ATMs Emptied Over Easter

Tourism, Easter closings, and confirmation season all converged on a single weekend, emptying most of downtown Reykjavík’s bank machines of any cash.

If you were downtown last weekend and wanted to take out cash, you were probably out of luck. RÚV reports that “the vast majority” of bank machines, from east side to west, were empty and closed for business by last Saturday afternoon. The reason, in a nutshell, is timing.

Due to Easter falling on the first weekend of the month this year, and the first of April landing on a Wednesday, Iceland’s banks were only open for one day after the first of the month before a five-day break commenced. Second, it also happens to be confirmation season again, as children across the country will be showered with often expensive gifts as they are formally brought into the church.

Third, the already large numbers of tourists took their toll on downtown’s ATMs as well. Hotels that RÚV spoke to confirmed that many visitors to the capital found it very difficult to take out cash.

Now that Easter holidays are officially behind us, though, downtown Reykjavík’s ATMs have been filled once again. The city’s residents and guests alike are now free to withdraw and spend cash with impunity.