job. For an expat in Iceland, joining groups like “International Professionals in Iceland” or “Reykjavik Tech Network” helps spot active players, opportunities, and must-attend events.
Maintaining and deepening relationships
What happens next is after the first meeting. Sending a thank-you message after an interesting exchange, sharing a relevant article, suggesting coffee to dive deeper into a topic, or making an introduction between two contacts are simple gestures that turn an acquaintance into a relationship.
In a context where trust and one’s word carry great weight, it’s better to be consistently present and reliable than sporadically hyperactive. This means responding quickly to messages, keeping promises, updating people as projects progress, and showing that you remain active and engaged. These simple actions gradually make you someone others can count on.
Conversely, it’s important to avoid treating your network as a simple opportunity machine. Icelanders are wary of purely opportunistic networking. Showing genuine interest in others’ projects, offering help, recommending a resource or contact without expecting anything in return—that is what builds, over time, the kind of relationships that naturally open doors.
Leveraging mentorship programs and welcome services
For a newly arrived expat, seeking out a mentor in the Icelandic landscape can be a major accelerator, especially in highly interconnected sectors like fintech, digital, or research.
University programs and clusters: mentors as gateways
The University of Iceland and other institutions have set up mentorship programs where local students accompany international students in their acclimation to university life and Icelandic society. By joining such a program, an expat student not only receives help but also becomes linked to a network of mentors, peers, and staff involved in international cooperation.
In clusters like Reykjavík’s, experienced mentors (finance, tech, marketing, regulation, etc.) offer introductory conversations. For an expat, this allows quickly validating a project by understanding market realities, regulator expectations, and the demands of banks and investors.
Information centers and support structures
In parallel, public structures like the Multicultural Information Centre provide valuable assistance to newcomers, in several languages, regarding administrative procedures, the job market, and social rights. Even if these organizations aren’t professional networks per se, the counselors working there can guide you toward associations, training programs, and relevant contacts.
Expatriates in Iceland report that quickly getting involved in formal networks—such as sectoral associations, mentorship programs, or innovation clusters—significantly accelerates access to jobs or clients and facilitates better integration into Icelandic society.
Integrating into a demanding but accessible job market
Testimonies from people settled in Iceland converge on one point: certain sectors are particularly open to foreign profiles, even without initial mastery of the Icelandic language, starting with information technology. Being a developer, for instance, often means high employability.
To enter the European market, non-EU/EEA nationals must overcome strict visa rules (work permits, study with family restrictions, marriage, etc.). In this context, developing a professional network is crucial for identifying sponsorship opportunities, companies accustomed to international hiring, and sectors in high demand for foreign profiles.
Available data also show that lack of networking is a major factor in business failure in the first years. In Iceland, with its small market and informal referral logic, this dimension is even more critical. An expat entrepreneur cannot rely solely on a good website or directory listing: they must build concrete ties with other leaders, institutions, chambers of commerce, and incubators.
Dealing with cultural diversity… often poorly equipped
One element not to overlook: although Icelandic society is increasingly open to international profiles, companies are still far from all having developed solid diversity management policies. A study highlights that over half of foreign participants and a significant share of Icelanders feel their workplace does “nothing special” to manage cultural diversity. Only a minority mention written policies or dedicated contact persons.
In a often unstructured setting, the expat must anticipate frictions: clarify expectations, ask questions, flag misunderstandings quickly, and suggest improvements. Communication difficulties, related to language or work styles, are common and require a proactive approach to prevent them from escalating into problems.
Here again, a strong network helps navigate these situations. Being able to turn to other expats, to Icelandic mentors aware of these issues, or to professional associations dealing with diversity and inclusion, can make the difference between successful integration and a frustrating experience.
When the network becomes a second home
In the end, building your professional network in Iceland as an expat is much more than collecting business cards or optimizing a LinkedIn profile. It’s entering a continuous conversation with a society that is both very proud of its distinctiveness and surprisingly open—provided you show it respect and genuine curiosity.
It means understanding an egalitarian business culture, informal but demanding when it comes to reliability. Accepting that many things are decided over coffee, a hot bath, or a walk. Navigating between very active expat networks and powerful local structures—chambers of commerce, sectoral associations, innovation clusters, universities.
It’s also, for those who choose to invest in it, the opportunity to participate in an economy that bets heavily on innovation, sustainability, and international cooperation. Through encounters, projects, and gestures of trust, Iceland gradually stops being a spectacular backdrop and becomes true anchor point, where the professional network often blends with a circle of life.
For the expat who embraces this game—speaking frankly, learning a few words of the language, showing up, being useful, and keeping their word—the country offers a rare playing field: a place where, from Reykjavík to the smallest circles of experts, it’s not so hard to reach the right person… as long as you know why you want to meet them and what you’re ready to give in return.
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Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.
On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.
Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.
