Skip navigation

Heavy Machinery License

In order to obtain a heavy machinery license, a theoretical course for the machine in question must be completed. This is followed by practical training. Finally, a practical test is taken managed by the Administration of Occupational Safety and Health.

General

Everyone who intends to operate heavy machinery in Iceland must have the required certifications. In order to obtain a heavy machinery license, a theoretical course on the heavy machinery category in question must be completed. After that, practical training is carried out under the guidance of a supervisor, and finally a practical text is taken at the AOSH.

  • The AOSH holds primary courses and construction crane courses that end with a theoretical exam and gives the right to start practical training under the supervision of an accredited supervisor.
  • Driving schools and others that have been certified by the AOSH hold so-called basic courses. Basic courses cover all heavy machinery categories. They end with a theoretical exam that gives the right to start practical training under the supervision of an accredited supervisor.
  • The person who provides practical training in the workplace must have teaching certifications on heavy machinery. To facilitate practical training, the AOSH has issued a checklist for practical training on heavy machinery. Practical training must last a minimum of ten hours and take place in an environment with no risk of accidents from the training.
  • At the end of practical training in the workplace, a practical test is carried out at the workplace. You need to contact the AOSH and book an examiner.
  • The AOSH also has facilities for practical training and taking practical exams in special simulators. You need to contact the AOSH to make an appointment for a simulator.
  • At the end of the practical test, a heavy machinery license is applied for, which gives the right to operate a specified machine. An application for a heavy machinery license must be accompanied by a copy of a driving license. In addition to the traditional version of heavy machinery certificates, it is also possible to get issued a digital machine certificate. The digital machine certificate appears in the island.is app and from there it can be downloaded into the “wallet” of smart devices that supports it.
  • When applying for a crane license, for categories A, B, C, D and P, a medical certificate must be presented.
  • A valid photo ID must be shown both before the written multiple-choice test and the practical exam.

Tariff

More on Primary Courses

Issued Heavy Machinery Licenses From Another EEA Member State

If a foreign employee has been issued a heavy machinery license from another EEA member state and they intend to operate heavy machinery in Iceland, the employee must have their rights recognized by the AOSH in accordance with the Act on the Recognition of Professional Education and Qualifications for Work in Iceland.

The following documents must accompany the application for a license to use foreign heavy machinery certifications:

  • The rights which are to be recognized must be filled out (see page 2 of the application for a license to use a foreign
    heavy machinery license for cranes, forklifts and/or mobile machinery below).
  • Copy of driving license
  • Copy of a foreign heavy machinery license
  • Documents showing the number of hours in theoretical and practical teaching due to foreign certifications.
  • All documents must be translated into Icelandic or English for all languages except Danish, Norwegian or Swedish.
  • When applying for a crane license, for categories A, B, C, D and P, a medical certificate must be presented.

Medical Certificate With Application for Crane License

The certificate must confirm the following:

  • Vision: ≥ 0.8 in the better eye and ≥0.1 in the worse eye
  • Visual field normal
  • Hearing normal
  • Physical bearing normal and unobstructed
  • The applicant is otherwise healthy and has no illness, nor is taking medication or other substances that interfere with judgment or may cause sudden loss of consciousness. Certificates must be less than six months old.

Instead of a medical certificate, a certificate of a commercial driving license that is younger than 6 months can be presented.

Categorization of Heavy Machinery Certifications

The first letter in the number of the heavy machinery category is called the main category and is also a connection to the certification license of the operator of the machine. Thus, the holder of a certificate can see from the registration number of a machine whether they have certifications for the machine in question.

A – Tower cranes and construction cranes
B – Mobile cranes larger than 18 tonnes
C – Bridge cranes
D – Cranes 18 ton meters or smaller
E – Excavators larger than 4 tons
F – Wheel loaders
G – Bulldozers
H – Graders
I – Tractors and smaller mobile machines
J – Forklifts with a capacity of 10 tonnes or less
K – Forklifts with a capacity of more than 10 tonnes
L – Rollers
M – Asphalt-laying machines
P- Loading cranes with a capacity of 18 tonnes or less

Frequently Asked Questions

In order to obtain a license for heavy machinery, it is necessary to take a theoretical course on the operation and handling of heavy machinery. A preliminary course entitles you to take a practical exam on smaller types of heavy machinery. A basic course entitles you to take a practical exam on all types of heavy machinery.

After the theoretical course, practical training takes place under the guidance of a person who has the required qualifications. You can also get training and take practical exams in a heavy machinery simulator at the AOSH.

At the end of the practical training at the workplace, a practical exam takes place, which is applied for here on the website. A valid photo ID must be shown before the exam. On completion of a practical exam, a heavy machinery license is issued, granting the right to operate a specified heavy machinery.

In addition to the traditional version of heavy machinery certificates, it is also possible to get issued a digital machine certificate. The digital machine certificate appears in the island.is app and from there it can be downloaded into the “wallet” of smart devices that supports it.

The price can be found under item 108 of the our tariff list.

General heavy machinery licenses are valid until the age of 70, but crane certifications must be renewed every ten years. A medical certificate must be submitted with the renewal request.

This can be done by contacting vinnueftirlit@ver.is or by coming to the AOSH’s reception. When renewing expired licenses, a medical certificate (general certificate) must be submitted.

The heavy machinery license is sent by mail to the license holder or the payer in the case of an invoice transaction.

In addition to the traditional version of heavy machinery certificates, it is also possible to get issued a digital machine certificate. The digital machine certificate appears in the island.is app and from there it can be downloaded into the “wallet” of smart devices that supports it.

Heavy machinery licenses will not be invalidated at the same time as driving licenses, but they are limited to fenced areas and company grounds. The police decide where traffic laws apply if there is any doubt.

To be issued a heavy machinery license, you must have a valid driving license, among other things. Therefore, it is not possible to acquire the right to operate heavy machinery without taking a driving test.

Residents within the European Economic Area (EEA) have the right to have heavy machinery certifications from EEA member states recognized in other EEA countries in accordance with the Act on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications and Competence for Employment in Iceland.

The Administration of Occupational Safety and Health of the country in which recognition is applied for evaluates the certification into its system.

In order to be able to take a practical exam and obtain a heavy machinery license, the examinee must have completed a theoretical course at the AOSH or other parties that offer heavy machinery courses along with practical training under the guidance of an instructor.

If the applicant intends to pay for the practical exam themselves, they choose individual registration and then complete the registration form by going to the payment page and paying by card.

If a company intends to cover the costs of the practical exam and the employee’s certificate, it can request an invoice.

In the case of an individual registration, you have to pay by card, but if it is a company registration, you can request an invoice.

Because when working with such machinery, you often work with a load that is far away from the person controlling the machinery, and it is therefore necessary that that person has good eyesight and hearing. Normal mobility is also required when heavy machinery license are issued.

Some heavy machinery can be very similar in nature, for example in terms of control equipment, and therefore it is considered appropriate to also grant certifications in the category that may contain a smaller version of similar machinery.

An example of this is that when certifications in categories E and F are issued, the person also receives certifications in category I. The same applies when certifications are issued in categories B and P, but then the person also receives certifications in category D. Likewise, when certifications are issued in category K, but then the person also receives certifications in category J.

On the issued license, the validity period is marked in the fields of the heavy machinery certifications that are valid. You can also get a digital heavy machinery license at island.is.

You can apply to become an instructor when the license holder has completed 1,000 working hours working on a machine in the relevant license category. This is done by filling out the form Teaching license for heavy machinery.

Yes, if there have been changes, a new instructor can be given when the examiner arrives.

In that case there are two possibilities in the situation. Either set a new time and use the old registration form or delete the registration and fill it out again when the employee is at work.

Yes, it is possible to add a new party on site in the case of invoice transactions.

The examiner then enters information about the new examinee, but in the case of a practical exam in certification categories A, B, C, D, or P, the relevant employee must present a medical certificate and provide an on-site instructor.

If it is an individual registration, you have to go through registration on the website.

There are three possible ways to do this:

First of all, you can give the instructor’s mobile phone number or email address, who will receive a link via SMS or email. If they have the required teaching certifications in the relevant certifications category, they confirm that practical training has taken place.

Secondly, the instructor, if they are on site, can sign for the examiner.

Thirdly, you can print out the Teacher’s Certificate form and get the instructor’s signature there to confirm that practical training has taken place.