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Iceland's School Phone Ban: What Schools Need to Know in 2026
Yes. A national regulation signed in late August 2026 requires pupils in Icelandic primary schools (grunnskólar) to store personal phones and smart devices for the whole school day, including breaks, meals, trips and school-linked recreation.
Minister of Education and Children Inga Sæland signed the regulation on 28 August 2026. Pupils may not carry personal phones or similar smart devices during school time, and any device brought to school must go in designated storage. The rule covers lessons, breaks, meal periods, field trips, organised travel and after-school recreation. School-owned devices may be used for defined purposes, with exceptions for pupils with health, disability or other recognised needs.
In March 2025, then minister Ásthildur Lóa Þórsdóttir said she wanted a regulation in place, even without a full bill. A draft regulation followed, and went through public consultation, before the final text was signed in August. The national rule formalises practice in many schools: around 70% of Reykjavík primary schools were already phone-free in 2024, and Reykjavík made its schools phone-free for 2026/27.
The regulation tells schools to store devices but does not prescribe how. Reykjavík and Akureyri schools have run phone-free pacts and local policies, with storage handled school by school. The Icelandic Teachers' Union has argued for flexible school policies rather than strict bans. Upper secondary schools (framhaldsskólar) are not covered by reports of the regulation.
Whatever Iceland's regulation requires, lockable pouches let students keep their own phone, locked, from the first bell to the last, so the grunnskóli does not collect, store or answer for devices. Before The Internet ships lockable phone pouches and unlocking bases worldwide, including to Iceland, and can print the school's name or crest on them. Schools buy them outright: one price, no subscription, lease or per-student annual licence. Send us your student numbers and any written quote you already have, and we will beat it.
Frequently asked questions
Does the rule cover breaks and school trips?
Yes. Reports of the regulation say it covers lessons, breaks, meals, field trips, organised travel and school-linked recreation.
Are there exemptions?
Yes. Pupils with documented health, disability or other recognised needs can be exempted, and school-owned devices can be used for defined purposes.
Does it apply to upper secondary schools?
Reporting describes it as a rule for primary schools (grunnskólar). Upper secondary schools are not mentioned.
Related reading
School phone bans by country · Phone-free schools toolkit · How to roll out phone pouches in a school
Written by the team at Before The Internet, a Toronto-based phone-free company that rents lockable phone pouches for events across North America and sells them to schools and venues worldwide, shipping purchases to any country.
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