The Tourist Guide Division in VR was established in the spring of 2025 following the merger of VR and Leiðsögn - Tourist Guide Union. The role of the division includes initiating and supporting the professional development of guiding as a profession and promoting professionalism, quality, and safety issues. The division is also responsible for defending the professional education of tourist guides and supporting knowledge development through training, continuing education, and conferences.
Tourist guides who were members of Leiðsögn - Tourist Guide Union became members of the division upon the merger. All full members working as tourist guides in VR who are not already in the division, as well as new members working in guiding, can apply for membership through My Pages.
Please note that the division does not provide general services to tourist guides. All VR members, tourist guides included, should contact the VR service center and professional advisors by calling 510 1700, emailing vr@vr.is, or via the website chat on vr.is. It is also possible to visit the union's offices – see office locations and opening hours here.
Key Points on Membership of Tourist Guides within VR
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The role of the Tourist Guide Division at VR is to advocate for the interests of tourist guides in accordance with the division’s rules of procedure (see rules here, Icelandic only). The VR Board is the highest authority within the union, and all divisions and departments operate under its decisions. The Board of the Tourist Guide Division does not act independently of the VR Board, but it has the right to submit project proposals to the board.
All services for members of the division – such as issues relating to wages and rights – are handled by VR's specialists in wage matters and the union’s service center. Members of the Tourist Guide Division receive the same services from VR as other members.
Other matters concerning the interests of tourist guides should be sent to the Tourist Guide Division at vr@vr.is. We emphasize that matters concerning labor market rights or the individual rights of VR members are handled by the service center or other professional advisors, not the Tourist Guide Division.
All full members working as tourist guides in VR may stand for election to the board of the division, which is elected at the annual general meeting held in October. An exception applies in 2025, as the last general meeting of Leiðsögn - Tourist Guide Union was held in mid-May, during which the division’s board was elected. Self-employed tourist guides are eligible for election within the Tourist Guide Division, but otherwise, self-employed individuals in the union are not eligible for trusted positions, according to Article 3 of VR’s bylaws.
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Tourist guides who were part of Leiðsögn - Tourist Guide Union at the time of the merger with VR automatically became members of the Tourist Guide Division within VR.
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The VR membership fee is 0.7% of total wages. To obtain membership rights in VR, one must pay this fee monthly. Full membership rights require the payment of a minimum fee over a 12-month period. The minimum fee must have been paid for at least one of the last three months. If membership fees are not paid for three consecutive months, the member is removed from the registry. Full membership can be regained the month after payment resumes, provided the minimum fee for the previous 12 months is met. See more on membership fees and rights here.
Members must notify their employer of a change in union affiliation before the end of May 2025.
Self-employed tourist guides must pay their membership fees monthly in the same manner as other members. They must also contribute to other union funds. See more here.
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The Sick Pay Fund of Leiðsögn - Tourist Guide Union was merged into the VR Sick Pay Fund during the merger. The sick leave rights of tourist guides under the collective agreement are less extensive than those of other VR members. There is an intention to equalize these rights in future agreements, but until then, tourist guides have lesser rights within the VR Sick Pay Fund. This means tourist guides are entitled to the same sickness per diem payments as they were under Leiðsögn, i.e., for a maximum of four months.
The same rule applies to self-employed tourist guides. See more about the VR Sick Pay Fund.
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All grants for VR members – e.g., for fitness, rehabilitation, holiday services, etc. – are paid through the VR Contingency Fund, and tourist guides in VR have the same access to the fund as other members. The fund is income-based and funded after the annual general meeting each year. See more about the VR Contingency Fund.
The initial balance for tourist guides in VR following the merger is based on paid contributions from 2023 and 2024, minus any grants received from the Sick Pay Fund of Leiðsögn during the period from January 1, 2023, to April 30, 2025.
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Leiðsögn’s Continuing Education Fund will merge with the Vocational Training Fund for Shop and Office Workers (SVS) later in 2025. Applications to the fund can be submitted via My Pages on the VR website once the funds have been merged.
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Tourist guides in VR have the same access to the VR Holiday Pay Fund as other members and can apply for vacation housing in the same way. Holiday homes are allocated for summer and specific winter periods. The allocation for summer 2025 and winter 2025 - 2026 is complete, but it is possible to apply for unclaimed houses.
Generally, applications for summer allocations open in March, and for winter rentals in April. For more information or to apply, log in to the Holiday website on vr.is using electronic ID.
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All VR members, including tourist guides, should contact the service center and union advisors by calling 510 1700, emailing vr@vr.is, or using the website chat at vr.is. You can also visit the union's offices – see office locations and opening hours here.
All matters relating to labor market rights or tourist guide rights within VR are handled by the service center or other VR advisors – not by the Tourist Guide Division.
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All training organized by VR is open to all members, including both courses and lectures. If a course is specialized (e.g., for union representatives), invitations are sent specifically. Courses for tourist guides will generally be open to all VR members unless they are highly specialized and intended only for professional tourist guides – in which case they are arranged in cooperation with the Tourist Guide Division and announced specifically.
All training events are listed on the VR event calendar at vr.is – see the calendar here – and on the union’s social media.
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Members of the Tourist Guide Division in VR can choose which pension fund to pay contributions into. If no choice is made, the contribution will go to the Pension Fund of Commerce.