þjóðskrá

Þjóðskrá Íslands, commonly referred to as Þjóðskrá, is the Icelandic national civil registry and the government agency responsible for maintaining the population registry and issuing personal identification numbers (kennitala). It holds records on residents and citizens, including names, dates of birth, citizenship, addresses, and information about partnerships and family relationships.

Its core functions include maintaining the national population registry, assigning and updating kennitala numbers, recording changes of name, marital status, and residence, and issuing official extracts such as birth, marriage, and death certificates. The agency also provides identity verification for public services and supports other government bodies in accessing current demographic information, under strict privacy protections.

Access to data is regulated by Icelandic privacy and data protection laws. Individuals can request access to their own records, and data sharing with other authorities is permitted only for legitimate purposes and with appropriate safeguards. Many services can be performed digitally through government portals, and the kennitala is widely used to authenticate identity in public and private transactions.

Historically, the civil registry has been a central component of Icelandic public administration, with Þjóðskrá Íslands serving as the national registrar and coordination point for demographic records. The agency collaborates with Statistics Iceland and other authorities in producing official statistics and planning public services.

Þjóðskrá thus plays a foundational role in governance, social services, taxation, health care, and daily administration by maintaining up-to-date resident information and enabling secure identity verification.