The temporary operating permit for Reykjavík Cemeteries’ crematorium at Vesturhlíð 6 expired on Wednesday, August 19, while a replacement permit remains under consideration.
Reykjavík’s Public Health Authority lists the 2026 permit proposal and says public consultation closed yesterday, but as of Thursday morning had not posted a newly issued permit alongside it.
What’s the Story?
- The previous one-year permit ran from August 19, 2025 to August 19, 2026.
- A renewal application was submitted June 19 and public consultation on the new proposal ran through August 19.
- The City’s public permit register did not list an issued replacement permit Thursday morning.
An ageing facility under scrutiny
The Fossvogur crematorium has operated for decades and Iceland Review has previously reported that its ageing equipment is costly to maintain and environmentally problematic.
The 2025 licence was deliberately temporary. Reykjavík’s Public Health Authority issued it for one year, from August 19, 2025 through August 19, 2026, following a review of the facility’s pollution-control conditions.
Reykjavík Cemeteries submitted a new permit application on June 19 this year. The proposed replacement licence was advertised for public comment from July 22 through August 19. On Thursday morning, the City’s public permit page still displayed the proposal without a newly issued permit in the corresponding column.
That public status does not establish that the crematorium is operating unlawfully, nor does it mean that cremations have stopped. It means the published permit register had not yet been updated with a replacement licence at the time of writing.
The facility has been the subject of complaints about smoke pollution. Documents from the permit appeal process state that four complaints were received after the 2025 licence was issued. An appeals board ultimately upheld that permit in February 2026 while modifying one condition.
The question matters because cremation has become increasingly common in the capital. Iceland Review has reported that more Reykjavík residents have chosen cremation as cemetery space tightens and that the existing crematorium dates from 1948.
Source: Reykjavík Public Health Authority
Read more stories covering Icelandic society, politics, business, and culture at Iceland Review News.
