Relationship dossier
Iceland
Spain
Relationship assessment
Practical cooperation through European frameworks and NATO, including Spanish air-policing deployments in Iceland
Iceland toward Spain
+30Iceland participates in the European Economic Area and the Schengen arrangements, frameworks that also govern Spain's cooperation with Iceland. Iceland's participation in NATO also provides a basis for security cooperation with Spain, including support for allied air-policing activity in Iceland.
Spain toward Iceland
+35Spain participates in the European Economic Area and Schengen frameworks applicable to Iceland. Spain has also deployed forces to Iceland for NATO air policing, providing a concrete security contribution to Iceland's defence.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship has a cooperative institutional foundation in the European Economic Area, Schengen, and NATO. Spanish NATO air-policing deployments in Iceland add a practical security dimension. The scope of direct bilateral cooperation outside these arrangements is less clear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Iceland and Spain are linked by durable cooperation through the European Economic Area and Schengen arrangements, as well as NATO. Spain has also deployed forces to support NATO air policing in Iceland. These arrangements indicate practical cooperation, though the breadth of distinct bilateral initiatives and the extent of direct government coordination are unclear.
Key developments
The European Economic Area agreement entered into force, establishing a framework that includes Iceland and Spain.
Iceland became associated with the Schengen cooperation framework, which also includes Spain.
Spain deployed forces to Iceland for NATO air policing.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of direct bilateral cooperation beyond European and NATO frameworks is unclear.
- The extent and frequency of Icelandic-Spanish government coordination on shared security and economic matters are unclear.