Online edition · 7th edition

Guidelines on Corporate Governance

6 chapters ~50 min read Open online edition
Cover of the 7th edition of the Guidelines on Corporate Governance
Edition7th edition, 2026
Effective1 January 2027
Publishers

The main objective of the Guidelines on Corporate Governance is to promote good corporate governance by clarifying the roles and responsibilities of company management, thereby enabling them to perform their duties while safeguarding the interests of shareholders and other stakeholders.

The Guidelines are intended to serve as a tool for boards and managers in meeting the responsibilities placed upon them. Following good corporate governance strengthens the foundations of companies and builds general trust in the business community. Both are crucial to the competitiveness of Icelandic companies.

The Guidelines contain recommendations in addition to laws and regulations, and the “comply or explain” approach gives them greater flexibility than such rules, as it is difficult to set standards that suit companies of all sizes and types.

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Updated 2026 Web edition · IS / EN
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Guidelines — 7th edition

Digital edition for downloadEffective from 1 January 2027
From the Guidelines
The majority of Directors should be independent of the Company and its Day-to-day Management.
2.3.1Chapter 2 — The Board
Contents

Structure of the Guidelines on Corporate Governance

Between editions

Changes from the 6th edition

Here you will find the changes made to the Guidelines on Corporate Governance since the 6th edition.

Read the tracked-changes document →Download as PDF
Cover of the 6th edition (2021)
6th edition · 2021
Cover of the 7th edition (2026)
7th edition · 2026
Company representatives receiving recognition as Exemplary Companies in Corporate Governance
Stjórnvísi recognition ceremony

Exemplary Company in Corporate Governance

The recognitions are awarded by Stjórnvísi, the Iceland Chamber of Commerce, SA Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise and Nasdaq Iceland. Companies that pass the assessment receive the recognition “Exemplary Company in Corporate Governance”, valid for three years.

3 yrs
Validity of recognition
40+
Recognised companies
2011
First recognition awarded
List of recognised companies →