Living in Iceland

Iceland is a small economy set apart from the continent, and the openings that come most readily to a newcomer reflect that, running to tourism and hospitality, construction, and the skilled trades. Pay sits near the top of the world and so does the cost of an ordinary life, yet the balance still falls in your favor, with most of the earnings staying in hand. English will carry you through some of the work and thin out in the rest, and a job here is reachable without being handed over.

Iceland's foreign-born population has grown faster than almost anywhere — up 153% over the past decade, to 98.3K, now a quarter of everyone on the island. Poland is by far the leading origin, with 31.9K Polish-born residents, ahead of Denmark and Lithuania.